Shooting benches, and covered shooting stand

We need a range section....

1. I am thinking about building a shooting table. I think I have plenty of steel at the house to build one. I am thinking about a wood or trex top on it. I also want it to be able to fold down to take it on varmint trips.

What height are y'all building your tables?

I'm going to set the seat up for adjustable height and left or right shooters.

Anything y'all like or dislike about your current table?


Also the ranch I shoot at were talking about building a shooting stand with tables and be able to shoot standing or prone with enough room for a couple shooters and spotters. And it has to be built on skids so its semi portable.

I'm trying to get some ideas here what do y'all think?

Stay away from wood if at all possible.

Composite (like Trex & such) is the way to go. Cost is a bit more but it lasts forever, no paint needed & you won't get splinters in your hiney.

No promises but I'll see if I can take a pic or two next time I'm at our local shootin' place. The benches are simple, easy to maintain, adjustable & inexpensive.
Can't say for sure if I can go this week(end). I had my left eyeball rebuilt Monday & the medic said something about sticking a rifle somewhere where I won't be able to pull the trigger if I screw up his work in the next week or so.
I kinda feel like I have a bionic eye now. Almost like a Borg....

That's what I was thinking about wood too. I was thinking about a steel top, but really hot or really cold that steel top sucks!

We were thinking fiber grate for the floor on the big shooting stand but you would definitely have to use a shooting pad on that.

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Originally Posted by fgw_in_fla

Stay away from wood if at all possible.

Composite (like Trex & such) is the way to go. Cost is a bit more but it lasts forever, no paint needed & you won't get splinters in your hiney.

No promises but I'll see if I can take a pic or two next time I'm at our local shootin' place. The benches are simple, easy to maintain, adjustable & inexpensive.
Can't say for sure if I can go this week(end). I had my left eyeball rebuilt Monday & the medic said something about sticking a rifle somewhere where I won't be able to pull the trigger if I screw up his work in the next week or so.
I kinda feel like I have a bionic eye now. Almost like a Borg....

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Frank good luck with that surgery. My wife just had cateract surgery Tues. and now she can see real good again. I guess I will have to be more careful about what I am sneaking into my basement shop!

My bench was a portable that I added some metal to too stiffen it and a larger top. It is the one that my Son's rifle is setting on in the picture thread post.

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Originally Posted by bythebook

Frank good luck with that surgery. My wife just had cateract surgery Tues. and now she can see real good again. I guess I will have to be more careful about what I am sneaking into my basement shop!

My bench was a portable that I added some metal to too stiffen it and a larger top. It is the one that my Son's rifle is setting on in the picture thread post.

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Thanks for the words.
I had a cataract removed, had the eye lens replaced with a custom kind of lens (thanks to my wife who works for the surgeon) and now, I feel like singing that old song by the Who - "I Can See For Miles". He also repaired the fiber type stringy thingies that hold the eye lens in place. Can't wait to get the other eye done.
By the way, with the metal top on your bench, does maintenance become an issue? I'm a big advocate of maintenance free stuff. I would make every reasonable effort to go as maintenance free as possible. Just short of making it out of concrete which might make it a little hard to move...

im looking at a bench about 50' from the door of our camp as i type this.
its over 40 years old and was built before pressure treated lumber existed.
in the early years it got regular soakings with wood preserative.
its never been under a roof and is still as solid as day one.
pressure treated lumber will out last most of the shooters using it.
it would be wise to coat it periodicly with a good preservative.

Good luck with the eyes frank!

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Originally Posted by missed

Good luck with the eyes frank!

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yes good luck with that. you live in an area that is covered up with excellant medical facilities.
my eyes got to the point i couldnt read the license plate on the car in front of me at a red light.
my license was stamped must wear glasses and they werent working.
night driving was worse especially in rain.
now i dont need glasses at all even for reading.

Thanks Gents.

I got tired of the range officer telling me I was facing the parking lot & not the target line....

Kinda embarrassing.

Hmmm it would be $100 for the top to be trex, I am going to keep looking!

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Originally Posted by missed

Hmmm it would be $100 for the top to be trex, I am going to keep looking!

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yup, it sounds good till you start adding numbers.
keep your ears open for someone doing a deck project. there are always a few cutoffs.
whats your picnic table built with and how many splinters have needed extracting?

Actually I just remembered there is 5' square butcher block like 1.5" thick in my shop...... What dimensions are y'all making your benches ?

Have a look at some southern yellow pine. Make the top out of 2x8's or 2x10's and follow buck's info. A regular dose of a good oil based preservative & it should last a while.
The new pressure treated stuff sucks ever since they stopped using the arsenic based treatment.

Maybe you can get real fancy & go 1st class. How about some Teak? It works on boats....

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5509/9...d752e35b_c.jpg
Table top by JF TX, on Flickr

hmm I am thinking this is going to go under the blade for a couple table tops.

Frank that is what my wife had done. My table has a 5/8 inch marine plywood top but it never sets out as it is inside the bottom garage. It is also right beside my shop where I reload and do some of my work. I do have to get some feet for my front rest as they are starting to mark up the top.

I always thought Larry Willis plans were a good idea. Several years ago I copied it almost to the T. Somebody else liked it more than me.

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

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Originally Posted by stangfish

I always thought Larry Willis plans were a good idea. Several years ago I copied it almost to the T. Somebody else liked it more than me.

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

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Thats always nice!

I think I am going to use that plan! Thanks!!