Anyone build their own shooting bench rest?

[Jon Grider]

Since retirement, I've re-discovered the pleasures of target shooting with the trusty 10/22. Bought a new scope for it and am considering a new hunting rifle. I don't want to spend $$ on a "lead sled" bench rest for sighting in my scope and I am not too thrilled with the interweb search results for DIY sighting sleds, so has anyone used their WWing skills to build a sighting sled? Anyone care to share links to nice wooden homemade sleds? Not too interested in the "bag" type rests but would like to see well thought out, well made and adjustable wooden rests.

[Jim Dwight]

Jon,

I do not have pictures at this moment but will take some if you want them. I built my own portable shooting bench and my own front rest that is adjustable for windage and elevation. I do not really use the windage part, however. The bench is a scrap of 3/4 plywood about 2x4 feet that narrows where you sit. It has legs of 3/4 galvanized iron pipe screwed into pipe flanges that sit on pieces of 2x4 that angle them out at about 15 degrees. Two legs in front and one out back. The legs screw out of the pipe flanges and snap onto the bottom of the top piece into short sections of PVC pipe screwed to the underside of the top. Easy then to throw in the back of the pickup.

The front rest is made of a block of maple for the center which is cut eight sided and has three maple "legs" with leveling screws in the end. In the center of the block is a hole for a piece of large all thread, I think I used 1 inch but it might be 3/4. I threaded 1/4 inch bolts into a big nut that fits the all thread so I can adjust the rest up and down. A normal leather bag goes on top. I use a normal leather rear bag in a little wooden box that lets me shim it up or down as necessary for the gun I'm shooting. I'm mostly messing with my PCPs at the moment.

Jim

[Tom M King]

I built one, years ago, for my Son, who got the plans online. Sorry, don't remember the details enough to matter, but he still uses it. There should be plenty of free plans online.

[Greg Hines, MD]

Lots of people I have shot with use either wood, metal, or plastic benches, if it needs to be portable. The best outdoor range I ever shot at is north of Phoenix, and their benches are solid concrete, and they are, naturally, rock solid.

Doc

[Jon Grider]

Thanks for the input guys. I think I'll design my own with the features I desire using the commercial units as inspiration.

[Alex Zeller]

Thanks for the input guys. I think I'll design my own with the features I desire using the commercial units as inspiration.

That's basically what I did. I also kept an eye on the cut off bin at Home Depot looking for pressure treated wood. I was able to get some landscaping timbers for very cheap. Since a bench is small any twists were easily worked around. With wood prices the way they are today I can only guess what a bench would cost. If it's not going to be portable then the legs should be made out of wood rated for ground contact.

[Don Coffman]

I have a bench I found plans for many years ago in an old shooting book. I have built many of these over the years and finally after a few requests copied them into a pdf file. You can see it is on skids so moving is easy. The seat I have elevated more than the plan due to being taller than average. I'll hesitate to publish openly in the event it violates copyright law. don

461620

[Ed Mitchell]

Don's design above is what we have at our local shooting range, except that there are also a few which are the mirror image (seat and cut-out on the other side) for lefties.

[George Yetka]

I have done a decent amount of scope sighting. I start with a level scope in properly torqued rings. After that I have never used a sled. I usually have a decent bipod a Harris 6-9 is plenty good. and a rear bag($20) Or you can take a GI sock and fill it 1/3 with unpopped corn and sew it shut so its pretty hard but not too hard.
Lean into the bipod a bit and with your left hand squeeze that sock under the stock with your left hand breath right and shoot.

i uually start at 50 till its on paper and move to 100 for zero for calibers under 300 win mag. with 22 you may start at 25 and move to a 50yd 0.

As for a bench anything that doesn't rock will be good.

[Jon Grider]

Thanks all for the replies. My post probably was not clear , I am looking for the fixture(rest) that sits on a bench to sight my rifle scope. George knew what I was looking for. I like the simplicity of the bipod and rear bag, but I'm trying to avoid shelling out 100 bucks for something to sight a rifle in albeit the bipod is multifunctional. The DNR range I use is free and has nice benches to sit and roofing to shade the sun and protect from precipitation. I'll post pics of the sled I come up with when I'm done. Thanks George for the sighting tips. I will use them.

[Jack Frederick]

Jon, I think you could knock together a light weight fixture using a 30” or so length of Unistrut. Spring nut with 3/8” all thread up to a 1/2 of a split ring hanger, say 2-3”. That is your cradle that you can set any softener to cradle the fore end. For a Rimfire that should be sufficient. For stability laterally yu may want a cross piece. The rest of the unistrut is run back under the butt stock. You can use any bean bag you like there to support. I had an old leather shot bag for fabricating body panels that was terrific for this, but it didn’t make the move west. Make usre you do this economically as you will want to dedicate your pennies to a CZ 457. My 10/22 is a shooter but it can’t touch the CZ. Not much help am !? Actually, a thought. Being a woodworker yu would make a tapered piece to match the angle of the bottom of the butt stock that could slide in the unistrut to give support and level the rifle.

[Jack Frederick]

Something like this. The bean bags are from my corn-hole game. I had the 3” copper split ring. Might use 2” depending upon forend width

[Jon Grider]

I like your ideas Jack, that looks like a very practical and functional rest. The CZ is beautiful but then so is my wife. CZ or wife, CZ or wife. I think I'll keep my wife.

[Jack Frederick]

Understood, John. That is why you buy the CZ for her. About 40 yrs ago I tried this with a pool cue for her birthday. Those things hurt like h***. Quite possible this is not helping. Happy wife, happy life. Best wishes, John!

[Jim Dwight]

I took some photos a day or two ago which I will share. Two show the overall setup at a couple different angles, one shows the bench upside down to show how the legs attach and the plastic PVC clips the legs snap into for transport, and one shows the underside of the front rest. The all thread is 3/4.

[Andy D Jones]

The club I belong to provides simple front rests at most benches. They are made of a stack of 2x4's ~15", 10" and 5" long, giving you three different height ledges to rest the fore end upon. There's additional 15" 2x4's underneath for more elevation, but I don't recall how many (maybe just one, since they are also used for pistol rests)

With crosswise 2x4 feet under each end for stability, and old carpet on the ledges, it is simple but solid and effective with a rear bag. You could add a broad V notch in the top of each ledge to cradle the fore end a little.

I was taught to use the rear bag to fine-tune the aim point, so nothing better than gross elevation steps is fine with me.

-- Andy - Arlington TX