COVID - 19 Shooting Bench Project

[wildcat junkie]

Since I am "sheltering i place", I have started doing some projects that I have had on the back burner.

 

I started this project last October when a young man that I look at as my adopted son gave me some 4 X 4s and used deck boards from the deck he was demolishing. He also gave me almost all of the fasteners required and he has a gallon of cedar colored oil based penetrating stain for me. I will wait until warmer, dryer weather to stain the project.

 

 Most of the deck boards and 4 X 4s were cut back in October when depression over my 33 year marriage ending in divorce caused a lack of motivation to do much of anything.

 

The only items I needed to purchase for the bench at this time where  some hardware items for the seat, an 8' 2 X 10 and an 8' 2 X 4. I also purchased 4 ea 6" Timberlok Screws, three 8' landscape timbers and 2 bags of wood mulch for the base. I already had 1 bag of mulch and a 100' x 4' roll of landscape fabric.

I started the project in my kitchen, later moving to the deck.

 

The 2 X 10 seats are pivoted at the front on a 3/8" X 4" lag bolt. I fashioned a stop out of a 3/8" X 2" carriage bolt, a washer and a 3/8"coupling nut. It stops against a wood block glued and screwed the the farme under the seat.The seats pivot to allow a comfortable shooting position for shooters of different body types. The deck is 36" above the base and the seats are 18". This allows a rather upright shooting position that makes it easier to attain a skeletal support hold.

 

Then, I sunk and leveled a 42" X 84" frame made with landscape timbers. placed a triple layer of landscape fabric under the frame and filled the center level with the top of the frame with compacted wood mulch. 

 

The bench was then set on top of the frame and tagged down with some 3" deck screws.

 

All set up and ready to go.

 

I shot this image through the Leupold VXi 3 4 1/2 X 10 scope on 10 X

The vertical crosshair is centered on the 200 yard stake and you can see the 100 yard stake in the low spot with the 50 yard and 25 yard stakes in the foreground.

 

All totaled I have about $75 in this project. If I had to buy everything new I would have 3-4 times that in it.

Edited April 9, 2020 by wildcat junkie

[johnplav]

Looks great!

[Marion]

Damn that is a sweet setup!

Call Me The Teflon Don

[Steuben Jerry]

That's an awesome setup!

[The_Real_TCIII]

Looks great and Im glad to see youre doing well!

[wildcat junkie]

10 minutes ago, The_Real_TCIII said:

Looks great and Im glad to see youre doing well!

It has been hard to understand how an incredible romance that lasted  25 years went to hell in 6 months then languished for 7 years, ultimately ending in divorce..

 

I'm at the acceptance stage of grieving now.

Edited April 9, 2020 by wildcat junkie

[wildcat junkie]

I have 2 pieces of 4 x 4 that are 26" long. I'm going to design and make a movable target stand to set at whatever yardage I plan to shoot. The weight of the 4 X 4s should make it stable in any wind conditions I am likely to be shooting under

 

Probably build it tomorrow.

Edited April 9, 2020 by wildcat junkie

[wildcat junkie]

On 4/9/2020 at 1:57 PM, wildcat junkie said:

I have 2 pieces of 4 x 4 that are 26" long. I'm going to design and make a movable target stand to set at whatever yardage I plan to shoot. The weight of the 4 X 4s should make it stable in any wind conditions I am likely to be shooting under

 

Probably build it tomorrow.

[Pygmy]

On 4/9/2020 at 1:52 PM, wildcat junkie said:

It has been hard to understand how an incredible romance that lasted  25 years went to hell in 6 months then languished for 7 years, ultimately ending in divorce..

 

I'm at the acceptance stage of grieving now.

Been there, My Friend.....Sorry... Mine ended after 35 years...That was 14 years ago  and I am much better now, but there are some things that you never really get over...

[wildcat junkie]

Since I want to be able to leave my target stand at the shooting bench and there is no shelter, I wanted to be able to R&R the cardboard without having to use any tools.

 

The cardboard is secured with some stout spring clamps at the top. I am contemplating making some sort of hinged affair at the top to better distribute the clamping force across the cardboard.

 

I used my table saw ro cut a rabbet groove at the bottom.. I got lucky and the gap is just right to securely grip the cardboard yet allow easy enough insertion