Portable Benches and Rests, Testing the Waters

If ok, I would like to test the water with this post. If I can find there is any demand, we can produce both. Of course we need to make a few bucks too. I contacted Jim Baker to ask his permission to post.

Here are two we are working with: a portable shooting rest/seat, stainless steel, adjustable minimalist (used by area varmit hunters); and one that is a shooting table that is portable/packable. There are some of my post here in archive but that table is the prototype and is large top and using black square tube schedule 40 steel. The new/improved one would be similar but smaller top and use aluminum tubing for adjustable legs and angle aluminum top frame.

Because we have to buy metal in 20-24ft lengths, I can't afford to make 20 and then have them sitting in the barn. There are other sites, but this is my main one, and our members are polite and helpful.

There are plenty of diy'rs, but these will be truly portable and easy to setup and preform and adjustable. Metal prices are fluid, but the nearest similar bench is priced well above what we think we can manufacture for. Also I’m going to have to lawyer up to get product liability advise.

It's possible the frames and leg assemblies could be sold and end users cut their own table tops as a savings.

Floating an idea.

It's possible the frames and leg assemblies could be sold and end users cut their own table tops as a savings.

A few picture of a finished product would be helpful, noting that the dimensions are "fixable" for the DIY , also pictures of the legs and the way you have set up
to attach the legs to the top.

Haven't found those pictures here. The bench is far superior to most all the stuff for sale at $200. The metal will cost more, but it will be a stable, and movable.

I'd say" probably". I have two portable benches. One is a the Caldwell Stable Table with seat and is a bit heavy (30 lbs but so awkward to set up it seems heavier) but nice to shoot from once set-up. The other is a no-longer-available Hyskore Portable that has three feet based on a German MG-42 heavy machine-gun tripod and is pretty sweet at 20 lbs. It uses framed steel mesh instead of a solid top. I tend to use that more than the Caldwell because it is simple (I carry my "stuff" in a 5 gallon pail and then flip it to be the seat while shooting). It also tolerates being left outdoors for extended periods (like a month). I believe it was $75 but $30 shipping.

If you can make a sturdy frame that uses 1/8th of a sheet (2 ft x 4 ft of a 4' x 8' x 3/4" plywood sheet - Lowes will cut and sell you that if you ask) it might be something folks would go for. I'd suggest using carriage bolts with wing nuts underneath to hold the top to the legs.

The Hyscore is/was the best portable available, the reason they don't offer it anymore is probably due to the metal cost more than they charged for a finished product, not counting fabrication. I shipped some machine parts last week by USPS, they have been better than the others. However, they too are now using overall dimensions to price shipping.

The bench I'm using now is as you describe, there is a better way to build it without the bolts, and more sturdy. Think we will fabricate one for testing and then consider a bulk order of aluminum tubing. We considered including a top pattern to be diy by end-users. That could be the end-user's choice, small/medium/large; saving shipping costs.

Thanks for your thoughts!

I’m at our camp in PA as i type this. I will try to get pics of my bench used for hunting, as well as several different tripod systems we use.
The type of rest used is actually as important as the bench for hunting long range and arguably even more important.
Losing sight of an animal due to recoil can spell disaster, and can easily happen in wooded terrain where distance is involved.
Heavy wall aluminum electrical conduit bought from electrical supply houses in 10’ lengths is as good as it gets for bench legs.
My bench is about 40 years old at this point, but i have replaced the plywood top.
The whole thing weighs less than 25# and could be lighter with 3 legs instead of 4.
My original bench has 3 legs but was made with steel pipe, so that one just stays at the camp.
Legs need to be adjustable for hunting. I designed my most recent tripod so that the bench top rotates 360 deg.
For hunting, standing while shooting has a definite advantage for both bench and tripod.

Yobuck, we had pictures of both ours a while back on the site. Mine are on a drive I can't find. I'm in between a portable vs more stable less portable design. Does yours have a hammock and heater, haha? Just to buy metal is high before the welds start.

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Originally Posted by Appleseed

Yobuck, we had pictures of both ours a while back on the site. Mine are on a drive I can't find. I'm in between a portable vs more stable less portable design. Does yours have a hammock and heater, haha? Just to buy metal is high before the welds start.

