The Lead Sled Solo available from Midsouth Shooters offers both recoil reduction and the ability to use lever-actions and magazine-fed rifles due to its U-shaped frame. Image courtesy of Caldwell Shooting Supplies.
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- To purchase the product reviewed in this piece from Midsouth Shooters Supply, click this link: Caldwell Lead Sled Solo: $82.33.
- To enter the Midsouth Shooters’ GunsAmerica Giveaway contest, click this link:https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/landingpages/gunsamericagiveaway.aspx.
Sometimes you find a product that just works. No false advertising, no gimmicks—just a piece of equipment that functions precisely as it’s designed. That’s what I found with Caldwell’s Lead Sled Solo from Midsouth Shooters. The sled has two primary functions: to provide stability and control recoil. It does both flawlessly.
You do not have to remove the rifle from the rest to remove or replace the magazine.
First, some specifications:
Weight: Approx. 14 pounds
Length: 26 inches
Width: 18 inches
Weight Capacity: Approximately 25 pounds
Frame Material: Steel
Price: $82.33 (from Midsouth Shooters)
The Sled arrived in just a few days from Midsouth, and I was pleased to feel the box’s heft. The Sled’s steel construction gives it a good, solid weight, which helps reduce felt recoil and keeps your rifle centered on target.
Some assembly is required, but, unlike the majority of firearm products, the Sled comes with detailed instructions. I won’t bore you with the process, but suffice it to say I had everything put together in less than fifteen minutes with the help of two adjustable wrenches.
Setup was a piece of cake once I got to the range. The buttstock fit comfortably in the rear rest, and the front rest includes a strap that kept my rifle from working its way off the Sled.
ARs and AKs Welcome
Plus—and this is one of the Sled’s best features—the U-shape design allows the shooter to use it with lever action rifles and AR-15s (and the type) with extended magazines. As you can see from the pictures, a 30-round magazine fits comfortably in the rest and has enough room to be removed without removing the rifle.
The rear rest accommodated my oversized rifle stock with room to spare. It’s also rubberized, which helps with felt recoil.
It’s called the “Lead” Sled because it’s designed to hold a 25-pound bag of lead in the bottom tray. The added weight helps reduce recoil, but Caldwell doesn’t include a lead bag in the package and I don’t happen to own one. Fortunately, I was never great at the square-peg-in-a-square-hole game, so I just grabbed two round barbell weights and threw them in the tray. (Caldwell makes another version—the Lead Sled Plus—which is designed to hold barbell weights as well as lead bags.)
A spring-loaded arm and adjustment knob provide the primary vertical adjustment mechanisms. Raising the sight picture is a simple matter of turning the knob clockwise. Reversing direction lowers the sight picture with the help of the heavy-duty spring. I found this process to be remarkably easy. At 100 yards I was able to get my sights on target with just a slight turn of the knob. At 200 and 300 yards I barely had to touch it.
Shooters can also make vertical adjustments via the two front legs or the front shooting rest. I never had to touch these knobs, but I suppose they could come in handy if you’re shooting at a steep incline or your table isn’t level.
Horizontal adjustments are made the old-fashioned way, which wasn’t difficult. The sled is heavy enough to reduce felt recoil, but light enough to slide around the shooting bench and aim at different targets.
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Turning the adjustment knob clockwise raises the arm of the rest.
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When you turn the knob counterclockwise, the spring pushes the arm back down.
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The Sled performed exactly as advertised. I’m no sissy, but my .308 bolt-action gets old after a few boxes. Using the Lead Sled, I was able to shoot twice as many rounds as I usually do without any soreness. The three rubberized feet and the rubberized rear rest work together with the sled’s weight to save your shoulder and make shooting a larger caliber much more comfortable. This could also be useful for introducing new or young shooters to harder-hitting rounds.
Although the Lead Sled Solo’s tray is designed to accept a lead shot bag, I did a field-expedient adaptation with these weights.
The Sled is also perfect for sighting in a new scope. The strap on the front rest combined with the oversized rear rest allows you to get your sights on target and simply pull the trigger. The Sled helps remove the human error from the sighting process, so you can know for sure your sights are where they need to be.
All in all, the Lead Sled is a fantastic product that absolutely will not disappoint. If you’ve been looking for a way to extend your range sessions and save your shoulder, here it is.
MIDSOUTH SHOOTERS’ GUNSAMERICA GIVEAWAY
Midsouth Shooters is a great resource for products like the above pieces at great prices. The company is offering you the chance to win one of the items covered in this and future GunsAmerica articles on Midsouth’s products. Just click the link, and gain tons of entries right up until the giveaway scheduled for 11-23-16. In addition, you can receive a free copy of the 240-page Reloading and Shooting Supply catalog from Midsouth Shooters! For more than 45 years, Midsouth Shooters has provided reloaders and shooters top-quality supplies and great prices. Click on the link and sign up to receive your free copy. See why so many shooters across the country shop at Midsouth Shooters.
- To enter the Midsouth Shooters’ GunsAmerica Giveaway contest, click this link:https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/landingpages/gunsamericagiveaway.aspx.
- To purchase the product reviewed in this piece from Midsouth Shooters Supply, click this link: Caldwell Lead Sled Solo: $82.33.
Like all Lead Sleds, this is a great concept but in reality they are scope busters.
I agree with Tanker156. To me this is like putting your rifle in a vise and all you use is your finger to pull the trigger.
No breathing control needed when it is held fast. You need to learn shooting your rifle.
Whst ever happened to people actually shooting rifles they can handle. I understand wanting a good stable platform to zero, but that is why we practice and hone our craft. For example, I think it is great you can buy a .338 Lapua, but if you can’t handle the recoil on a .308 or shoot it proficiently without a Lead Sled, why would you consider the larget caliber? I think some people have fallen into the “big guy at the range with the baddest toys” complex and are doing themselves a disservice to honing their skills. It seemed a lot of guys at the range in the past month getting ready for deer season were using the Lead Sled and I asked them why. “I dont like the recoil of this .300 Weatherby, .300 Win Mag, 7mm Rem, etc.”. Then why do you shoot it? You won’t have the Lead Sled in your blind/stand. In my personal opinion, which is worthless, I feel if you want to shpot big bore, high power, long range, etc, you should master the skill and do it the old fashioned way. It will make you learn your rifle, your loads, the rifle/optics capabilities, and most of all your capabilities and limitations. Thank you for allowing me to comment.
Looks like a problem for left handed shooters.
You were reading my mind.
I have a very STRONG comment on any “Lead Sled”. I have 2 very close shooting buddies that have destroyed 2 rifles using a lead sled. Most rifles are made to “kick” back under recoil. Using this device prevents the gun from doing that. What happened to the rifles ????? Both rifles had developed cracks in the stocks where the medal receiver slams into the front of the rear stock. I love my rifles too much to take a chance of destroying a stock. A sand bag up front and a towel folded on my sholder (If you must) works just fine and costs almost nothing. Just a word of caution using a lead sled. Makes a nice rack for rifle cleaning though……
Nice good workmanship