Well... I built one

[Bill Gunn]

I looked at the plans..

http://www.horstguns.com/ShootingBench.htm

and decided I wanted a little more room on top (I guess I Texasized it :p ).

I added 12" to the length, and width, and built it yesterday...

http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2250/777751/13525437/365839198.jpg

http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2250/777751/13525437/365839192.jpg

Here's what they built to compare...

http://www.horstguns.com/images/bench3_000.jpg

It is VERY HEAVY :eek: , rigid, & sturdy. The effort to lift either the front or rear bottoms out my 100 lb. scale sitting on the table. the 6 X 6 pressure treated legs, and pressure treated 5/4 X 6 decking boards added a lot of weight.
I'll be making up a bracket to attach the removable wheels to the base, so I can move the table to the 100, 75, and 50 yard positions on my home range. This is for sighting in rim-fire, and shotgun slug guns at those ranges.

With the bigger table top, there's plenty of room to lay extra guns, and ammo, and even for someone to sit in the other seat with a spotting scope as you shoot.

[LE]

Nice looking. Should do the job for a long time. Why not put in some railroad tracks on the range & a motor on it, then you could change distance by driving it back & forth & never get off the bench. Seriously, that is a good idea with the wheels, dragging a bench will tear it apart.

[Bill Gunn]

I might hit a deer, and those RR Tracks are tough on John Deere lawn mower blades :)

http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2250/777751/13525437/139237540.jpg

Thanks, I think it will work out good.

Bill

[Badger]

Bill,

Nice sturdy bench. I like your life-like deer targets in the foreground. LOL.

I needed a bench for the 400 yard range in the big hayfield. I had a spare picnic table with the built-in seats. It works great and has lots of room to lay stuff on the table top.

Badger

[Bill Gunn]

There's a deep gully to the left, and I've had deer run out at the first shot, and stop right in front of the target !

[Hi Ball]

Bill nice looking bench! Hey, you might think about taking a router and knock off those sharp edges on the corners of that bench, it does help especially when kids or women are using it to shoot.

[yankeejim]

Hi Bill,

You certainly did a nice job! I've been considering building the same bench, but wondered about the best way to incorporate vertical supports for a roof (tin). Any ideas of the best way to do that?

Also, could you indicate how many more board feet of PT lumber are needed to expand the length & width? I also think the additional area would be a plus.

Thanks for any advice you (or anyone else) can provide.

Best regards,

YJ

[Bill Gunn]

The pictures here are not exactly what the finished product looks like. I added some more stiffeners, and a shelf underneath. I'll try to get some more pictures today. It's dark out, and under a little snow right now !!

For a roof, I'd first try a large umbrella set into the table top, or next to the table. The sun is usually coming in from one side or another, and with this you could change it's tilt and position.
That's what we use on prairie dog hunts in S. Dakota.

http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2250/777751/1363903/394475400.jpg

I did try a chair with a roof on it (center of pic.), but it never worked out as good as an umbrella

http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2250/777751/13525437/394475477.jpg

If you wanted to, you could drill a hole in the table top, and set the umbrella base on a shelf under the top...

For the extra wood needed, I just bought 3 extra 5/4X6X8 decking boards, and 2 extra 2X6X8's.
I didn't feel like doing all the math to see what exactly I would need.

When your done, the legs will seem a little long. DON'T cut them until you try out the table. On mine I found that every one likes the legs long. It makes it easier for us old guys to get up out of the seat after shooting, and it's very comfortable for shooting.

[Bill Gunn]

Here's a up to date picture...

http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2250/777751/13525437/394476706.jpg

I added the additional bracing on the front legs because of adding the feature of being able to wheel mine to different yardages from the back stop. I didn't want to weaken the front legs from pushing it around.
Once I added the additional bracing, I just figured I might as well make a shelf there too.
It worked out well...

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

Cover it, put a heater in it, add some atv wheels, a motor and you'll have something a Texan would be interested in!

Alan

[Bushman]

Interesting about the extra height, Bill. It would seem to me that if the bench was higher and the seat was proportionally lower, that shooting the heavier recoiling rifles and shotguns would kick less because you would be more vertical behind the gun and be able to move with the recoil better. Our own ranges are cement benches and very stable, but I use a Caldwell Lead Sled a lot of the time which is tall so I custom cut the leg height of a bar stool and bring that to the range when I go. It works well.

One of the ranges where I use to go to had a tin roof too close to overhead I thought and it was like a double whammy from the muzzle blast. If sun is the issue, make mine with that umbrella. Generally if sun is the issue at the range, so is the heat mirage and I'll be there early before the heat and the wind of the day goofs up my shooting.

[Bill Gunn]

Cover it, put a heater in it, add some atv wheels, a motor and you'll have something a Texan would be interested in!

Alan

L O L...... I'll look into that !!!

[Alan R McDaniel Jr]

It is a very nice bench. You'll be needing that umbrella to keep the snow off though..

Alan

[Bill Gunn]

Interesting about the extra height, Bill. It would seem to me that if the bench was higher and the seat was proportionally lower, that shooting the heavier recoiling rifles and shotguns would kick less because you would be more vertical behind the gun and be able to move with the recoil better..

The bench top, and the seat are in the relative normal distance from each other. I use front and rear rifle rests to get the correct elevation respective to my shoulder. It's just that the 40" legs put the seat at a good evaluation off the ground so that you don't have to hear that 64 year old Grampa "GRRROAN", as I pull my old arse up off the seat to stand up !!

You younger guys will understand in a few years :s:

[yankeejim]

Thanks, Bill. The umbrella sounds like a simple solution to the roof problem. I want the roof more for drizzling rain than for sun, but the umbrella will work for both. The shelf is a nice addition. Since we won't be moving our bench, I doubt if we'll need the braces; however, they might be a good idea anyway.
Thanks for the help,

YJ :ciao: