My shooting bench

[Sprouticus]

Well I have been on this site for about a year now and this is my first thread that I have started.

I wanted to show everyone my shooting bench I made last year. I have a 50 yard range in the back of my property for my .22’s

I picked up the little stool for $5 at a garage sale.
The little brackets on the back leg are used for my 8n Ford so I can pick it up with the three point hitch, if I need to move it a long distance.

The dimensions for the top: 5’ long and 4’ wide in the front and 20” wide in the back.
The build list is all treated lumber; One sheet of ¾ “ plywood, One 8’ 4x6 post, two 8’ 2x6 and one 8’ 2x4, a pair of large wheels, a little bit of flat steel and then some screws and glue.

[tenmilmag]

Very nice. All you need now is a trailer hitch

Oh, and if it disappears, I don't have it.

[The Lance]

Looks good. Looks like it was built in very well but yes I would install a hitch on it so it can be towed with a tractor or a four wheeler. Even if it's kept 5 ft away from where you'd store it. It still NEEDS one... and painted black preferably.

[shooter115]

Nice!! I'm going to be building something similar for my home range in the near future.

[Pat Cannon]

Looks nice and solid, good job. And as a city dweller, I'm jealous of your back yard range.

[Hmac]

I made a similar bench last year. Works very well. If I were going to change it, I'd make the right-hand side of the table extend out farther so a right-handed shooter could shoot from there more comfortably. Mine also has wheels and is pretty easy to just wheel around -- not cumbersome enough to have to worry about pulling with a tractor.

[OldmanFCSA]

I like your bench EXCEPT .................

Because all of us come in different sizes, having a dedicated seat on a bench limits its use to a narrow range of shooters.

To solve the RH concern, I use a separate benchtop specifically made for my Ransom Rest setup for Benchrest Rifle usage.
I use wooden shims and C-clamps to ensure benchtop is level and securely clamped to bench.



The benchtop shown in picture is not mine, mine is 1.5" thick laminate, but rifle and wife are mine. Mine is RH only on one side, flip over for LH only on other side.

[Hmac]

I like your bench EXCEPT .................

Because all of us come in different sizes, having a dedicated seat on a bench limits its use to a narrow range of shooters.

Yeh, I confess, the bench was made for the size of the limited number of shooters who will be using it on our little private range, all of whom are pretty mesomorphic.

[Scratch]

Nice shooting bench! I made one a while ago that I had planned on being a very portable one... but it hasnt moved in two years now so I'm going to make one more permanent and heavier like yours. I like the pics you all have put up to give me ideas so I'll throw up a couple of my portable bench.

[msnden]

Very, Very Nice!!!!!!!!!, Both look very good, Hope you don't mind if I copy one, msn

[Sprouticus]

Here is my 1949 8N; it belonged to my late grandpa. I rebuilt the motor, hydraulics, brakes, etc. and repainted it as well about 15 years ago.



I put a couple brackets that a drawbar hooks on to, just raise the three point and I’m off.



I set the wheels so they are about a ½” off the ground when the bench is set.
When I’m shooting I wanted the bench it to be really steady, not trying to roll around on me.


I didn’t put a built in seat on it because I’m teaching my kids to shoot and needed to adjust the seat height for each shooter. I just lucked into that little green stool, it is really heavy with a large plate on the seat and a heavy screw through the base, for $5 SOLD!


Lastly my dog wanted to get in on the photos today. We have had her for about a year and a half now. Some a**hole dumped her in the swamp near our home, luckily the neighbor lady found her whimpering out in the muck. My kids fell in love with her at first sight (she was a very cute little puppy). She has turned out be a great dog, very gentle with the kids and pretty darn smart too.

[northernbird]

Man I'm so jealous of you guys with a place to use those benches. I spent several years of my younger years on 160 acres where we shot off the deck into a target array in back almost every day. Now that I'm in the cities the 'good ol days' bring to mind a very specific place for me. Your benches look great!

ha! I learned to drive on a tractor just like that.. well sorta, ours had so much play in the front end I would have had big problems had I whipped the wheel of my car back and forth like i had to on that tractor.

[JackCoke]

I made a similar bench last year. Works very well. If I were going to change it, I'd make the right-hand side of the table extend out farther so a right-handed shooter could shoot from there more comfortably. Mine also has wheels and is pretty easy to just wheel around -- not cumbersome enough to have to worry about pulling with a tractor.

I built the exact same bench three years ago, but mine is fixed in place with longer legs set on footings 18" deep in the ground (I have a dedicated 100-yard range set up in the back of my place). Works great!