Shooting bench cheap upgrade and update.

[MCMXI]

I can't believe how the time flies but it's been over 2-1/2 years since I built a steel shooting bench to use at my house. I still haven't painted it but I did make a significant upgrade this morning that I thought I'd share. The original thread is HERE.

Here's the bench (see below) that I made back in October of 2014. It's been a great bench but the steel top feels cold in the summer and really cold in the winter. The bench is now in a separate room attached to the garage but there's no heat out there and I shoot all year round. A couple of weeks ago I bought a thick rubber mat for $35 that's intended for horse stalls. I wanted a piece of thick rubber mat for the back of my Jeep TJ for the dogs, noise reduction and insulation since there are no rear seats and no carpet. Once I'd cut the piece for the Jeep it occurred to me to use the left over piece to cover the shooting bench. I even had enough left over to make a few pads for use under bags etc. Overall it's a really nice, cheap upgrade. My shooting rest doesn't slide around, shooting bags don't slide around, the rubber is easy on firearms and optics as well as brass, and the bench top is no longer cold and hard! I should have done this two and a half years ago!!!

 

[hdwhit]

Looks very professional.

Now tell us where you got a rubber mat of that quality for $35.

 

[GBExpat]

The bench is now in a separate room attached to the garage but there's no heat out there and I shoot all year round.

Space Heater ...

 

[Acera]

Looks very professional.

Now tell us where you got a rubber mat of that quality for $35.

Most farm and ranch stores will have a 4x6x3/4 rubber stall mat for around that price. Tractor Supply and most other places that sell farm supplies will have them.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/rubber-mat-black-4-ft-x-6-ft?cm_vc=-10005

Pretty sure D&L Farm and Home in McKinney will have them for $<40.


I like the set up you got there 1911.


.

 

[MCMXI]

Looks very professional. Now tell us where you got a rubber mat of that quality for $35.

Thanks! As Acera mentioned, farm supply places have them. I bought it at Murdochs.

 

[wally]

Those stall mats are a great material for the price, we covered the floor of our patio that faces the pool with them -- comfortable and non-slip even with wet feet. Virtually indestructible if you don't mind some stains that develop over time. Much better than the "Astroturf" carpet that came with the house originally.

 

[Walkalong]

I should have done this two and a half years ago!!!

Isn't it that way with lots of things.

Looks great! Wish I could stretch out a shot like that at my place.

 

[RugerOldArmy]

Nice place to shoot, and a good idea.

 

[MCMXI]

Those stall mats are a great material for the price

The one I bought is made in Canada and I'm fairly sure that it's made from recycled tires. When I was cutting it I would occasionally hit something metallic, not often but maybe three times in probably 10 to 12 feet of cutting.

Looks great! Wish I could stretch out a shot like that at my place.

I have steel targets at 50 yards, 100 yards, 400 yards, 700 yards and 1,050 yards which are all visible (and shootable) from the bench. I plan on adding another couple of targets at 800 and 900 yards this summer.

Nice place to shoot, and a good idea

Thanks. Having a shooting bench and range just outside my back door is something that I don't take for granted.

 

[Tirod]

As cheap as that is we could make one for those concrete benches at the public range. Even at 55 degrees they aren't warm.

We're doing a basement remodel I'm going to suggest it for floor covering to my wife. Water has been a continuing issue. : )

 

[Gtscotty]

That looks like a very nice table setup. What an awesome range, I'd have to ask the backyard neighbor to open up a couple doors to get past 100 yds where I am!

 

[MCMXI]

I'd have to ask the backyard neighbor to open up a couple doors to get past 100 yds where I am!

It's worth asking! I had a house on 3-1/4 acres in Arkansas and put together a 100 yard range off the back deck and was seriously thinking about shooting through the house to get a 200 yard range. For the record, I lived alone with the exception of two dogs and would never endanger them but I moved to Montana before that ever happened.

