Built My Own Shooting Bench - Pictures

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • lovemywoods

    Geek in Paradise!
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    50   0   0
    Mar 26, 2008
    3,026
    0
    Brown County
    In the past, when I’ve wanted to sight-in a firearm, I’ve used a small wooden table or the back of the 4-wheeler. The height wasn’t right and it made the sighting-in process less enjoyable.

    So I decided to build a simple wooden shooting bench and stool. It was modeled after the benches at the Atterbury shooting range. (Thanks to joslar15 for the pictures!)

    Here are pictures of the bench I built. I decided to have a separate stool so I could move it around where I wanted it and to reduce the weight of the main bench. (It’s still pretty heavy!)


    13z0t3m.jpg


    2yv8i1y.jpg


    poqrp.jpg


    Overall dimensions of the bench and stool.
    258crpe.jpg


    Here is a pic of the underside to show how it was built.
    2vkkzyq.jpg



    The bench is made of treated lumber and is a fairly simple design. The pictures show the overall dimensions and how the pieces go together. I opted for the three leg design because the table will sit on the ground and will be moved from place to place. The three legs won’t rock even if the ground is uneven. (The extra 4x4 angle bracing is overkill that I added to appease my engineering OCD tendencies.)

    After it sits outside for a few weeks to dry completely, I plan to stain it with a wood stain/preservative like you would put on a deck.

    I estimate the materials cost to make the basic bench and stool to be approximately $70. The stain/sealer is about $15. The extra bracing is about $13.

    In its first use last weekend, it was very comfortable and I enjoyed having enough tabletop space for my shooting stuff and still have room for a small spotting scope!

    I worked from a hand sketch so I don’t have drawings. If you are interested in building one of your own and you need more information than the pictures, contact me here on INGO.

     
    Last edited:

    2ADMNLOVER

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    15   0   0
    May 13, 2009
    5,122
    63
    West side Indy
    :rockwoot:Cool bench ! Since it's heavy you could get some wheels and mount them under the front (42" side) and rig some type of handle under the back (18" side) and it would make moving it easier .

    Also , you could rig a hook on the cross brace of the legs and mount an eye bolt on your stool to be able to move them both at the same time .

    Just a thought .
     

    lovemywoods

    Geek in Paradise!
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    50   0   0
    Mar 26, 2008
    3,026
    0
    Brown County
    Since it's heavy you could get some wheels and mount them under the front (42" side) and rig some type of handle under the back (18" side) and it would make moving it easier .

    Also , you could rig a hook on the cross brace of the legs and mount an eye bolt on your stool to be able to move them both at the same time .

    Thanks for the ideas! For now, if it's a close move, I just drag it. For greater distances I suspend it from the front end loader of my tractor! (Love my Kubota!)
     

    Woo

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jun 9, 2009
    703
    16
    New Castle
    Awesome bench!! Same basic design i have been thinking about but I KNOW i couldnt build anything that nice. Great job and great craftmanship!!:+1:
     

    henktermaat

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    11   0   0
    Jan 3, 2009
    4,952
    38
    that's beautiful - do you haul that around to ranges or am I correct in assuming you can SHOOT ON YOUR OWN PROPERTY?

    If so, sweeeet. :rockwoot:
     

    esrice

    Certified Regular Guy
    Rating - 100%
    20   0   0
    Jan 16, 2008
    24,095
    48
    Indy
    that's beautiful - do you haul that around to ranges or am I correct in assuming you can SHOOT ON YOUR OWN PROPERTY?

    If so, sweeeet. :rockwoot:

    Seen any NFA Day '08 pics or vids? That was at lovemywoods' private range, on his own property.

    I gotta say, I was very impressed when I saw this in person. In typical "Dad style" its reinforced to the max. I think my first comment was "you could get Rhino to do a table dance on this thing no problem!" That little seat couldn't weigh more if it were a solid block of wood. . . .

    And how's this for detail. . . see at the bottom of the feet there is a small detachable piece of wood? Well in between that sacrificial piece of wood there is a layer of plastic, cut from an ice cream container lid (mmm. . .Schwans. . .), put there to act as a moisture barrier. And, like horseshoes, the damaged bottom piece can be easily replaced with a new piece of wood.

    He's a pretty smart dude. :D :ingo:
     
    Top Bottom