Caldwell Lead Sled DFT Shooting Rest, Dual Frame Technology

I got this in early last week, put it together and took it to the range the next day. I timed myself for assembly - 43 minutes including unwrapping the parts. And I lost about 5 minutes looking for the screw that holds the front cradle down on the ram. Obviously the #!!@# who packaged this left it out but fortunately I have 6 mm screws in my shop to finish the job. So as I prepared to check to make sure my screw was the right size and length, I realized the "missing" screw was already threaded into the ram. Take it out, put on the cradle and screw it back down. My sincere apologies to the fine person who packed this. All the parts were there. Assemble was easy. Run the ram all the way to the top to fasten the top part of the front cradle to give yourself room to work. Getting those screws started can be a little tricky, Use one of the included hex wrenches or a screw driver to hold the clamp down till you get the screws threaded and it's easy enough. I turned the rest over on it's side when finishing up this step. How does it work? Very well. In fact I had already used another one at the range a few weeks back while helping someone sight in his rifle. I guess that really pushed me into going ahead and buying one. The Lead Sled it fairly heavy and I was checking the sight in of an old (and unfortunately now obsolete) .225 Winchester at 200 and 300 yards, It's a low recoiling rifle and I didn't use additional weights and probably won't for heavier rifles either. I found the adjustments easy and fine with no backlash. I did generally have to reset it somewhat between shots but I've never used a bench rest that didn't require some readjustment between shots. It was very easy to precisely set the crosshairs on the target and the crosshairs stayed in place as I got into final shooting position. After a bit of tweaking the sight in at 200 yds I was able to hit a 4 inch gong at 300 meters (330 yds) with my last two shots so it will hold the rife steady. I did not have any wobble in the front cradle even when elevated. The Caldwell site addresses this saying they have corrected that problem with earlier ones. When I first assembled it I did notice that I had to gently push the ram down when near the bottom but when I had the weight of a rifle in it, I did not have that problem. I did lubricate it and had no problems at all when I took it to the range even without a rife in it, There is a thick recoil absorbing pad in the rear cradle and that effectively makes for a much longer length of pull and I had trouble getting my eye close enough to get a full image in this scope. That pad is not removable. And last I put my rifle in it to clean it. The way it's made, all my rifles are secure in it, not true in other rests I have/had. That's one of the reasons I bought it - not a lot more expensive than some of the plastic vises on the market. I didn't bother with the rubber hold down strap. I expect most will find it of little use. All my rifles, including varmint rifles with broad, flat forends, set below the top of the front cradle so the strap would be above the rifle. I hold the rifle down with my left hand with any bench rest. Yeah it's made in China but it is all steel and is well made. The ability to adjust the distance between the front and back cradles is another reason I bought it.

The Caldwell Lead Sled DFT2 shooting rest has a reputation as one of the best in the industry outside of high end bench competition rests. This reputation is well deserved. From my .22lr to my 30-06 it provides a stable, easily adjustable, rest for 100 -1000 yards. IF I was a serious competition shooter, I might go for a higher dollar sled, or perhaps build something myself, but for the average hunter or recreational shooter, it is an excellent choice. While the Sled has an adjustable rear foot that aids with adjusting elevation, my one complaint is that the front feet are fixed, so the sled can not really be adjusted for cant correction if your shooting table is not perfect, but it is not really designed to lock the gun in a single spot like a competition bench sled does. You can still twist the gun in the sled sufficiently to compensate without the gun being so loose as to slip off target during the shot. Still despite this, I stand by my statement that it is one of the best in the industry. That said, the frame can support AR platform rifles or similar, or an HK 91with a 20 round magazine. Both fit without problem, BUT magazines could not be reloaded with the rifle in the sled due to the frame. Neither I, nor any of my shooting buddies have extended magazine bolt action rifles, but I would imagine anything longer than 4 inches below the stock will likewise fit but not be able to change magazines while in the sled. The newer Lead Sled 3, to the best of my knowledge, is not able to be used with long magazines due to the center frame bar. Needless to say a .50bmg Barrett 82 will not fit in the sled :) It may be able to hold some of the larger rifles, it is not really designed for bulky or long precision shooting rifles, but if that is the type of shooting you do regularly, I would wager you have a higher end sled anyway.

Typical Caldwell product. Excellent design superbly manufactured. Absolutely essential for serious precision range work.

