First, a littIe background:

I live in a rural area and currently shoot behind my house. Nothing fancy, just a wooden shooting bench in the back yard and a 100-yard target. Recently, I removed a 6-foot tall fence from around a 100' X 300' enclosure that I used to raise wolves and wolf hybrids in, and cleared out briars well over a man's head. This has opened up a new avenue for shooting. I currently have a 10' X 40' chainlink kennel in the side yard. I'm planning to remove the perimeter fencing but retain the concrete pad, and use it for a range platform. I could install a couple of shooting benches in two of the 10' X 10' sections, and hang tarps on the divider fence sections in order to keep brass from hitting adjacent shooters. The other 10' X 20' section of concrete could be the foundation for a little shed where I could work on my firearms, etc.

My request is to see pics of concrete benches on professional shooting ranges, so that I can get an idea how to build a form for the pouring of concrete. Another thought would be to use limestone, as I work in a limestone mill and can get all the stone I desire. I could fabricate it in sections, then use steel pins and epoxy to connect the sections together. One cubic foot of limestone weighs 150 pounds, so it would be something solid if I chose that route over concrete.

Thanks, guys, for the photos. They have given me ideas. I may just go the limestone route, as I can have the top polished smooth.



My current bench is framed out of treated 4X4's, and topped with exposed OSB. The years have taken their toll, and the thing is finally starting to rot. I use two 25-pound sandbags on it.

I'd venture to say that those are probably beyond my meager budget.

I'd be afraid to get in the shallow one with the steel supports (7th pic) –– it gives me the heebie jeebies just thinking about being flattened like a pancake.