Plastic table to shoot off of that I can leave outdoors

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nyrifleman

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I have a shooting range on my property. Well, I have a backstop and marked distances from the backstop. One of the things that would make this "shooting range" a lot more convenient is if there was a table on which to set equipment / shoot from. I was thinking of getting one of those plastic top folding tables:
http://www.staples.com/Office-Star-WorkSmart-4-Resin-Multi-Purpose-Table-Light-Gray/product_126447

They're heavy duty and the plastic top should be impervious to weather... but now I don't know about the metal legs. It seems like those would be a weak point for rust.

So what do y'all use in a similar situation?
 
Sure, the legs will rust eventually. Put it up on four bricks to keep it off the ground and that will be further delayed. Avoid scratching up the powder coat and it will last even that much longer before needing some rattle can TLC.

That plastic top will not be impervious to UV rays. If you were in AZ rather than NY I'd bet the legs would outlast the top.

All in all though I'd bet that table would serve you just fine as long as you're not looking for a truly stable shooting bench type of platform.
 
I have a similar table and while they are sturdy if I were to use it for shooting I would reinforce the legs. As to metal and weather? Paint the heck out of them. The one I have here is 6' long.

Option 2 would be build a good solid wood table using pressure treated lumber. After a year coat the heck out of it with stain/oil/sealant.

Ron
 
No matter what (including concrete) will eventually be had by the sun's constant radiation. When I helped developed a shooting facility, we constructed a very nice area to shoot from by using a modified horse shelter (15x45') constructed entirely of steel. Placed over an elevated concrete platform, it has lasted a long time and can be used in any kind of weather.
 
Just build one out of treated deck lumber. It'll last for many, many years, it'll be far more sturdy, and you can build it however you want. If I had my own range, I could go crazy building a shooting bench! I'd probably build a pole-type cattle shed too, for wind and rain protection.
 
I have had good luck with a caldwell stable table

http://www.amazon.com/Caldwell-252552-Stable-Table/dp/B00162PRPY

They are not cheap though, and honestly....I'm not sure how stable it would be on any uneven ground. I have it on decking and its pretty stable, but not rock stable. It still jiggles around some if you shift your weight.
I do have it outdoors under an awning, and for the last year it has held up remarkable well. The legs are powdercoated and have not shown a spec of rust yet, and I live in a very wet area.
 
Use Cypress lumber and don't look back. It will outlast you.
 
buy cheap because the plastic will get beat down by the sun and become brittle....cracking and so forth..... no way around it.
 
Ain't nothing worse than a flimsy hollow sounding ill shaped platform to shoot off of. Build a proper shaped bench out of treated lumber.
 
+ 1000!

Either build a perminant bench out of treated deck lumber, with 4" x 4" deck posts set in the ground.

Or build a portable bench you can take to the range, and take back home to store out of the weather.

A four leg table will not set level on almost any natural ground and will be unstable.

A three leg portable bench will be stable on any ground.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=6978790&postcount=3

rc
 
Nice design on the table. You measured the cast iron legs to fit your sitting height, right?
I would suggest a Lifetime chair from Sam's ($19.95) as I tend to drive smaller feet into the ground. :)
 
My God! RC! Is that you in the photo?

I've been on this site for how many years, and this is the first time I can put a face to the name. It's funny how we become our disembodied words on these websites, and how a random photo can shock us into remembering there are people behind the posts.

As for the OP, don't waste your time with anything unstable unless you plan to just use it to put the rifle case and ammo box on. Shooting off anything that isn't either 3-legged, placed on a level concrete pad, or built into the ground is going to drive you batty. You could also pour a mini foundation, build up a center column or three legs with concrete blocks, and do a concrete top on it. I guess it depends if you are better at masonry or carpentry.

I'm too lazy for any of that. I'd just lay down a bunch of pea gravel over some weed-proof mesh and shoot prone.

-J.
 
Personally, I think it would work just fine.

It won't last forever, but you can always paint the top with a UV resistant paint, and it will be stable if you press the legs into the ground if it is uneven.

The only real problem is with the shape. There is a reason must commercial or home made shooting benches are not square. See rcmodel's photos for the reason.

I have shot off small square tables, and the main problem is the sturdiness of the rest, not the stability of the feet due to uneven ground. If you plan to leave the table in place, it would be very easy to level the table by digging down where the feet touch the ground until they are level on solid ground.
For years I used an old picnic table my brother built in high school shop class.
 
I have a plastic pic-nic style table that I bought at Menards about 4 years ago to use as a shooting bench. It has sat on my land outside in the open since the day I bought it. It still looks almost new aside from a few minor scratches and such from dragging it back and forth. I think I spent $75.00 on it. I would not hesitate to buy another one.
 
nyrifleman said:
I was thinking of getting one of those plastic top folding tables:
Click to expand...

Do not forget to protect the table from the wind.

I built a bench with treated lumber five or six years ago and it is still holding up but will need replacement soon. The carpenter bees have been doing their stuff.

I'd vote for one built from treated lumber or a portable bench such as rcmodel's.
 
This is what we build at my range:
IMG_0284.gif

Heavily constructed 3-legged PT bench with heavy duty plastic covered top that wipes dry with a paper towel. They last for years through blizzards and hurricanes, 10° to 95°.

Tinpig
 
I think the OP was wanting something cheap, easy to setup, and leave in place.

While the pictures and descriptions of large heavy and permanent shooting benches are all very nice, (and have given me some good ideas) they really aren't what he wanted to know.

Nor was he looking for a portable table, to be set up and removed. I suspect he may have problems regularly transporting such.

The problem with folding tables is that they are unsteady, not due to uneven ground, (easily fixed) but due to wobbly legs. I once tried a heavy built folding card table, not anywhere steady enough!

I don't have personal experience with the table he mentioned, but if it is sturdy enough that it doesn't wobble, it should do fine.

cfullgraf had an excellent point about the wind. If it is in a wind protected area, that may not be a problem. If it is not, a couple of ground anchors or tie-down stakes and some rope may suffice.
 
My option on the farm is just a pair of sawhorses and a plank... can turn them if you need more support, or spread them out for thinner rests for multiple shooters. (versatility!)

My problem with plastic surfaces.

I was firing the cannons a while back (don't get excited, desktop size ones) . and where we were loading the charges, (away from the firing area), a small sprinkle of Pyrodex had eaten into the plastic table.

Haven't left my powder-hopper full on the press for similar reasons.

It also occurs to me, as I sit here... it's probably not TOO hard to pick melted plastic off of a particularly hot gun once it cools, but much harder to put that plastic back onto the table afterwards.
 
I agree with some others..Lifetime table is good choice...my brother was a designer for them once but that is irrelevant
 
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