Permanent Shooting Bench Suggestions

[tred1956]

OK fellows, I need opinions. I have a new rest ordered and plan on shooting Contender Pistols off of it. I am going to construct a permanent bench for said rest. What height, width, material would you suggest. I have access to 6x6 post. May even use concrete blocks. Pour a concrete slab? Any and all ideas welcome. I want it to be solid as a ROCK. PICTURES would be GREAT.
Thanks in advance for any and all ideas,
Doug

[country gent]

We made some using concrete footer blocks on edge in a t and poured a 4" thick top to set on them. Had wire mesh in the top and a piece of conduit from side to side front and back ( this allowd a 3/4" rod to be slid thru and a chain and front end loader to pick them up and set them in place. Was a rock solid bench similar to the ones used in benchrest. A poured concrete pad is better to work from here. Lay the tee up mortaring the blocks together and let cure then a layer of mortar and set the top on let cure and its solid and low maintenance. depending on the stool I think around 28 or 30" to top of bench is close. These bench tops were 4" wide and 4 foot long with a radioused cut out 2 ft from back on each side with around 1 ft to 18" in the middle left. 4" thick. you can form it in an out of the way spot in dirt or make a wood form ( wood form needs heavy coat of wax or Vaseline to allow for release when cured)

[Dryball]

Of course it all depends on how much disposable income you can throw at your project. This article is a good read. In it they describe the bench they made: http://bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2012/10/secrets-of-the-houston-warehouse-read-this-classic-article/

[OS OK]

I think I'd go with concrete and figure a way to use a large umbrella with it.

[Petrol & Powder]

Concrete is clearly the material you want to use. Depending on your budget, I would also build a shelter over it.

[tred1956]

Thanks fellows. I am probably going with concrete and a cover sounds great, but if I spend too much it will have to include a bed LOL. Cause that's where the Wife will have me sleeping.
Safe shooting
Doug

[country gent]

Pour the pad with the posts for the shelter and build the bench then at a later date the shelter can be finished. Or the shelter can be done a little at a time.

[shell70634]

This is one of my future projects.
201152

[Smoke4320]

looks like mine except I did not paint the top

making the top form is easy.. A sheet of 1/2 or 3/4" plywood and 2 x 4's cut nail together and mix pour concrete ..
It will take 3-4 guys to lift on top on to the blocks

[tred1956]

That is nice for sure. But most of my shooting will be with a single shot pistol directly in front of me. Can't really decide on the best shape for Top.
Thanks for all the ideas
Doug

[Smoke4320]

That may be true but what about when a buddy shows up with a rifle or you decide to shoot one .. easier and cheaper to make it multi use now than later

[tred1956]

Agree 100% just want the best design for pistol shooting , but also want to incorporate both left and right handed rifle shooters. Leaning toward the U shape rather than the T. May go with TT . By this I mean basically two of the above touching and being one table with left station then center station then right station
Thanks
Doug

[country gent]

If you make the wood form. the edge radious can be formed with aluminum tape in the bottom corners easily and quickly by simply cutting an length and using a dowel rod that's the radious you want on the edges and push the tape into the corners with it. Makes nice even rounded edges. On the top of the form a edging trowel will do it. Our forma were made in halfs on the tops so they could be opened to release the concrete when cured. A little angle to the ends helps a lot with release.

[Dan Cash]

That is nice for sure. But most of my shooting will be with a single shot pistol directly in front of me. Can't really decide on the best shape for Top.
Thanks for all the ideas
Doug


Even when shooting a pistol, it stabilizes you when you can lean your chest forward and your rib cage side ways into the bench. I would not worry about building to please other shooters but the traditional shape bench top costs no more to build and will prove useful. It takes about 9 bags of Quick-crete to pour a 4" bench top.

[joatmon]

When I do mine it will be 4x4 or 6x6 post with 2" treated top in the open at first (cover with tarp when not in use) and will build cover shed as affordable. I also want some of that nylon mesh to enclose back and sides in to help tame the autos brass!
Aaron

[Hamish]

This is one of my future projects.
201152

tred1956,

The above pic is very close to what we have a my club and are well up to snuff for single shot duty.

[Hickory]

I built mine about 25 years ago and it has served me well.

201325

[Tonto]

201355
I've built a few of these, solid and portable.

[bullseye67]

Good evening,
I have been in on the making of several with pipe legs and steel plate. We put indoor/outdoor carpet on the steel for padding. They are still using them at the range I used to belong to. They were made for right/left and center shooting. They had a "U" shaped seat that would kind of fit most shooters. I have seen the same design, but with a separate stool chained so they stayed with the bench, but could be moved to either side or in the middle.
I made a wooden one like Tonto posted but no attached seat. A couple of guys used walkers and one a wheel chair. A separate stool is better with lighter/wooden benches. Some guys like to lean on their elbows to replicate field positions. Hang around long enough at the range and you see some pretty funky shooting styles!
Brace it well and put weights on the bottom to make it steady.
Have an awesome week :drinks:

[winelover]

Treated lumber (2 x 8) with CV Flood (stain and preservative), applied. Uncovered, except for the tree canopy.

201389

201391

201390

Winelover

[Petrol & Powder]

Don't forget the cardboard concrete "tubes" [forms]. If you plan it all out you can do the entire project in one pour. You'll have to build a form for the top that is temporarily supported and strong enough to hold the weight while it all cures. Three or more cardboard tubes that are placed in the ground with the bottom below the frost line and rebar placed in them will form the legs. You can pour footers or use packed stone at the bottom of the holes. The rebar should extend into the top but not beyond the upper surface of the top. The form for the top must have holes corresponding to legs and supported to hold the weight. You pour concrete for the legs and begin pouring the top. Add some wire screen as you continue to pour the top and then finish the top smooth. You end up with one monolithic concrete table.

It takes some pre-planning and a fair amount of form work but you end up with three or more round legs, a top bonded to those legs and no block work. If you can get the concrete delivered to your site, it's a few minutes to pour the concrete, vibrate to settle, finish the top and you're done.
If you didn't want to make the top and legs as one unit you could pour the legs and leave a threaded anchor protruding from each leg. The top is then poured as a separate unit with corresponding, holes formed with a step (countersink) to match the anchors. PVC reducers make nice forms for those counter sunk holes. The top is placed over the anchors, washers and nuts are used to secure the top and a little concrete is poured into the holes to plug them and make the top flat.