My recent Caldwell Lead Sled DFT2 is the result of a need to have both a stable, reliable base to sight in scopes and to provide a stable rest for long range precision shooting. The DFT2 is essentially cradles your rifle and now with a dual frame slide, elongated magazines, as in an AR fit nicely fit and can be moved in and out unlike the DFT and Plus models, eliminating tilting the rifle move magazines. Though I don’t have any, it also accepts lever action rifles as well. Essentially composed of a padded, non marring stock rest with a front cradle that is both elevation and windage adjustable, the DFT2 allows for 16 ½ inches of forward/backward lockable (via cam levers), movement of that cradle to accommodate your rifle. Adjustments are effected by a heavy duty wheel, capable of up to 2 ½” of height adjustment and a fingertip windage knurled knob…quite ergonomic. Additional height settings can be achieved with a rear foot micro adjustment, which can translate to 11 feet at 100 yards adjustability, (the front two are stable.) The padded stock rest should fit most rifles and coupled with both inside and padded outer shoulder pads reduce recoil by up to 95% according to Caldwell. A fellow shooter at the range was using a DFT2 to rest his slug gun on and he found it greatly eliminated most of his felt recoil without the recommended weight bags in the ample baffle tray, which can add up to 100 lbs. if filled with shot. I did the tray move a little but the DFT2 was indeed effective. At the range I was able to both zero in my scopes and dial them in to a point at 50 yards where my groups on an AR were within 2.5 inches with a number of bulls eyes while also sighting in a .22 plinker again with great results, which made for a productive day at the range. All tolled, I find the Caldwell Lead Sled DFT2 a worthwhile purchase for the aforementioned reasons as well as coming in handy when working or cleaning your weapon. Given its structural viability, it will likely be around longer than you are!

I assembled the Lead Sled in 5 minutes. I don't know why people complaining about assembly. Everything about this sled is solid, well made, and works as advertised. A few gripes are the worthless strap, the need to file the inside of the tubes just a bit to accommodate the handle on my AR, and the butt being a little out of square with the tubes. The latter is not an issue. Seems to me like a good product for the money.

needed a 2nd rest for my up North private range: 1) it will NOT take you 5 minutes to assemble. However, it will all come together if you READ instructions (just as other guys, most painful part of the process) and actually follow these. 2) WTF is up with a cheap strap?!? FOR SURE THE WEAKEST LINK if you plan on using it frequently (make sure you follow order of assembly when it comes to the strap). definite MINUS on the strap material/construction. 3) my assemble we trouble free - no missing pieces, not issues with machining or quality. 4) 4 Caldwell Lead bags (kit) fit just fine in the tray. I bought 4 25lbs of 8 1/2 size shot and each bag went into each bag and is functioning awesome. 5) stability, tracking and adjusting is fine with me - yes, will take a bit playing to get used to for some, but in the end it will make 'sense' and you will get use to it. 6) feet... well, its a trade off, I guess. I ended up just drilling some shallow (about 1/2") holes into the wood (some benches are concrete and would pose a challenge to do this) and dropped it into those to avoid recoil movement. with 6.5x55 it was NOT needed (nor 308), however, once i got into some magnum and even 270win shooting - even with 100lbs you will have slight movement unless you 'brace it' or as I did 'hole it'... Not a minus (so it can be universal benchtop item) but can be a bit annoying. I am not sure what other people use this for, but for sighting in scopes and for load development this is great. If you want to use it to just accurately shoot - you are going about your technique all wrong, in my opinion, - this is NOT designed for that nor will you ever haul it hunt or to combat... I would NOT mind seeing interchangeable front pad (to accommodate wider forestocks) and a strap of a better material AND design.

SCORE 57% off!!! I am very excited to properly sight in my hunting rifle. I have used these before - but they were borrowed. This one is MINE. This unit is very sturdy, and stable. It will work fine for sighting in. . I like the split rail design, it allows for extended magazines/handgrips. Pro Assembly Hint: Before screwing in the four M5 screws into the Front cradle assembly, turn the Elevation Wheel and raise the Windage Cradle Sub Assembly to the fullest extent, that way, you can put the long end of the allen wrench into the M5 Cap Screw, allowing you to turn them 360 degrees for easier assembly. Also, I tossed some grease onto the bearing/race just because...

I have got by for years just using shooting bags, towels or whatever I had to sight in my guns. Problem is at times I didn't get the groups I wanted and wasn't sure if it was me or the gun. Saw it more with my larger guns such is my .338 Win Mag that kicks like a mule. Based on all the reviews I decided to get this Caldwell Lead Sled DFT 2 to take some of the guess work out of it. Wow, what a difference it makes! There is no question now if it is me or the gun. Being able to micro adjust both vertically and horizontally allows you to get the crosshairs exactly where you want them for zeroing in a scope. As a result, I find I can get a scope zeroed in with a lot fewer shots fired. With the price of ammo these days this is a big savings and will pay for the investment in the rest over time. It also takes the punishment away when shooting the big guns. The recoil reduction is also great for introducing young kids to shooting given they can develop a flinch if they are not comfortable with the recoil. I would definitely recommend this rest to others as you won't regret getting it.

Usato con frequenza al tiro a segno , prodotto caro ma di ottima qualità.

Gut verarbeitet aber man sollte Gewichte in die Ablage legen.

Funciona muy bien. Es bastante pesado.

射撃場でスコープ合わせの時に重宝します。 ただ、砂袋を乗せてもサボットだとリコイルが強くて大幅にズレるので、何度も修正が必要にはなりますが、正確にズレを修正するのに最適です。 アメリカ製で、輸送中なのか、元々弱いのかは分かりませんが、塗装が雑で剥げてるところや傷も多々あり、完璧を求める人にはがっかりしてしまうかもしれません。 飾り物ではなく使ってなんぼという人には素晴らしいアイテムだと思います。

C’est du costaud !! C’est lourd, c’est solide, c’est stable. C’est ce qu’il faut pour régler sa lunette de manière optimale. C’est pas donné mais c’est qualitatif.