New Shooting Bench

Our old shooting bench owes us nothing.  It has served us well for probably ten years.  It is time for a new one though.  I searched the internet for ideas.  Then I questioned all of the shooters who are most likely to use it for input.  We / I settled on a design after two rounds of input.

Here is the original design we agreed to build.  This is all I had to buy the lumber and build the bench - plus what was in my head.



As I built the bench, I made adjustments I thought appropriate.  I also found a boat seat at Cabela's on the clearance rack.  I bought it, an adjustable stand, and a 360 degree swivel.  Total seat cost $100.

Here is how I built the final table:



Some thoughts on the measurements.
  • The 2' 7.5" from the seat to the front of the table is too long.  31.5" will hold the longest gun.  All we need is for the bipods and the rifle butt to be on the table.  This could probably be shortened to 26" very easily.
  • The 15" for the elbow rest is a bit large as well.  It could be dropped to 10 or 11".
  • The 27" in front of the seat is about perfect.
  • Having the base of the seat at 33" allowed for it to swivel all the way around without hitting anything.
  • The adjustable seat stand is NOT rock solid, out of necessity.  If this were a one-man bench, forego the adjustable stand and make it more sturdy.  Ours must fit a bunch of people of all sizes, so we will put up with a bit of wobble.

Some build pictures:

The top of the table boxed out.
I used 4"x6" treated lumber, so there is no need for a brace in the middle,
it is sturdy / strong enough.  No need to over-build and make it too heavy.


The table, now standing at 32"

Another view of the standing table.
Please note the lack of a leg in this near right corner.
I wanted the shooters legs to be able to be in any position without interference.

The bass boat seat installed.  It rotates all the way around and adjusts for height.
Now that the seat is installed, there is no way for the table to tip due to lack of a leg in this left corner.
The seat brace acts as a fourth "leg" for the table.

Close-up of the seat bracing.  Wanted to ensure it stayed put.

Looking at the whole table from a shooter's perspective.
Look at all the leg room for the shooter!
Easy in / Easy out.  No obstructions for your legs.

Another view of the seat.
This will REALLY be comfortable for long sessions.

So what's left to do?
  1. Cut the old dog trailer siding and put it on top of this bench.  Sand the top lightly, and then spray it lightly with rubberized paint so that our bipods won't slide.
  2. Trim the top so that the edges do not cut the shooter.
  3. Sand all edges smooth.
  4. Install the cup holders for our Mt. Dew (or other beverages).  I have two stainless steel cup holders that also were for a boat.
  5. Install the gun rack.  I have a six gun rack / holder made of dense foam.  Not supposed to hold water or mold.  We shall see.
  6. Get out and use it.
  7. Let it weather a year or so, as I used treated lumber, and then stain or paint the table.


Comments

  1. Dave PorrillMarch 5, 2019 at 5:24 AM

    Sweet! Looking really good so far.

    By the way, the old table must be coming up for its 20 year birthday by now. I remember it from the first time I visited the ranch in 2002 and it was not new then. Like you say, it has paid it's dues.

    Looking forward to trying out the new bench when I visit in May.

    ReplyDelete

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