I have found I can't shoot repeatable groups without a bench that absolutely won't move with the shot. I had to make the top with 2 layers of 3/4 inch plywood, then ended up with 2 inch pipe on all 3 legs. Even after all this I had to brace between the legs. What do you guys use? Anyone have plans for a stable folding type for portability? Needless to say mine is heavy and not very portable!
SHOOTING BENCH
- Thread starter OldMan
- Start date
- Oct 30, 2004
- 24,773
- 4,514
Good topic. I will be helping my friend build one soon on his property. He needs a right hand and left cut outs fro both his sons. Any plans would be great.
I will try and get some pictures of our bench the next time I am down there, but it is all studded 2x4's and a heavy composite top, layered in heavy rubber. It is cut out for Right hand shooting and works well for me. It is fairly light, but doesn't fold or nothing. Hard to beat some of the ones that fold up and are offered for about 150 bucks though. Scotty
Sir,
I have made 4/5 of the folding type like pictured below. I make em, give em away to friends and do my best to improve on the design.. I have made em too heavy & too lite.
So the one in the pix I think is the best model yet.
Two pieces of 3/4 plywood flooring, laminated together w/good glue. The legs I have always gotten from Menards for 20$. The wood I always scrounge from constructions debris dumpsters. Framers tend to toss really nice hunks of flooring... No, I dont go after dark, I always go up when their there and ask if I can root around for scraps... Never been turned down yet..
So mine costs me 20$ for the folding table legs and 1$ for the poly stain from the "oops" counter at home depot and a couple hours of fun..
Rod
I have made 4/5 of the folding type like pictured below. I make em, give em away to friends and do my best to improve on the design.. I have made em too heavy & too lite.
So the one in the pix I think is the best model yet.
Two pieces of 3/4 plywood flooring, laminated together w/good glue. The legs I have always gotten from Menards for 20$. The wood I always scrounge from constructions debris dumpsters. Framers tend to toss really nice hunks of flooring... No, I dont go after dark, I always go up when their there and ask if I can root around for scraps... Never been turned down yet..
So mine costs me 20$ for the folding table legs and 1$ for the poly stain from the "oops" counter at home depot and a couple hours of fun..
Rod
Antelope_Sniper
Handloader
- Jan 25, 2008
- 2,618
- 0
The benches at our ranges are made from several inches on concreate sitting on top of 3" steel pipe, nice and solid. I rebuild my Grandads bench last year. It was made with 4x4 and 1x10's. I think there is a couple of 2x8's in it as well. It takes 2 guys to move it, but once you set it down, it's solid.
- Oct 30, 2004
- 24,773
- 4,514
nodak7mm":27y460tc said:Sir,
I have made 4/5 of the folding type like pictured below. I make em, give em away to friends and do my best to improve on the design.. I have made em too heavy & too lite.
So the one in the pix I think is the best model yet.
Two pieces of 3/4 plywood flooring, laminated together w/good glue. The legs I have always gotten from Menards for 20$. The wood I always scrounge from constructions debris dumpsters. Framers tend to toss really nice hunks of flooring... No, I dont go after dark, I always go up when their there and ask if I can root around for scraps... Never been turned down yet..
So mine costs me 20$ for the folding table legs and 1$ for the poly stain from the "oops" counter at home depot and a couple hours of fun..
Rod
If you ever come though Cheyenne I will buy two from you.
Heck Pop,
For what you do here, if I lived near Cheyenne, I'd give you one and the other for a pan of baklava!!! Merry Xmas!
Actually guys these things are so simple, even 6mm Remmy could make one... :mrgreen: Only power tools are a jigsaw & screwgun. If there is interest, I'll see if I cant gather some dimensions, materials & directions together and post em up this coming week.
Rod
For what you do here, if I lived near Cheyenne, I'd give you one and the other for a pan of baklava!!! Merry Xmas!
Actually guys these things are so simple, even 6mm Remmy could make one... :mrgreen: Only power tools are a jigsaw & screwgun. If there is interest, I'll see if I cant gather some dimensions, materials & directions together and post em up this coming week.
Rod
- Oct 30, 2004
- 24,773
- 4,514
You're on and I will throw in some pasticcio. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
http://whippedtheblog.com/2007/08/12/pa ... -favorite/
http://whippedtheblog.com/2007/08/12/pa ... -favorite/
- Thread starter
- #11
There is one thing I have found for a portable bench to be used on uneven ground: It must be 3 legs, with the leg back by the shooter, adjustable. I found also that if you make a shooting rest it must be made the same way. I am too many miles from a shooting range and I have to use where-ever is available to work up loads and test! I could shoot on my property, but it shakes up the people living near me. I pity the city dwellers as they must use a range only, but then maybe they all have one nearby?
257 Ackley
Handloader
- Nov 25, 2008
- 1,763
- 1
Rod -
Put the dimensions together for that table! Are you just robbing the legs off one of the folding tables Menards sells? I think you could use the folder for the front leg and make the back leg by the cut out adjustable with threaded pipe if you are on uneven ground.
Pop -
you shouldn't be showing us pictures of great food right now...I'm still groaning from yesterday :roll:
Put the dimensions together for that table! Are you just robbing the legs off one of the folding tables Menards sells? I think you could use the folder for the front leg and make the back leg by the cut out adjustable with threaded pipe if you are on uneven ground.
Pop -
you shouldn't be showing us pictures of great food right now...I'm still groaning from yesterday :roll:
- Nov 4, 2004
- 26,464
- 12,207
Rod,
That would be great!
JD338
That would be great!
JD338
- Oct 30, 2004
- 24,773
- 4,514
Yes please!
