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Posted: 3/19/2006 6:42:30 PM EDT
| Does anyone have any plans for making shooting tables. Maybe something with folding legs that will fit in the truck nice. We're looking to make a couple of these for easy setup at our favorite shooting spot. Woodworking, or welding are no problem. I just have'nt been able to find any plans for a decent homemade shooting bench. |
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Semi light is what I see the problem being. If it's light then conversely it is not sturdy and a wobbly shooting bench isn't worth much. Probably the lightest and sturdiest would be some heavy duty hammock stand pipe with holes to use carriage bolts and wing nuts to hold some plastic wood planks... |
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I seen this after the first post and tried to get over to my BIL and get pics of his portable shooting bench. It takes 2 people to carry and it folds down to about 4 inches thick, fits nice in the back of my truck. The semi light part of this throws our bench out of the running for a design that you will like. But it is compact and portable(with 2 people). I could send you some pics or post them here but it would be Thursday before I can do it. |
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Great job!! Did you fabricate the frame yourself, if so what size stock did you use for the frame? Does the seat just have a single center support that dovetails to a post on the lower bar? It does look heavy, but a decent shooting bench really does need to be solid! Well done! |
Me likey very much. Please send email on that one. The gf's on here way to see parents with kids in Vegas............. BACHELOR for 9 days. I'd go but I'll see them when they get back to there other house in another month so I'm single for a week  I've got lots of time to experiment with a few builds the next few days.
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My brother in law made it and has the prints for most of it. He said that he would finish it if somebody would like to have the exact measurments and I could mail them to you. IIRC he said that he had it in cadkey too but I have been wrong before. |
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Unless you always have a nice flat and level surface upon which to set up, you would most likely be better off with a tripod arrangement. The 4-legged benches and seats have a tendency to rock unless perfectly set up. Seperate seat from bench, another source of vibration. Suggest you comtemplate the use of heavy-schedual PVC tubing for portions of the bench. With removeable caps on the ends of tripod legs, fill with sand/gravel/dirt/rocks/water for weight, and drain when ready to go home. For sand and gravel. a funnel is handy. Done right, it folds flat. Benches have their uses, but they are limited. Unless you are practicing bench-rest shooting, they will teach you nothing and may interfere with learning to shoot well from field positions. Unless you are already an accomplished shot from all field positions, consider getting a good shooting mat instead. FWIW, and YMMV. |
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Update: I finally started tinkering out in the shop and instead of just being content to copy the pictured design (which is a great bench by the way), I've begun to work on a modified 3 leg version. The fold up legs are a great idea and that will remain only with 3. I will also be removing the chair and using a 6 gallon bucket with a seat lid, which will double as my ammo bucket and a place to save brass. I'm hoping by going to a 3 leg version that it be more stable on the range where conditions are not always perfect. When I get the legs jigged and welded I'll start taking pics to post. Might be next weekend before I really get to finish anything though. |
Now that is sharp. I can make just about anything out of wood but unfortunately have little in the way of welding\machining skills\tools 
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I have the welders and torches but lack the time. I figured out what I wanted and had a friend weld it up. The whole thing pivots on a trailer spindle and bearing set. The rest is off the shelf tube steel. The thing is rock solid.After last years trip the table would move. I slid the table back on the center post and added a brace in front. I'm going to lengthen the seat bracket so there's more "belly" room. |
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