Help On Shooting Bench Plans

[CENTEX BILL]

My mother-in-law just told me that she wants to give me a shooting bench for Christmas. My wife and I just bought 28 acres which I plan to put a range on.

Anyone have and ideas where I could get a set of plans to build a good steady benchrest.

Thanks,

Centex Bill

[Buckshot]

.............You don't really need plans. First use your dining room table as a template. Put your rifle on it with the front rest, set out your spotting scope and a couple boxes of ammo like you would if you were at 'The' range. Fudge a bit more room for a thermos and other odds and ends lke a range notebook, etc. Note the length and width, plus figure in a cutout in the left rear corner for you (if right handed) so you can sit behind the rifle.

If the dining room table suits your height, then that's the height to make it. If it's too short then put a couple books under the front rest. If that's right, measure THAT height.

Plan a 6'x6'x4" slab as minimum to build on. Use 3 legs of either 8" cinderblock with rebar and cement filled, or 3 legs of 4" steel sch 80 pipe. The top should be cast in place and at least 4" thick. For the top use a plywood sheet with cutouts where the legs are so the rebar sticking up out can be bent over into the soon to be tabletop.

http://www.fototime.com/6B26600DAF5E4F4/standard.jpg

These tables are at our range and are very solid. In case you're wondering, that's Depuity Al in the background and Glen up front. That's the way these tables were built. They had 5 forms for tops and each week they'd pour 5 new tops. There are 28 benches total. The plywood base and 2x4 supports were in 3 different pieces . They were held up by loose cinderbocks and wood wedges.

...............Buckshot

[VTDW]

Bill,

David added a nice shooting area to his ranch since you and hunted with him in HogFest I.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v354/vtdw1/TEXAS%20HOG%20HUNT/BENCHHPIM0467.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v354/vtdw1/TEXAS%20HOG%20HUNT/BENCHHPIM0466.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v354/vtdw1/TEXAS%20HOG%20HUNT/500fb9f8.jpg

[carpetman]

When I build furniture,I go to catalogs and can get the general dimensions of things. Buckshot said use the kitchen table as a template and if too tall shorten it. Buckshot didn't mean saw the legs off shorter on your kitchen table. He meant make your bench shorter than the kitchen table.

[montana_charlie]

Buckshot didn't mean saw the legs off shorter on your kitchen table.
Oh!

Well, that's Ok, anyway...'cuz my wife is giving me an electric saw for Christmas.
If it's reversible, I can unsaw those legs right back on.
Heck! That's why I keep a reversible drill around...
CM

[Boz330]

Bill, PM me with an address and I will copy a set of plans from a gunsmithing book I got years ago and send them. It has the list of materials and directions. It is easily towed around with a yard tractor. There is no waste and you don't have to experiment with ideas. It is right handed though, but wouldn't be a problem to mirror image.

Bob

[VTDW]

":It is right handed though, but wouldn't be a problem to mirror image."

You don't know Bill:)

Dave

[schutzen]

When I built mine, I added two features I really like. First) I used 4" steel pipe for legs. I used three legs , two front and one rear. Above the rear leg, I place a section of 2" PVC pipe in my concrete top. This lets me insert a patio table umbrella in the rear leg for a shaded shooting bench. My bench is 48" deep, so the umbrella is behind my shooting position. Second) I cast my top of concrete. When it was complete, I filled all the pin holes with DurRock Putty. Then I took the top to the local Rhino Liner dealer and had it coated with Rhino Liner. No scraching guns on my bench. Just a couple of ideas that have worked well for me.
Good luck with your bench.