Charlie-NY
Handloader
- Mar 11, 2005
- 1,490
- 1,064
I've made a few portable benches and here's a few things I've learned:
* While making the bench heavier/sturdier is a big plus for shooting if you're not going to carry it too far from the truck. Thick tops and heavy adjustable legs are quite sturdy but are also quite heavy. You have to decide where your priority lies. I've got both heavy and light tables.
* A 3/4" ply top is fairly strong but if you want more try gluing two 1/2" pieces of ply if weight is an issue. If your not worried about weight, a double 3/4" ply top is hard to beat. When you use a double layer of ply for the top, secure you leg mounts to the bottom layer BEFORE you glue the top layer on. This will keep the top nice and clean without any bolts visible or protruding.
* For use in the field, a 3-leg model is very beneficial. Four legs are never evenly planted on the ground / grass / mud /etc.
* Even with a 3 leg model, adjustable legs are helpful and fast to deploy. I use a smaller diameter pipe inside of a larger diameter pipe. The smaller diameter piece can be shorter too because it's just for leveling. My buddy welded a hex nut to the lower portion of the larger diameter pipe where we pre-drilled a small hole and we screw a T handle through the nut to bind the inner pipe in any position.
* I use a threaded pipe flange to secure the (removable) legs to the bottom of the table. The flange is mounted with a tapered wooden shim between the flange and the table so that the legs are cast out at an angle. This makes the table much more stable then legs that are mounted straight down from the top.
* Using 3 adjustable legs - it is easy to fashion a mount to the bottom of the table so that the 3 legs can be mounted there when the table is being stored or transported. Just use the adjustment capability to secure them in the mount.
* It is a good idea to drill a whole in the table top that can accommodate a beach umbrella if you use the table in the direct sun - I do when hunting groundhogs. The umbrella is a lifesaver. It is also a good idea to cut a few notches in the sides so that a rifle can be leaned against the bench without the risk of sliding off.
* Because I occasionally leave my bench in the field when getting lunch or checking other areas for varmints, I painted the bench green so that it is hard to see. Yeah. I've had one taken already. If you're not worried about losing it than a light color stays cooler if used in the direct sun.
Hope these ideas come in handy as you build your next portable bench.
* While making the bench heavier/sturdier is a big plus for shooting if you're not going to carry it too far from the truck. Thick tops and heavy adjustable legs are quite sturdy but are also quite heavy. You have to decide where your priority lies. I've got both heavy and light tables.
* A 3/4" ply top is fairly strong but if you want more try gluing two 1/2" pieces of ply if weight is an issue. If your not worried about weight, a double 3/4" ply top is hard to beat. When you use a double layer of ply for the top, secure you leg mounts to the bottom layer BEFORE you glue the top layer on. This will keep the top nice and clean without any bolts visible or protruding.
* For use in the field, a 3-leg model is very beneficial. Four legs are never evenly planted on the ground / grass / mud /etc.
* Even with a 3 leg model, adjustable legs are helpful and fast to deploy. I use a smaller diameter pipe inside of a larger diameter pipe. The smaller diameter piece can be shorter too because it's just for leveling. My buddy welded a hex nut to the lower portion of the larger diameter pipe where we pre-drilled a small hole and we screw a T handle through the nut to bind the inner pipe in any position.
* I use a threaded pipe flange to secure the (removable) legs to the bottom of the table. The flange is mounted with a tapered wooden shim between the flange and the table so that the legs are cast out at an angle. This makes the table much more stable then legs that are mounted straight down from the top.
* Using 3 adjustable legs - it is easy to fashion a mount to the bottom of the table so that the 3 legs can be mounted there when the table is being stored or transported. Just use the adjustment capability to secure them in the mount.
* It is a good idea to drill a whole in the table top that can accommodate a beach umbrella if you use the table in the direct sun - I do when hunting groundhogs. The umbrella is a lifesaver. It is also a good idea to cut a few notches in the sides so that a rifle can be leaned against the bench without the risk of sliding off.
* Because I occasionally leave my bench in the field when getting lunch or checking other areas for varmints, I painted the bench green so that it is hard to see. Yeah. I've had one taken already. If you're not worried about losing it than a light color stays cooler if used in the direct sun.
Hope these ideas come in handy as you build your next portable bench.
DrMike
Ballistician
- Nov 8, 2006
- 37,966
- 7,874
Fotis,
I have to start reading these threads more closely. I thought that pasticcio was an awfully soft shooting bench. :shock: Now, I see that it is to eat, just as I originally assumed.
I have to start reading these threads more closely. I thought that pasticcio was an awfully soft shooting bench. :shock: Now, I see that it is to eat, just as I originally assumed.
Here is a picture of the bench I made up at work. Have a heavy melamine top, with a layer of thick rubber and then another layer of sheet foam over the top. Works well and muzzle brakes don't seem to bother it at all. Sorry I don't have better pictures, but it was just made with some left over 2x4's and some sheeting from a work project. It works okay and it is kinda light, at least I can lift it on and off a quad if needed. It is a variation of a three legger also, there are four legs, but two are very close together. Seems to level up pretty easily and is pretty solid for what I do. Scotty
Ashman
Beginner
- Dec 3, 2009
- 52
- 0
Fella on another site was kind enough to send me this link on a bench he made. I'm planning on building one in the next couple of weeks.
Pretty easy and I like the looks of it:
http://www.horstguns.com/ShootingBench.htm
Pretty easy and I like the looks of it:
http://www.horstguns.com/ShootingBench.htm
- Nov 4, 2004
- 26,464
- 12,207
Ashman,
Thanks for posting those bench plans. That looks pretty robust.
JD338
Thanks for posting those bench plans. That looks pretty robust.
JD338
