Portable shooting bench

[Nandy]

Looks great to me. If I ever get my way and move back to the country with a place large enough for me to shoot I will make a more permanent structure, probably move my reloading stuff to it. It would be a small 24/24 feet shed with a lean-to. I will shoot from the lean-to, then move inside to work any tweak in the load. At a minimum I would have some sort of cover and a permanent and very sturdy shooting bench... You are doing great!

[J.Baker]

Why not just use 1-1/4" black iron or galvanized pipe like everyone else that makes these types of break-down benches? You can get it at most any good hardware store and they'll cut it to length and thread the ends for you while you wait. Get 3 caps for the bottoms so they don't sink into the ground/stuff up with muck and three threaded couplings that get welded to your flat mounting plates.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x102/MikeJ1157/DCP_0681.jpg

There used to be a guy that sold just the mounting pads as pictured above so you could supply your own top and legs, but I can't find his webpage or info right now so I don't know if he's still making them or not. Anyone with a chop saw and a stick or mig welder can make a set in less than an hour themselves though.

Here are just a few plans using this leg setup.

http://www.larrywillis.com/shootingbench.html

http://www.gunsamerica.com/blog/diy-portable-shooting-bench-100/

http://www.aeroaces.com/bench1.htm


The other option would be to use a standard threaded pipe floor flange and use a wedge of wood to get the 20-degree leg angle.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g169/franksymptoms/Gun%20stuff/shooting-bench-9.jpg

[Appleseed]

I started out with galvo pipe and a 6" X 2" oak wedges, problem was it wasn't adjustable for the uneven ground in this region. I don't like to weld galvo and the materials costs was less for the square tube. Also thought if it needed leg braces, it would be easy to attach them. I'm pleased with how well the legs adjust the table top.

I don't think the legs need two bolts, make the plates smaller and welded to 1 1/2" X 2" triangle frame to elimate through bolting the top, stainless fasteners were $20 that could be replaced with ss pan head screws. All that would cut labor. I have priced aluminum square tube and it's a little more than steel. Six foot of 2" galvo pipe is $75 these days, black pipe and square tubing is about $1/lb.

If I bought square tubing in 20" lengths, it would cut costs.

[klr]

Nice work! That looks nice and sturdy.

I made a portable shooting bench but I used one of those sawhorses like you have. I laminated three sheets of 1/2" ply for the top but I could have used just two. As you know, the legs of the sawhorses fold up easily. The shooting bags are carried in a 5-gallon bucket which I then use as a seat.

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp330/305178/024ae046-26ad-4307-ad4d-115987d4be6d_zps6af9d00c.jpg (http://s424.photobucket.com/user/305178/media/024ae046-26ad-4307-ad4d-115987d4be6d_zps6af9d00c.jpg.html)

[yobuck]

My very best bench as for stability has iorn pipe adjustable legs with attachment plates very similar to Jims.
The top is a double layer of 3/4 plywood. The 4 legs alone which are each 2 peices of pipe due to adjustment
on steep sidehills are no doubt over 50 lbs. Ive found that 3 legs will work better with the single leg in front
as for stability when shooting long distances. The bench i/we use 90% of the time for hunting, is an all aluminum
frame/leg design which can be easily assembled in minits with the 4 legs stored under a single 5/8 plywood top
and weighing about 20# total. It will easily support very heavy guns. Any type of a rest is better than no rest at all.
But its no different than taking your trout rod out fishing for yellowfin tuna, it aint gonna work very well and vice versa.

[Appleseed]

Speaking of fishing yobuck, how was the mullet run this year.

[yobuck]

I dont target mullet but quite a few guys in the area i live do. Many in that area wade and cast net for them.
Ive actually not eaten mullet although im told its very good. I lived in the keys for 10 years and there we used
them as a live tarpon bait. 14 degrees here in N C PA this am and the bear and deer seasons havent started yet
at least for rifle. I didnt go outside today and im beginning to wonder why i keep doing this. lol

[Appleseed]

I use them for bait, everything in the surf chases them.

[Nandy]

So, are we going to see some action on that table or what? lol!

[Appleseed]

I'll try 200-350yrd targets when the deer hunters get out of the woods. Couple guys are set up on the pastures down range and there's about 6 weeks of gun season, bad news for small game hunters.

[Nandy]

Yeah, deer hunters, I seen one or two of that kind... That is the reason I cant shoot at my lease, right after deer season comes small game, then turkey then they are scouting for deer again so there is people there all the time. I could find a couple of weekends out of the year that I could shoot the 300 yards sections but that is not worth the time but just to verify POI.

[Appleseed]

I don't mind the deer hunters much after about a month, they get their fill and the traffic on the road slacks off. I do think NCWRC treats small game hunters like ******* children.

[Nandy]

I have 3 down, donated one to one of my fellow hunter with less luck and an empty freezer, donated one to the "feed the hungry" program and one to one of my best friends that cant get to hunt anymore. Now it is my turn but I have not been able to go for over 3 weeks and now I am on call for 2 weeks so it is not happening. I might end up with an empty freezer myself. Good thing is I dont depend on deer meat for sustenance. I do like deer meat and that will make the rest of the season the most interesting now, If I get to go....
We have quite a few of rabbit hunters in the club, we have squirrels coming off our butt, quail, more and more coyotes (not that we want those), but no groundhogs nor hawgs.... I would like groundhogs just for the target practice and the hawgs for the BACON!!! But you know, we cant have it all.... ha! Crow season starts on Nov 1st so them things better stay up in the trees around the time I pack to leave or they will be my version of groundhogs....

[curlymaple42]

Love the picture of the young one in the background whit his ears covered but seems to be having the time of his life, just like my son would!!!
Good luck with the project!

THIS!!! Lol!!