Jerry R
14 August 2017, 08:32
Ambidextrous Shooter’s Bench
After using my portable shooter’s bench for several years, we decided GriffonSec needed a more stable platform for benchrest shooting at his range.
I did a Visio scale drawing, put together a parts list using Lowe’s part numbers and pricing, and wrote up fairly detailed assembly instructions. I put all of this into a PDF document and placed it in the “Manuals” download section in case someone else on WEVO wished to build a bench. Link shown below:
http://www.weaponevolution.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=43
It only required ten boards and some bolts and screws. Total price was under $190. The most expensive piece was the twelve foot 6x6 used for the legs. Using one that long was actually cheaper, and had less scrap, than using two eight foot 6x6 posts. All lumber is pressure treated for exterior use.
I used what seems to be the NRA standard height of a finished thirty-two inches. The shape is a commonly seen horseshoe shape that allows three distinct shooting positions; left hand benchrest, right hand benchrest, and just sitting in the middle without using either of the rearward protruding supports. The size of the bench top was designed to use full-width decking boards – no ripping is required. All cuts are cross-cut. In the Visio drawing I used the lumber’s actual dimensions; e.g., a 2x6x8’ board is 1.5x5.5x96”.
First photo is the lumber:
(5) 2x6x8’ boards
(2) 5/4x6x8’ decking boards
(2) 5/4x/6/10’ decking boards
(1) 6x6x12’ post
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4339/36565850665_1893259cca_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XHcxt8)IMG_2643 (https://flic.kr/p/XHcxt8) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
The pieces to cut from each piece of lumber is shown in the PDF. I selected board lengths and cuts to minimize scrap.
When all the cuts are done, you will have a nice pile of parts ready to be put together.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4415/36565849575_2ec8faa0f1_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XHcx9k)IMG_2652 (https://flic.kr/p/XHcx9k) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4389/36397402922_51d471d005_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XsjcPG)IMG_2656 (https://flic.kr/p/XsjcPG) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
The left and right sides are put together by only attaching the lower outside rail and the upper inside rail for each side. The upper outside rail will be attached after all the inner support sections are attached. This allows full access to the areas which must be screwed together.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4349/36397402482_1aba456eb4_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XsjcG7)IMG_2664 (https://flic.kr/p/XsjcG7) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
After the two sides are standing, the upper and lower front rails are used to secure the sides together. Once this is done, the central support section can be assembled. Be sure the “horseshoe” is perfectly square.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4387/36397422232_8cab0df509_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XsjiyC)IMG_2665 (https://flic.kr/p/XsjiyC) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
When the bench frame is complete:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4332/36397399392_5a54231499_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XsjbLQ)IMG_2666 (https://flic.kr/p/XsjbLQ) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
The first decking board is placed. This board is flush with the back edge of the inner support rail. The overhang should be equal on each side rail. This is the critical decking board used as a guide for the rest of the top.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4363/36397402122_37aa1b42c3_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XsjczU)IMG_2669 (https://flic.kr/p/XsjczU) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
If everything is square, and this guide board properly placed, all other decking boards will lay up with even edges. Again, I adjusted the front and rear overhang dimensions to use full-width decking boards.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4393/36565851285_916a807d2d_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XHcxDP)IMG_2671 (https://flic.kr/p/XHcxDP) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
At GriffonSec’s range, I used a Bushnell range finder to measure 100 yards from the left side of the shooting lane, and drove a surveyor’s stake. I did the same thing from the right side of the shooting lane and ran a line from stake to stake.
As there is no permanent structure on the range, other than the berm, we decided to inlay concrete pavers to set the bench on. The bench is “relatively” easy to move using a hand truck. Do this from one of the sides only, I’m not sure the front overhang would support the weight.
I marked the center of each paver, and put the centerline of the front two pavers under the 100 yard string. Then, using the paver centers, the rear pavers were placed so that the center of each bench leg would center on each paver.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4417/36519376196_cd73066d02_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XD6meb)IMG_2675 (https://flic.kr/p/XD6meb) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
When not in use, the bench will be stored under roof in the pole barn.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4441/36519885866_0d93f5d152_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XD8XJA)IMG_2682 (https://flic.kr/p/XD8XJA) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
Also shown in the above photo is the 10x20 top we setup for the spring and fall shoots.
All-in-all a fun project that produced a nice bench.
Going slow, it took about a half day to cut all the lumber (measure twice – cut once), and about six hours to assemble it. Griff was at work, so a couple of guys could have gotten it done a little quicker.
The finished height is 32 inches, and the top’s main section is 33” deep by 51” wide. The left and right “extensions” are 16.5” deep by 11.5” wide each. This provides a 28” wide area between the two extensions for the shooter. Total area covered by the bench is 51” wide by 49.5” deep.
Thanks for taking time to read this, and I hope you found it informative. I will close with a nice panorama of the well-stocked lake at GriffonSec’s place.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4386/36519375746_59921d970c_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XD6m6q)IMG_2646 (https://flic.kr/p/XD6m6q) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
After using my portable shooter’s bench for several years, we decided GriffonSec needed a more stable platform for benchrest shooting at his range.