Tirod, here's a link to the mat that I bought from Murdochs. That mat is HEAVY! I think I'll buy more mats for the floor in my workshop.

http://www.murdochs.com/shop/qualit...se-stall-mat-punter-top-with-wide-rib-bottom/

In case anyone does buy a similar mat and needs to cut it, I used a circular saw to cut the piece for the Jeep by placing a 2x4 under the mat beneath the cut line with the mat laying on the grass. It's a very heavy and awkward mat to cut unless it's well supported. I used a jig saw with an aggressive wood blade to trim the mat for the bench and that was much easier than expected resulting in a nice cut with minimal effort. I used a table saw to cut the small pads from the offcut pieces. Friction on the blade is the big concern, particularly with the circular saw and table saw, so the blade needs to be adjusted to minimize friction. I never tried this but oil on the blade might help to reduce friction.

 

[dh1633pm]

I didn't have the right windows to shoot directly through the house, so I just made my own . Actually I shoot out my dad's basement which has an overhead door. Very practical. Your rubber mat idea was excellent!

 

[Walkalong]

I can only dream of wide open spaces. With my terrain, it's hard to get a long shot. I enjoy shooting my pistols a lot, and have set up some steel at 17, 53, 75, and 108 yards. I also shoot rifles at steel at 108 yards. I have a target stand for when I want to shoot paper at 100 even.

 

[JimKirk]

Touch bar soap to a blade cutting rubber .... Makes cutting much easier....

 

[hdwhit]

Acera and MCMXI: Thank you. The city I live in used to be in the center of a lot of farming and ranching, but the sprawl of Dallas overtook us and everything gentrified, so like Acera mentioned, the nearest farm and ranch store is now in the county seat.

Jim Kirk: Thank you for that hint.

 

[MCMXI]

Touch bar soap to a blade cutting rubber .... Makes cutting much easier....

Now you tell me.... but at least it might help others. It wasn't too bad cutting the mat without soap or oil on the blade but I'll definitely try your suggestion if I need to cut more mats.

I enjoy shooting my pistols a lot, and have set up some steel at 17, 53, 75, and 108 yards. I also shoot rifles at steel at 108 yards. I have a target stand for when I want to shoot paper at 100 even.

Walkalong, that sounds like a great set up but I have to wonder if the combination to your gun safe is 17, 53, 75.

 

[Nature Boy]

I have steel targets at 50 yards, 100 yards, 400 yards, 700 yards and 1,050 yards which are all visible (and shootable) from the bench. I plan on adding another couple of targets at 800 and 900 yards this summer.

I hate you

 

[Walkalong]

I have to wonder if the combination to your gun safe is 17, 53, 75.

lol, nope.

I hate you

I'm jealous for sure, but hey, I like what I do have.

The closest steel target folds down to paint or change.

 

[Walkalong]

MCMXI has skills, that bench is serious stuff. He's a super nice fellow on top of that. I am happy he has such a nice set up.

 

[MCMXI]

Walkalong, that's an AWESOME set up you have there!! It reminds me a bit of hickok45's range and you might even have a deer step out in front of a target!

I'm sure you realize that Nature Boy is joking. He's a good lad who now has a custom rifle that many would be proud to own. I hate him!!

Talking of shooting benches, I still think that one of the best benches I've ever seen is the one shown by dubbleA in my original thread. I went with the three legged approach figuring that it would be more forgiving in the event that the floor wasn't flat or my cutting & welding abilities weren't up to the task. My seat is an old military ammo container that someone gave me, not as cool as dubblaA's. Another advantage of the thick rubber mat that I've noticed is that it really dampens the sound that I used to hear and feel from the steel bench. As I mentioned before, the mat is really heavy and dense and so it adds weight but also absorbs energy ... a win/win as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Nature Boy]

Of course I kid. Both you and walkalong have awesome setups

One of these days....

 

[Walkalong]

From a camera in the bottom of that natural drain about 100 yards diagonally (To the right) from the shooting bench. All kinds of critters travel through there. A fellow down the road a bit bagged that buck this year. A friend showed me the pic of him and the buck, and I told him, I've got pics of that deer.

I still think that one of the best benches I've ever seen is the one shown by dubbleA in my original thread.

Yep, he has a cool setup.