Caldwell Shooting Supplies has made a bit of an impact on the shooting industry with its line of Lead Sled shooting rests. There are various models of Lead Sled, but in general, they all work in a similar manner: a frame holds the rifle while shooter provided weight (often bags of lead shot) helps keep everything in place. The rests absorb recoil and minimize aim variation from shot to shot.

I picked up one of the DFT models during a great post-Thanksgiving sale. I should have realized at the time that meant new models would be introduced in 2017…

There will be three new Caldwell shooting rests on display at the SHOT Show: the Lead Sled 3, the Lead Sled DFT2 and the Stinger.

Both of the new Lead Sled models feature a redesigned weight tray that should allow for more and better distributed weight. Additionally, both of the new models have a redesigned front rest that appears to use a rubber-like material in a spiderweb kind of pattern. While I don’t find there is anything wrong with the current DFT front rest, I can see where the new design may enhance the overall system.

The third new product, the Stinger, is a rest that does not have a weight tray underneath it. Instead, it appears to be solely dedicated to giving you perfect alignment on target. The company specifically designed it so that it will work with an AR-15 running on a standard 30-round magazine.