Plans to build a Heavy Duty Benchrest / Shooting Table

[ThomasT]

Hello everyone,

At the request of @EPG I am sharing my drawings for a Shooting Table / Benchrest that I designed several years ago. Please note this is not a “Set of all inclusive plans”, but instead they are the plans that I drew for me to use to construct my Bench. A few changes are noted and a basic bill of material is included, but screws, bolts, top material, etc. are not denoted. I believe most questions can be answered from my own construction photos attached, if not please let me know.

ThomasT

View attachment benchrest concept.pdf

View attachment benchrest frame cut pieces.pdf

View attachment benchrest frame front back view.pdf

View attachment benchrest frame side view.pdf

View attachment benchrest frame top view.pdf

 

[Hateful McNasty]

Looks good to me but Looks heavy.. id have to drill holes in the legs and add some bolts as spindles and push mower wheels to move it around easy when needed to.. then easy remove the wheels to set firm for shooting .

 

[ThomasT]

Looks good to me but Looks heavy.. id have to drill holes in the legs and add some bolts as spindles and push mower wheels to move it around easy when needed to.. then easy remove the wheels to set firm for shooting .

Hello @Hateful McNasty

This is not an item that you move around. Two good men have no problem moving if needed.

ThomasT

 

[iAMzehTOASTY1]

Sometime this year....I'm building a bench for more a permanent location

 

[ThomasT]

Sometime this year....I'm building a bench for more a permanent location

Hello @iAMzehTOASTY1

In my opinion, if you shoot from a bench, it needs to be solid. Even at just 10-meters, the slightest movement can kill an otherwise good shot.

ThomasT

 

[wildcj5]

That looks awesome. I am decent at refinishing a wood stock but that is about the limit of my ability with wood.

I can however stack blocks and stick them together with adhesive.

 

[ThomasT]

Hello @wildcj5

Yep that baby will not wiggle or move on you, good job . The wife can use that for a serving table also

ThomasT

 

[wildcj5]

Hello @wildcj5

Yep that baby will not wiggle or move on you, good job . The wife can use that for a serving table also

ThomasT

She has mentioned a pizza oven more than once.

What do you think it cost you to build?

 

[ThomasT]

She has mentioned a pizza oven more than once.

What do you think it cost you to build?

Hey again @wildcj5

Well I am guessing you already had the blocks, so maybe two tubes of silicon ???? That is "L-shaped", right?

ThomasT

 

[ThomasT]

She has mentioned a pizza oven more than once.

What do you think it cost you to build?

Hello @wildcj5 ,

I think I miss-read your reply. What it cost me to build. Well it was couple years ago before lumber was more valuable than gold. I think around 250.00 plus the covering which was around $80.00.

ThomasT

 

[wildcj5]

Hello @wildcj5 ,

I think I miss-read your reply. What it cost me to build. Well it was couple years ago before lumber was more valuable than gold. I think around 250.00 plus the covering which was around $80.00.

ThomasT

Yeah, you had to read that and think “ why the heck would he want me to guess how much he spent on his bench.”

I have another in the yard and in that one I added a spot for a large umbrella.

 

[dgeesaman]

Looks good to me but Looks heavy.. id have to drill holes in the legs and add some bolts as spindles and push mower wheels to move it around easy when needed to.. then easy remove the wheels to set firm for shooting .

I had one similar to this at the farm before my divorce, and I used my tractor lift forks to move it. Smarter, not harder.

Before the fork attachment I would flip it over and drag it since the top slid smoothly over grass. Mine did not, of course, have a Naugahyde top. I spread a beach towel over mine when I shot.

 

[Hateful McNasty]

Removable wherls and handle how hard can that be to move it quick by myself.?
Bout as easy as a wheelbarrow? Heck id probably never remove the wheels . ( Heck lets shoot this way today for a change of scenery )

Of course i can change direction of my range/ bench to how the sun travels through out the year . Kinda like keep the sun out of my eyes and to my back. / Cast a long shadow..lol.

(Sorry for the late likes , sometimes i hit it and it dont register )

 

[Ranchibi]

Thomas! Beautiful craftsmanship there! Very kind and thoughtful of you to share your diagram/blueprint of your design! Also, nice workshop!

 

[Billinoregon]

That's a very durable bench design, Thomas. The Naugahyde and cap rail add a real touch of class. And I see you're one of those guys whose shop is a clean, well-lighted place, unlike mine!

 

[ThomasT]

That's a very durable bench design, Thomas. The Naugahyde and cap rail add a real touch of class. And I see you're one of those guys whose shop is a clean, well-lighted place, unlike mine!

Hello @Billinoregon

Thank you it sure works well for me. The Naugahyde helps protects my guns and stuff and my elbow when shooting. It also makes finding a dropped pellet a lot easier .

ThomasT

 

[beerthief]

my bench is lefty only and attached to the support posts for the screen porch above . so a half bench does not take much room but harder to make solid if out on the open . I suppose one could make an L out of blocks and a lefty or right top to save space on a deck ?

 

[ThomasT]

my bench is lefty only and attached to the support posts for the screen porch above . so a half bench does not take much room but harder to make solid if out on the open . I suppose one could make an L out of blocks and a lefty or right top to save space on a deck ?

Hello @beerthief

Yes unsupported "top" is harder to make really stable. My design could easily be made into a "single" position ( right or left ) by just eliminating one offset.

One of my local friends is a lefty so I had to make sure he could shoot from this bench.

ThomasT

 

[igolfat8]

Nice bench Thomas. Well thought out and built to last. You might consider putting wheels on the front legs spaced 1/4” off the ground. Then you can pick up the rear and move it around by yourself, if needed. Here is what I did with mine:

 

[ThomasT]

Nice bench Thomas. Well thought out and built to last. You might consider putting wheels on the front legs spaced 1/4” off the ground. Then you can pick up the rear and move it around by yourself, if needed. Here is what I did with mine:

View attachment 346095

Hello @igolfat8

That is the same thing that I have done on my Big Bang Pellet Trap stand, works perfect.

Your Bench is way cool with the big umbrella .

ThomasT