Sled or no sled?

[orygun]

NEVER ZERO WITH A SLED WITHOUT CHECKING YOUR ZERO FROM FIELD POSITIONS! THINGS CHANGE!

I strongly believe in this! No matter what else, I make sure I can hit when nothing else is holding the rifle but me n my sling.
I don't have a sled, but I've been working on a shooting bench with a rest. If I had a Lead Sled I would use it for working on load development and ammo consistency, just to take the pounding out of the equation. I'm a good shooter, but shooting 30-06 all day does take it's toll. A couple of good Appleseed days with a bolt action 30 cal borders on brutal, but it's the best way to make sure you can retain proper shooting methods. Variances really show up at 400 yards.

Try a toboggan. Waayy mo' bettah.

What's that? Around here we use log truck and heavy equipment tubes. They haul butt and directional control is not one of their features!

 

[P7M13]

They haul butt and directional control is not one of their features!

Same with toboggans. 3-4 man sleds that used be used in the midwest and east coast. Specialized in broken bones and cracked skulls.

 

[No_Regerts]

Same with toboggans. 3-4 man sleds that used be used in the midwest and east coast. Specialized in broken bones and cracked skulls.

WSU had (may still have) a golf driving range that was facing uphill. The "hill" is actually pretty big and it creates a bowl were everything rolls down to where the tees fir the driving range are. When it snows, its an epic sledding situation. I surfed a toboggan down that hill (the hill is easily 300+ yards from too to bottom). I thought I had dome something really cool and I might make money off the idea! Then I remembered snow boarders....

 

[P7M13]

WSU had (may still have) a golf driving range that was facing uphill. The "hill" is actually pretty big and it creates a bowl were everything rolls down to where the tees fir the driving range are. When it snows, its an epic sledding situation. I surfed a toboggan down that hill (the hill is easily 300+ yards from too to bottom). I thought I had dome something really cool and I might make money off the idea! Then I remembered snow boarders....

First saw a guy on a snowboard at a toboggan hill, Hines Park, in Michigan in 1986. It had no edges on an icy hill. The guy spent 99% of the time horizontal.

 

[Koda]

If we are talking about the lead sled or similar devices, be very cautious using one as you can damage both your rifle and your scope. I have read a couple different threads on this same topic on other forums. This one from Accurate Shooter has some great information on sleds: https://forum.accurateshooter.com/threads/what-causes-the-damage.3925381/

Never used one and never seen the need. If you can't handle your rifles recoil then get a lighter recoiling caliber/rifle. If you are having troubles grouping your firearm, your money would be better spent obtaining training.

this is actually very interesting information to learn. I never considered this...
Ive never had any issues with using a sled to zero a rifle but Ive also never weighted the sled down or even clamped the rifle to it. But this information does make me wonder now if the sled is still increasing the shock load back into the rifle and scope. I do know sandbags are equally effective at zeroing, they are just more finicky to set up the sled is faster to use than sandbags. Thanks for sharing this link... something to think about.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I thought a sled was a good idea to eliminate shooter variables. Then a guy who has an outstanding pedigree, Marine snipper instructor, custom AI builds, etc., tells me, Get it out of that sled! I have a precision build 6.5CM from Rainer and have been working up rounds for the 1Kyd shoots. What are the pro's and con's for using a sled?

You don't carry a sled around with you in the field. Use bags. You can usually rig up a field expedient bag out in the field.

 

[Cannonman]

PRC with 6.5CM load development. So no recoil to worry about. It's amazing what comes into play at 1Kyds. I appreciated the humor of putting a gun on a "sled". Every time I bring out a new cannon some one wants me to riffle the barrel so I took my .50 BMG and mounted it onto the cannon and called it a riffled cannon barrel.

 

[Steel Head]

Zero from a sled and your shoulder are likely to be different.