Caldwell Lead Sled DFT 2 Adjustable Ambidextrous Recoil Reducing Rifle Shooting Rest for Outdoor Range

It's solid, well made, easy to adjust. I received it last week, assembled it, then took it to the range the following To keep track of my time at assembly, I did the following In total, 43 minutes were spent removing the parts from the wrapping. In addition to the 5 minutes spent searching for the screw that holds the front cradle, I lost battery power. This # is obviously the most important! However, I have 6 mm screws in my shop to accomplish this task. The person who packaged it forgot to include it. Then, as I prepared to check to see if the screw I had was the correct size and length, I noticed the "missing" screw had already been Screw it back down after removing it and putting it on the cradle. The person who packed this is to be sincerely apologized to. The parts were all It took only a few minutes to assemble. The ram should reach all the way to the top to fasten the top part of the front cradle, thus giving you room to work effectively. It can be a bit tricky to start those screws, so use one of the included hex wrenches or a screwdriver to hold the clamp down until the screws thread, and you'll be good to go. At the end of this step, I turned the remainder over on its side. Can you tell me how it works? I liked it very much. My last use of one was when I assisted someone at the range with the sighting in of his rifle a few weeks ago. Having said that, I guess I felt strongly enough about it to buy Using the Lead Sled was a bit challenging since it was heavy and I wanted to check my sight in on an old (and unfortunately no longer functional) machine. I didn't use additional weights and likely won't for heavier rifles with its low recoil. 225 Winchester is a low recoiling rifle and I also did not use additional weights for 200 and 300 yards. There were no backlashes in my adjustments, which made them easy and straightforward. As far as I recall, I had to readjust it between shots slightly, but I have never used a bench rest that did not require me to do that. I was able to precisely position the crosshairs on the target as soon as I got into final shooting position and the crosshairs stayed in place. With some tweaking of the sight at 200 yds I was able to hit four-inch gongs at 300 meters (330 yds) with two of my last three shots, which is pretty good, so it will hold the rifle There was no wobble occurring in the front cradle even when it was On the Caldwell website, they say this problem was fixed with an earlier version. My first experience with it was that I had to gently push the ram down when it was near the bottom, but that was not the case when it had the weight of the rifle in it. It was no problem taking it to the range even without a bullet in it. There is a thick recoil absorbing pad in the rear cradle and that effectively amounts to a much longer pull and I had trouble getting my eye close enough for a clear pic. There is no way to remove that pad. I also used the gun cleaner to clean my rifle after that. I can put all my rifles in it without being worried about them falling out, as I have been unable to do with other rests. This is one of the reasons why I bought the book. Compared to other plastic vises available on the market, it is not very expensive. Using the rubber strap for hold down was not necessary for me. For the most part, it is likely of little use to them. For all my rifles, including varmint rifles with flat, broad forends, I set the front cradle below the top of the strap so that the rifle is above the strap. It is made in China, but it is made with good steel and it is well made. I hold the rifle down with my left hand when sitting on a bench rest. In addition to the ability to adjust the distance between the front and rear cradles, I also purchased the device for that reason.

Jane HYDE

| Nov 12, 2020

A characteristic of the LS3 that really stands out is its straightforwardness. Compared to a large unit, it is a smaller one. There is considerably less customization than there is with the DFT2, but that is also advantageous. In fact, the LS3 is really quite simple, and it works quite It is a fantastic feature of the LS3 that it can use stable, simple 25 pound barbell plates. You won't need to worry about shot spills or other similar blunders. Make sure you do not drop the plates on your foot (just for your information). I actually find that one of the best features of the LS3 is exactly that. When comparing the LS3 and the DFT2, the LS3 offers simplicity, while the DFT2 offers more There is a lot of flexibility with the DFT2, and it can be adjusted in many ways By adjusting the shot from the center of the sled, without ever taking the rifle off the sled (the LS3 does not have a strap), the shot can be perfectly centered. LS3 is several times smaller than DFT2, while DFT2 is significantly larger. As well as lead sacks, sacks of lead are used as weights. It may not seem that sacks of lead are as simple as iron barbell weights, but the one place they excel is when dropped. You can drop a sack of lead on your foot and it will be fine. You are likely to break a toe or two if you drop a 25lb steel disk on your foot. It is a pleasure to use both Lead Sleds as they are well-built and functional. I am very pleased with the simplicity of the LS3. A friend of mine (who shoots long range) is very happy with the adjustability of the DFT2. Regardless of the option, it is a great choice. Here are some options for you to choose from Easy to adjust or simple to use.

Emmalynn Rasmussen

| Dec 16, 2020

A simple assembly is required. The construction of this product is pretty sturdy. As soon as the screw is adjusted, the rear elevation causes immediate errors in windage. When it comes to elevation adjustments on the front wheel, it is too coarse when shooting beyond 100 yards. In order for me to hold down my rifle, the "hold down strap" must be too high. No matter how much shot I placed on the tray, my rifle ripped through the shot. A 243 caused all of the rest to fall backwards each time. As a result, the inner rear cushion bounces the rifle forward by an inch or more with each I am disappointed with the overall outcome.

Brantley Peters

| Aug 01, 2021

When I removed the side-plate assembly, I discovered a ram hole in the upper side-plate assembly that would not retract with a sharp rap. I disassembled it and found the ram hole in the upper side-plate assembly. There was evidently a dull reamer or bit responsible for the severe burrs and scores. Since the ram was unable to move freely due to burrs and score marks, I polished them out. As I focused on the ram, I turned my attention to it. There were chrome plating on the key, but the chrome was very rough, especially around the tension key. In this way, the tension key could not be slid into the keyhole - Among the many things that were binding me was the ability to move my way freely. Now that I have reassembled and lubricated the elevation assembly, the elevation works better and is now lowered by gravity or raised by rotating the hand wheel. that if the DFT2 is picked up by the elevation assembly, the gun rest will come out and the tension key will fall out, possibly losing it because there is no provision to secure the ram in the elevation assembly. . . . (C3 Now that everyone is together again. As an example, I put my 22-inch The plasticised retaining strap broke half in the middle of securing the rifle's fore-end as I was fixing the 250 Savage Varmit rifle in the rest for a fit check After making contact with Battenfield customer service, I was told they had not yet received parts for a DFT2, but would mail me a new strap when they arrived! In any case, the DFT2 is well built, windage adj works well, and the elevation adjustment works fine, but it is not particularly exceptional. There is still no way to adjust the DFT2's front feet for side to side motion. A few people have complained about this in the past. feel like Caldwell should have polished the ram hole and key way of this rifle rest for the amount of money it costs. Additionally, a true up and down geared elevation feature could have been implemented. My main reason for giving this product only 3 stars was the poor quality machining of the ram assembly and the retaining strap breaking during shipping. In my opinion, if Caldwell were to improve their elevation control and clean up machining, I would give this DF2 a 5-star rating.

Joyce Santos

| Jan 20, 2021