I did a Visio scale drawing, put together a parts list using Lowe’s part numbers and pricing, and wrote up fairly detailed assembly instructions. I put all of this into a PDF document and placed it in the “Manuals” download section in case someone else on WEVO wished to build a bench. Link shown below:
http://www.weaponevolution.com/forum/downloads.php?do=file&id=43
It only required ten boards and some bolts and screws. Total price was under $190. The most expensive piece was the twelve foot 6x6 used for the legs. Using one that long was actually cheaper, and had less scrap, than using two eight foot 6x6 posts. All lumber is pressure treated for exterior use.
I used what seems to be the NRA standard height of a finished thirty-two inches. The shape is a commonly seen horseshoe shape that allows three distinct shooting positions; left hand benchrest, right hand benchrest, and just sitting in the middle without using either of the rearward protruding supports. The size of the bench top was designed to use full-width decking boards – no ripping is required. All cuts are cross-cut. In the Visio drawing I used the lumber’s actual dimensions; e.g., a 2x6x8’ board is 1.5x5.5x96”.
First photo is the lumber:
(5) 2x6x8’ boards
(2) 5/4x6x8’ decking boards
(2) 5/4x/6/10’ decking boards
(1) 6x6x12’ post
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4339/36565850665_1893259cca_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XHcxt8)IMG_2643 (https://flic.kr/p/XHcxt8) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
The pieces to cut from each piece of lumber is shown in the PDF. I selected board lengths and cuts to minimize scrap.
When all the cuts are done, you will have a nice pile of parts ready to be put together.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4415/36565849575_2ec8faa0f1_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XHcx9k)IMG_2652 (https://flic.kr/p/XHcx9k) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4389/36397402922_51d471d005_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XsjcPG)IMG_2656 (https://flic.kr/p/XsjcPG) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
The left and right sides are put together by only attaching the lower outside rail and the upper inside rail for each side. The upper outside rail will be attached after all the inner support sections are attached. This allows full access to the areas which must be screwed together.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4349/36397402482_1aba456eb4_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XsjcG7)IMG_2664 (https://flic.kr/p/XsjcG7) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
After the two sides are standing, the upper and lower front rails are used to secure the sides together. Once this is done, the central support section can be assembled. Be sure the “horseshoe” is perfectly square.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4387/36397422232_8cab0df509_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XsjiyC)IMG_2665 (https://flic.kr/p/XsjiyC) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
When the bench frame is complete:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4332/36397399392_5a54231499_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XsjbLQ)IMG_2666 (https://flic.kr/p/XsjbLQ) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
The first decking board is placed. This board is flush with the back edge of the inner support rail. The overhang should be equal on each side rail. This is the critical decking board used as a guide for the rest of the top.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4363/36397402122_37aa1b42c3_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XsjczU)IMG_2669 (https://flic.kr/p/XsjczU) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
If everything is square, and this guide board properly placed, all other decking boards will lay up with even edges. Again, I adjusted the front and rear overhang dimensions to use full-width decking boards.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4393/36565851285_916a807d2d_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XHcxDP)IMG_2671 (https://flic.kr/p/XHcxDP) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
At GriffonSec’s range, I used a Bushnell range finder to measure 100 yards from the left side of the shooting lane, and drove a surveyor’s stake. I did the same thing from the right side of the shooting lane and ran a line from stake to stake.
As there is no permanent structure on the range, other than the berm, we decided to inlay concrete pavers to set the bench on. The bench is “relatively” easy to move using a hand truck. Do this from one of the sides only, I’m not sure the front overhang would support the weight.
I marked the center of each paver, and put the centerline of the front two pavers under the 100 yard string. Then, using the paver centers, the rear pavers were placed so that the center of each bench leg would center on each paver.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4417/36519376196_cd73066d02_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XD6meb)IMG_2675 (https://flic.kr/p/XD6meb) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
When not in use, the bench will be stored under roof in the pole barn.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4441/36519885866_0d93f5d152_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XD8XJA)IMG_2682 (https://flic.kr/p/XD8XJA) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr
Also shown in the above photo is the 10x20 top we setup for the spring and fall shoots.
All-in-all a fun project that produced a nice bench.
Going slow, it took about a half day to cut all the lumber (measure twice – cut once), and about six hours to assemble it. Griff was at work, so a couple of guys could have gotten it done a little quicker.
The finished height is 32 inches, and the top’s main section is 33” deep by 51” wide. The left and right “extensions” are 16.5” deep by 11.5” wide each. This provides a 28” wide area between the two extensions for the shooter. Total area covered by the bench is 51” wide by 49.5” deep.
Thanks for taking time to read this, and I hope you found it informative. I will close with a nice panorama of the well-stocked lake at GriffonSec’s place.
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4386/36519375746_59921d970c_o.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/XD6m6q)IMG_2646 (https://flic.kr/p/XD6m6q) by Jerry R (https://www.flickr.com/photos/9663868@N05/), on Flickr