Taking pictures sleds can grow to be your greatest buddy on the vary. They’re nice for zeroing a rifle with simply two or three shot teams – as a substitute of chasing level of intention with a dozen groupings, or extra – and so they’re nice instruments for getting behind a brand new rifle, or instructing a brand new shooter the fundamentals of marksmanship. However not all sleds are created equal. I beforehand evaluate the “Solo” shooting sled, Lead Sled’s budget-minded, compact possibility for intermediate rifles. The Solo will get the job completed, however it may well really feel a bit insufficient, and it lacks some options. At this time, we’re taking a look at their top-tier alternative, made for higher accuracy, consolation, and recoil administration for bigger weapons: the Lead Sled DFT 2.
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Caldwell Lead Sled DFT 2 – Specs & Options
The Lead Sled DFT 2 is an all-steel unit, with a cut up tubular body making up the gun assist, whereas the burden tray is a stamped metal sheet. The tray and tube body are each powder-coated – matte black and Lead Sled’s signature inexperienced – so it’ll be completely wonderful for moist climate and humidity. Some fundamental measurements:
- Horizontal adjustment: 16.5″
- Sled weight, empty: 24 kilos
- Weight capability: 100 kilos
- Assist legs: 30″ L x 12″ W
- Worth: $215 (sale) to $299
I’ve used the Lead Sled Solo fairly a couple of occasions at my native bench seating vary, and I discovered its base to be a bit large and cumbersome for many tabletops. The DFT 2 is definitely extra compact, with narrower assist legs and a much less obtrusive body.
Its cut up body design can be ambidextrous and takes up much less room, too – once more, not like the Solo. That is good for left-handed shooters (like me), who in any other case must deal with a swing arm that winds up getting in the way in which.
The open weight tray is sweet, however you’ll must be aware of what’s relaxation in in there. I discovered that, over the course of a day of taking pictures, any weight you’ve thrown in there – luggage, dumbbells, or the rest – tends to shift round and finally fall out. Not a giant concern, however one thing to bear in mind. The burden capability of the Lead Sled DFT 2 is greater than satisfactory for any massive .30-caliber magnum rifle, one thing the Solo tended to wrestle with after I threw a Remington 700 ADL in .300 Win Magazine atop it. That hasn’t been the case right here.
Coupled with weight, the rubber ft do a superb job holding the sled from sliding round, although this isn’t completely foolproof. On a wet day or atop naked concrete, it’s best to anticipate a little bit of shimmying ahead and backward with a high-recoil rifle. However any AR-type rifle chambered in some 6.5mm cartridge, .308, or something smaller will usually stand planted with no shift.
Talking of huge weapons, the DFT 2 excels at internet hosting huge, large shares and actions. I’m a giant fan of the DFT’2 entrance rubberized cradle, which is considerably bigger and wider than the one discovered on the Solo. Whereas the Solo does wonderful with the standard AR-type handguard, and skinny wooden inventory, it struggles to accommodate bigger chassis setups and large, polymer shares discovered on long-action rifles. The Lead Sled DFT 2 manages this with no difficulty, and it offers wonderful recoil mitigation in addition, with excessive grip.
Recoil mitigation is essential, too, as a result of the DFT 2’s rear cradle – which additionally features as your shoulder relaxation – simply isn’t snug. There’s no method round it, this large, flat piece of metal with laughable rubber insulators does nothing to advertise a superb taking pictures stance.
With the tray filled with weight, you received’t get punched an excessive amount of. However Lead Sled actually ought to present at the very least a way for attaching a rubber buttpad. The Solo suffers this difficulty and I used to be disillusioned to see this wasn’t addressed with the DFT 2. This isn’t a serious concern; to be clear: You received’t stroll away with a bruised shoulder in the event you load the sled up, however some cushion can be appreciated – particularly whenever you’re making an attempt to carry a good cheek weld whereas dialing in an FFP scope at 200 yards. However at the very least establishing the gun for a superb sight image is straightforward, and the DFT 2’s numerous peak and size changes work phenomenally.
All changes are dealt with beneath the entrance cradle: You get a big, padded wheel that hosts a jack screw for elevating and reducing the rifle contained in the cradle, permitting you to angle the sights and muzzle up or down. The jack screw’s then set by turning a stress knob on the left facet of the sled, with locks and loosens it. Out again, it’s also possible to regulate the peak of the rear assist foot in the event you want further angular changes, and it helps to make sure you’ve bought optics set to the suitable peak relative to your individual.
Instantly beneath the peak adjuster are two length-adjustment clamps. Pop each free, and you’ll slide all the cradle ahead or backward atop the legs and tray to get the suitable size of pull. The clamps present loads of stress and hold the tubular body locked up stable when closed; no points with wiggling or swaying with a 20- or 25-pound rifle.
This meeting’s greater than satisfactory – overkill, even – for the standard field mag-fed rifle. And the cut up body has loads of area for any AR-type or related journal, although prolonged mags for, say, an AR-type shotgun would possibly wind up operating into the weights or tray under.
Caldwell Lead Sled DFT 2 – What’s To not Like?
The DFT 2 turned my favourite taking pictures companion throughout benchtop vary days. Even when I don’t want it, I simply depart it in my storage subsequent to my Jeep, so I take it with me nearly each time I’m going taking pictures. If it served no different function than zeroing (and saving ammo), I’d nonetheless love the factor. It’s extremely stable, with nice, fine-tune changes. The 2 issues I don’t like in regards to the DFT 2 are its retail value — it’s costly at round $300, until you could find it on sale — and that rattling rear shoulder assist. I’ve debated drilling and tapping some threaded fasteners into the vertical portion of the shoulder, so I can mount some kind of buttpad for taking pictures Magnum rifles. It’s simply simply snug out of the field in the event you sit behind it for an prolonged time period. If you happen to’re on the fence about throwing down this type of cash for a taking pictures sled, try our review of the Lead Sled Solo. It’s nonetheless an excellent alternative for smaller rifles and AR-15s, and it’s lighter on the pockets.
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