[Benchrest Shooting] Shooting Rifle in a Sled?

[DaveTN]

I've always just shot from a rest, never used a sled. I was looking through some random stuff today and saw shooters talking about stock damage and scope damage from shooting a rifle captured in a sled. I never thought about it, but it makes sense. I wonder if some of the folks we see complaining about repeatability with their scopes are doing this? It's not uncommon to see at the range. Just thinking out loud.

 

[knightrider]

Never have i had a problem occur from using a sled, however i dont strap my guns in or use weights so it still recoils some

 

[jlanecr500]

I'm sure a cheap scope could be damaged. However, an older gentleman in our smokeless ml group shot thousands of smokeless ml rounds, testing loads, etc. He went to the range every Tuesday and fired 40 or more. We're talking loads with more than 45 lb of recoil. Pretty close to that of 2 30-06 rifles fired at once. I Never heard him complain of a scope failing. He used the same guns for our spring, fall and snow bird competitions out to 500yds.

Now, his setup was modified. He had 2 pieces of 3/4 plywood laminated together approx the width and length of the sled. He had routered slots for the lead sled feet to sit in and they were elongated to allow 1.5" of reward travel. He used a light film of lubricant in the slots. This allowed the gun and sled to recoil as a unit. He shot very accurately with this setup. Of course , before getting hooked on sml's, he was a life-long benchrest competitor in North Carolina..

 

[Tnshooter15]

I have used one for probably 30 years without an issue. I don't strap the gun in though and just let it jump. I do use 25lbs of lead

 

[MUP]

Might experience a different POI from sighting in with a sled than shouldering a rifle in the field? I've never used a sled so I really wouldn't know, but I do try to allow recoil into my shoulder as if I was in a hunting scenario tho, with my hunting rig that is.

 

[Omega]

I use bags with lead shot to weigh my sled down. I think this helps absorb the recoil without transferring it to the rifle, at least that is my theory because I've never had an issue with stock or scope used in the sled. Once I zero my rifle, I confirm it with a shot or two off the sled, never had to change my scope settings.

 

[Spurhunter]

I use a sled, and I strap my gun in, but I don't use weights. I let the sled slide on the table some if needed. I am mostly using the sled to hold the rifle perfectly still and make fine adjustments to get the crosshairs exactly where I want them while zeroing.

 

[BigCityBubba]

I broke cheap leupold scope rings on a 338wm using a led sled. I have also had to resight a scope on a slug gun after using a led sled. Luckily it did not break the scope. I would not recommend using one on a heavy recoiling rifle.

 

[mjwendorf]

Never have i had a problem occur from using a sled, however i dont strap my guns in or use weights so it still recoils some

Same, never had a problem using one this way.

 

[Pic IN the Casa]

I use a sled and weights but don't strap it. The thing I believe people forget is that the sled still moves/ is movable.
As others said, it just keeps the gun still while sighting in.
Shot everything from a .177 to a .458 win mag with all qualities and types of scopes. Never had an issue.