Home-made prairie dawg shooting table

[remy3424]

Well this cold and snow was good for something...I got my first real shooting table built. Thanks to majcl5, for the encouragement and access to the basic plans for the design. I tweeked a couple little things here and there, but really just what majcl5 has shown in his posts. The first one took me a little too long to build, the next ones will be much quicker. Not real "portable", but with removeable legs (my next ones) they will be more easily "transportable". Oh ya, that's Hotshot's former 17HMR on the bench, with a 6-18Xx40 Nikon Buckmasters with a target dot retical and some cheap Weaver rings I had hanging in the garage.



Here's a couple shots of my shop, garage and reloading room. I picked-up a little for the pics!!!

[acloco]

Very nice!

[OldTurtle]

That looks like one with which you could spend a long shooting session....

[Joe O]

Very profesional looking,plus a much better seat.Looks comfortable.

[Rick in Oregon]

remy: When you take your new unit into the field, be careful when using that backrest and leaning back....when we did tests in the shop on the BR Pivot years ago, we learned that having a seat back on a field benchrest that has a tripod footprint is not a good idea. If you're between legs and lean back, you'll tip the bench over and everything on it. Having a backrest promotes leaning back too....just be aware of the potential disaster.

If you've ever been to a BR match, you'll not see any seat backs on any of the shooters positions, as they all use stools. This is why the BR Pivot and many other rotating tripod benches out there do NOT have a seat back. The RCBS RASS being the exception, but then again, look at the monstrosity.......

[Jim White]

Rick,

As you know I have a RASS but for the reason you just mentioned, I'm passing on the seat upgrade. If I need a break, I'll just get up and go sit in a lawn chair, or better still, walk around with my S&W 41, its fun to shoot those little critters with that thing too.

Jim

[Rick in Oregon]

Jim: PM sent on the bench seat thingie.....

Not to hijack this thread, but as for shooting the rats with your Smith, I'll say that walking around with a belt gun doing that about equals the fun had with a good rifle from the field bench. One of my favorite things to do also.

My S&W Mdl 617 4" in .22LR (10-shot) is one of my pet rimfires, is usually stoked with WW Power Points, and is perfect for rats of opportunity.......what fun.

[remy3424]

Well the Walmart boat seat seemed to have "firmer" foam than the pricier ones in Scheels. It has a weight limit of 200# so I would be a little hesitant to put much pressure on the seatback anyway. I saw a "cresant" shaped seat in Scheels, but it looked like you would be inclined to lean back against it (poor pun) rather than sitting on it. Thanks for the warning and thanks for the comments, a little flat paint really cleaned it up and seemed to hide my poor welding abilities!!! I'll share the next model (adjustable & detachable legs) after it comes together.

[Ryan S Albright]

Thats a great looking job. I had drawn plans for one my self but have yet to build it. You get better by doing. Keep up the good work.

[Joe O]

Hey Rick,he should put a yellow warning placard ,stating,"WARING,LEANING BACK COULD LAND YOU ON YOUR A__"or YOU BUILT IT,SO SITUATIONAL AWARENESS IS PARAMOUNT" LOL

[Rick in Oregon]

Joe: Yeah, let's not get OSHA involved in rotating field varmint shooting benches! Gads! Could you imagine a roll bar around your bench? Just leave it to a government bureaucracy to ruin yet another pastime.

Here's another shot of Critter (Dave) and our crew on our BR Pivots here, having our way with Skippy and his pals on one of our local ranches:



"Self absorbed" indeed....I think all rat shooters qualify for that title.

[Jim White]

Joe: Yeah, let's not get OSHA involved in rotating field varmint shooting benches! Gads! Could you imagine a roll bar around your bench? Just leave it to a government bureaucracy to ruin yet another pastime.

That's right, Rick, lets let that sleeping-dog sleep sleep.

[majcl5]

Well from experience i have shoot these benchs for several years and built both w/ and w/o and i can asure you they do not tip these benchs are to heavy, you can lean back all you want and they will not tip over. I weigh around 225 and have had absolutly no problem.
Great Look bench and you will have fun.