Improved shooting benches

[remy3424]

Here are a couple pics of my new and improved shooting benches. The legs are now removeable (just had to happen for transportablity) AND adjustable. I thought the adjustiblity was essential to quickly plumb the stand pipe, to ensure your shooting platform was not canted, no matter where the bench was turned to. The elevation adjustment is awesome, had one out today shooting some 204 loads and it was rock solid, no different than a permanent bench, but way more comfortable and so quick and easy to acquire the bullseyes on the targets when changing guns. All built in my garage with no special skills or machining tools. A good chop saw, welder, 4.5" angle grinder, and a larger drill press was what I used. Had some of the steel, some was gathered from scrap and some needed to be purchased. I'll figure my costs and post that later. No Rick, these won't tip-over, way too heavy, the weight is the stinger on these, I'll get one weighed and post that also. They do break down far enough to be manageable. I'm so pumped to get these on a town and get busy!! Not the best pics, maybe I'll get some better ones the next time I go shooting. I see I didn't get one sized and I will now get the garage cleaned since these project is soon to be completed.

[majcl5]

Well done great craftsmanship you will love them. I love the weight there more stable, we can load up to 8 in our covered trailer all assembled and each guy grabs a leg and out the trailer we go. Set up and we shoot for hours in one spot. We only move once a day so for me personal the weight is a advantge. I have made them from 150lbs(which is my favorite) to 70lbs and i perfer the heavy ones by far, they are so stable like you said like shooting off a concrete bench.

ps. Have fun

[remy3424]

Well, I finished 3 of these and weighed one before tucking 2 of them away to await our PD shoot in June.....156 pounds!!! I was shocked. Just the stand pipe with the receivers was over 42#s, the top with the outside pipe was 56#s, legs just over 40#s and the seat and support bracket over 18#s. Two will travel well, or three in a 6 foot bed. Will probably have to bring a wrench and take the tops off (the way I tweeked the design)to haul 3 plus the arsenal of rifles, ammo, cooler and whatnot in my mini 5.5' pick-up bed. No tools needed if the tops can stay attached. I could be reworking them after the first actual dog shoot, I might have made them for taller guys, need to get my father on one and see how he fits, top might be too high??? Just right for my 6-2 frame. About a 5 minute deal to shorten them a couple inches.

As far as cost, I have almost $190 into each, but would only need about $105 to finish one more.

I had been using a old picnic table for a shooting bench at the farm and some "too low" tables to shoot dogs from. This is sooooo much better and more comfortable, I'm sure I will shoot better just because of better form.

The basic plans are from http://www.richardscustomrifles.com . This is the basic design you see majcl5's gang shooting from in his posts.

What does everyone else use??? BR pivots?? they would have been my choice, but I seem to be incharge of the equipment for our shoots and I had more time than cash this winter. Show me some pics of what you are all using if you don't mind sharing.

[Captqc]

I've got the BR Pivot Lite (mine's black vs tan as I redid the powder coating last year) and I think that she weighs in at around 65 lbs. Your bench looks fine except if I were you I'd get rid of the seat with the back on it because you run the risk of tipping over when you are not over one of the legs. Gary

[majcl5]

As heavy as they r we couldnt tip if we tried and we did try to test them out before we switched, we had the piano seat for the first few years and i would get so sadle sore , i didnt know if i would like boat seat but i have made a 180 and love them now. The worst thing about them is getting in and out of them but its a problem i have grown used to.
Hey remy we attached the top or front of the adjustment rod w/ a wing nut and it makes it quick and easy to loosen the top and fold it down for easy storage and trasportation. If three of you go and you have room leave the benchs toghther and each guy grabs a leg and there real easy to carry.

[remy3424]

I have a recessed "t-nut" (not sure what they are called) in the tops. I could make "winged" bolts for the tops...back to no tools! I may build one more or change one of these and try just the 3/4" plywood top and lose the 3/16" steel I have on the under side to add support. Maybe just a inch wide piece on the front and back of the 4" angle iron top brackets to tie them together and a smaller 4x4 square piece under the adjustment rod. I used 32" legs, that might have added to the stability also, I know it added to the weight! Usually 3 or 4 of us go out in my F150 Supercrew, might have to add a trailer for four of us. If I can stack the tops, it will be about the only way to get everything to fit. Four coats of spar varnish on the tops was a pain, might try putting in the recessed nuts and then applying formica over the top and just 2 coats of spar to the edges and underside on the next one. I wish I could find the 1 inch concrete form plywood guys talk about for the tops. To lose weight I might also try 3/16" legs instead of the 1/4", they might flex, but maybe not. Could shorten to 30", make the receiver brackets 1 1/2" shorter and maybe a couple inches shorter, the 4" angle iron top brackets are making them taller. I must have too much time on my hands.

[Rick in Oregon]

remmy: Don't get a hernia lugging that beast out of the truck. Your center post weighs almost as much as my entire L/W bench!

Also, don't trip or fall when mounting/dismounting as I saw a guy in Montana do with a bench that had a seat back....he lost his footing trying to negotiate threading his leg in front of the seat back, fell on it, and his rifle, ammo, RF, bino's all landed in the rocks and dirt......big bummer. The PD's loved it.

Have a great trip out west. You won't believe how much more fun it is with a decent bench to shoot from.

[majcl5]

Rick could not have said it better, a good bench is probably the most important factor to a successful Rat missile launch. I have went from shooting sticks and .22's to .204's and rotating shooting benchs and there is no comparison.

[Quoddy]

I got a DOA bench about a month ago. 76# when assembled, but it does break down into as many as 3 pieces. Top and seat swivel 360 degrees. Easy to fold up and take to the range or wherever. Photo was from the day UPS dropped it off,

[TD-Max]

I'm really glad I bought my BR Pivot Lite back when Rick was still doing them!