My project today

[mogunner]

I shoot at a buddy's place out in the boonies, he has ten acres of HEAVILY wooded property behind his house and he carved a shooting lane out of the trees for his own use but any of his friends are free to use it. The big drawback was the rickety old shooting table he had thrown together, basically just a chunk of plywood nailed to four chunks of cedar that he had cut, and an old kitchen chair with no pad to sit in that would slowly sink into the ground. I figured since I'm down there at least once a month littering his place with brass, the least I could do was improve on this one weak point. So I printed off some plans off the net and headed to Lowes and $60 later this is what I'll be hauling down to his place hopefully Monday, as we're getting hit with the hurricane leftovers today and tomorrow they say.









Now if I can only find a couple of neighborhood teenagers with strong backs and weak minds to load it onto my little trailer for me...

[woolleyworm]

Nice job, just be sure to throw a good coat of weather sealant on it once a year and it will last for years. Good luck on finding some strong backs too!

[Zane71464]

Nothing like a good, sturdy, solid shooting bench...nice!
Where I shoot here on my own place, I move mine back and forth with a two wheeled dolly.

[lonewolf204]

If more people would do things like this there would probably be more places for folks to shoot! That's a good looking shootin bench.

[mogunner]

The wife and I shoot at his place about once a month, more if we manage it, and he has probably five or six more of his friends who use it as well, I'd like to be there the next time some of them come down and see this instead of the old one, lol. I have some swinging targets that I have to finish up for .22's to go down there too, they've been procrastinated on for about two years as well.

[gun runner]

That bench looks solid. Im using two fold up sawhorses with a 1" thick piece of plywood. Its real stable when on level ground and it works like a dream.

[mogunner]

I used plans I found online just doing a search for "Shooting bench plans", there were several forums that had a link to this one. I may build another one out of pressure treated wood and put it out front for sale. I figure a little less than $50 in it, the plans have an extra 9" on the legs for if you wanted to set it in the ground or concrete but this one will sit on concrete pavers. I did cheat and used my horizontal band saw that I usually cut aluminum bar stock with, my circular saw is ancient and likes to stick "ON" which can be pretty dangerous, I really need to replace it I guess, lol!

[carver]

Thats a good sturdy bench! I might build one on my place one of these days, but the one I have now is portable, light weight, but sturdy. And the only expense was the plywood, and the paint.

[sting75ray]

Looks great. Here is mine. We had to put a new top on it this year. Range is right on the south side of my reloading room. The cover over it is nice but plenty loud.



It is 400yds from the bench to the backstop with target stands every 50 yds and one portable stand that we can move anywhere.

[Big Chevy]

Nice job, everyone should be real happy!

[gun-nut]

nice!

[jack404]

well done , good on you for looking after those who look after you

[mogunner]

sting75ray, that's one nice range there for long distance shooting for sure! The wife and I are looking at picking up some acreage out in the middle of nowhere but haven't narrowed it down as far as which state it'll be in as of yet, tired of paying rent and not having anything for it, rather find some cheap property and set a travel trailer on it until we can get a cabin thrown together for the two of us and our furry kids...knowing us a place to shoot would get done before the cabin would!

[sting75ray]

Originally Posted by mogunner

sting75ray, that's one nice range there for long distance shooting for sure! The wife and I are looking at picking up some acreage out in the middle of nowhere but haven't narrowed it down as far as which state it'll be in as of yet, tired of paying rent and not having anything for it, rather find some cheap property and set a travel trailer on it until we can get a cabin thrown together for the two of us and our furry kids...knowing us a place to shoot would get done before the cabin would!

Thanks. You sure don't have to worry about doing any tree or brush removal out here in western Oklahoma. People see my pics here and on other sites and ask me if I have any trees. I do have trees. 3 of them

[mitchell38]

good looking benches,ive heard painting the underside sky blue will stop bees from building their nests under there,but never tried it so not sure if it works

[Double D]

I am trying to figure out how to get a weatherproof recliner out to my range...I think thats all I need...

[Rocketman1]

Like this:

[mogunner]

My dad used to build all our lawn furniture when I was a kid, we had several like that, brings back some good memories of sittin in the shade in one of them, sipping on some Kool-aid and listening to the sounds of summer in the country. Thanks rocketman!

Got it painted yesterday and today, fingers crossed it will be dry enough to take down tomorrow and get setup and get it broke in zeroing the scope on my unfired Traditions .50 BP rifle, deer season will be here before we know it!

[Double D]

Yea that might work with a few cushions on it!

[BlackEagle]

Good work. Great way to say "Thanks for letting us use your place."

[68c15]

is there an advantage to go with a "T" as opposed to a "U" shaped bench?

one range 35 miles south of me has triangle shaped benches made from cement (ugh)

[mogunner]

I built this one because one of our friends that comes down there is a southpaw, so of course he'll be using the other side of the table. I find that straddling the bench instead of sitting on it facing forward is a very comfortable position for firing a rifle, and especially in the case of my Mosin's situates the butt of the rifle into the more padded area of my shoulder to where the recoil doesn't bother me at all even after quite a few rounds.