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I don’t believe i ever posted any pictures, as frankly I don’t know how to do it. I can take them and email them to someone else who could, but that’s about all. At this point i cant even take the pics as the bench and tripods are in vehicles that leave the camp before i get up. Lol
I don’t leave the camp much anymore, but i might today since some of them went to a spot i can drive to. Creeks are high due to all the rain, one of the guys yesterday waded in waist deep fast moving water to retrieve a deer. But they went back there again today in hopes of doing it again.
I’ll drive out there later and try to get some pics. Our rests are return to battery design with a plate on the forend of the gun that allows the gun to slide straight back only. And we can crank up or down for elevation faster than a deer can run. As soon as it stops running the gun can go bang.
Provided of coarse there is a decent shot due to the trees.

I'll send you my email by pm, stay out of that creek. I have a couple good design ideas and been checking metal prices this week, 25% more than a year ago. Have two friends that make livings in a wood and metal shops. One said today there aren't enough young people out there now that would know how to cut their own table tops, even with a pattern.

PORTABLE is varied for different shooters and terrain. A fold up bench/table isn't always going to be a solid platform for precision shooting. A small top may not be comfortable. So we are in between on which to aim for.

The fold up minimalist one my machinist friend builds is really nice in stainless, but no top and it's not cheap. The ground hog shooters here really like them. Metal prices this week, 25% more than a year ago.

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Originally Posted by Appleseed

I'll send you my email by pm, stay out of that creek. I have a couple good design ideas and been checking metal prices this week, 25% more than a year ago. Have two friends that make livings in a wood and metal shops. One said today there aren't enough young people out there now that would know how to cut their own table tops, even with a pattern.

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That's probably a valid point. If there isn't a smartphone app for it it's not happening.

But when I'm out hunting I have some collapsible "cross-sticks" I tote along. I'm not going to carry anything heavier than my rifle. But then again around here 250 yards is about as long a shot as is likely to present itself.

I did get out and got some good pics today. Rain and fog rolled in again so that closed things down for glassing.
Also got pics of the glasses we use that are made from two spotting scopes in machined brackets.
It’s easy to over build the bench which only adds weight and not necessarily strength.
The lower the better for stability unless you add braces on the legs, which we don’t.
30# guns aren’t a problem with small light benches (IF) the legs are kept in a low adjustment point and you shoot from your knees.

We worked on this today, nasty cold rain good to stand in the shop next to the wood stove. This design is not something to tote into the woods, more of a sturdy precision unit that breaks down easily for travel to the range or shooting alley. I have an old shooting stick/rest. That works fine for a walking hunt which I like to do on days as today. When we still had quail, this was my favorite weather to work the setters.

30 lb guns yobuck, is there any meat left on the deer? Many of these groundhog hunters use those just up the mountain for long range...poor groundhogs, haha.

That's more the use I look for in a portable and temporary shooting stand. Set-up is within a short distance of foot, cart, tractor or vehicle for a session on paper to work up or verify loads and scope alignment.

Thank You Gentlemen, temporary shooting stand is our direction. Although the welder machinist has some made that are kind of a low rider seat with a swivel front rest for groundhog shooters up the mountains here. They shoot heavy rifles. There are several shops that build competition rifles and pistols in this backwater mountain area, haha, even a 1000yrd range.

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Originally Posted by Appleseed

We worked on this today, nasty cold rain good to stand in the shop next to the wood stove. This design is not something to tote into the woods, more of a sturdy precision unit that breaks down easily for travel to the range or shooting alley. I have an old shooting stick/rest. That works fine for a walking hunt which I like to do on days as today. When we still had quail, this was my favorite weather to work the setters.

30 lb guns yobuck, is there any meat left on the deer? Many of these groundhog hunters use those just up the mountain for long range...poor groundhogs, haha.

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The weight of the gun does add to the stability of the gun as opposed to a light one when shooting from a bench.
But it doesn’t do any more damage to the animal. Lol
For a property owner having a few vantage points to shoot distance from, picnic tables built in a small size can be left on location and will last many years.