Shooting deck

[Walkalong]

Finally got started on a shooting deck three weekends ago. I got 99% finished with it today. The three posts holding the table top for shooting off of is not connected to the deck anywhere. I put a lot of cross pieces under the deck and lots of 4X4 posts supporting them. It's pretty solid. I am happy with it. The front 2X6 is only a couple inches out of the dirt which will make it easy for my FIL to step onto it. In the second pic you can see a 16" 1/2 steel plate hanging there at about 105 yards. I have a target frame that takes 2X2 pieces of wood for stapling cardboard and paper targets at 100.

 

[CopperFouling]

Looks great. I sure wish my back yard had that kind of room.

 

[Walkalong]

Well, I was 58 before I was able to acquire a nice "back yard". A year and a half later I finally built the deck.

 

[ericuda]

Nice, It is good to have some shade to help with the heat. Looks like you have some chainsaw work ahead of you.

 

[horsemen61]

Very nice walkalong!!!!!

 

[Panzerschwein]

SICK!!!

How convenient! Are you going to make some slots to hold some rifles/shotguns? What are you going to finish the deck with?

 

[gspn]

Nice. Are you going to paint it or seal it?

 

[Jim Watson]

As FLG says, doesn't anybody put angle braces on legs around here?

 

[jmorris]

doesn't anybody put angle braces on legs around here?

I do.



But if you pick the right materials you don't need them.

 

[huntsman]

very cool, I too am blessed with a backyard "range" but I'm not a rifle guy so we're only 50 yards max for handgun/shotgun.

 

[bannockburn]

Walkalong

Very nice deck! Think maybe you'll put a roof on it eventually?

 

[blarby]

Very nice deck.

Now it just needs a little covered section for a single stage

 

[sydisticpixi]

Well done. Looks like it could double as a good stand for sporting clays. Only problem I see is the possibility of brass flying off the stand and rolling down the hill. Not a problem if your not shooting automatics though.

 

[Walkalong]

doesn't anybody put angle braces on legs around here?

lol, nope, didn't think it needed any. It's fairly stout. If the legs were free standing, yes. Besides the outer 2X6s, there are four more side to side with cross braces between them. Plus there are six more 4X4 posts under the deck that you can't see. Eight of them around the perimeter. The shelf would hold my weight easily, but it's only a shelf. I tied the three posts for the tabletop together to help sturdy it up. It's pretty solid,not rock solid, but it doesn't need to be. The posts for it do not touch any part of the deck. All the 4X4s are in concrete.

Hadn't really thought about covering it, but I could. I started simple and am happy with it.

I'll treat it with something like Thompson's etc. It needs to dry a bit first.

 

[jmorris]

I like it but it looks like your going to be trimming trees even more than I have to. We have a tree line about 85 yards out with open fields on either side.



Has been nice over the years to either move the bench or targets side to side vs getting up in the front end loader bucket to trim trees.

 

[egd]

Take it from a painter. Use something better than plain old Thompson's water seal. Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore both have good products that will last a long time. You spent a lot of time and money building it, spend a few bucks more to protect it.

 

[Reloadron]

Really sweet there Walkalong.

Ron

 

[200Apples]

.
Walk, you're living the dream.

Pretty soon I hope to see some sort of partial roof, like Blarby noted, and a press. Oh, and a Coleman 500 Speedmaster single-burner white-gas stove for coffee.

You'll be givin' Hickok45 a run for his money.

Hahaha...

 

[Bula]

Looks awesome.

 

[gbran]

Walkalong

Ditto on the kudo's. Any plans for a roof?

 

[243winxb]

Nice job. Are you going to use a portable stool? One that is height adjustable? Family and friends will be coming over to shoot, i bet.

 

[Walkalong]

Take it from a painter. Use something better than plain old Thompson's water seal. Sherwin Williams or Benjamin Moore both have good products that will last a long time. You spent a lot of time and money building it, spend a few bucks more to protect it.

Have a link?

 

[Walkalong]

Thanks guys.

No plans for a roof any time soon. Never really though about it. Yes, I have a couple of different adjustable shooting stools.

 

[Walkalong]

it looks like your going to be trimming trees

I had to cut down a couple of small but tall tress, and had to trim dome other branches from large trees. It's bout 40 feet down to a natural drain and then again back up to the target area. No way to get a bucket down there, so the trimming has been done with a shotgun and rifle.

I can drive my FJ and trailer (Not down through the bottom) to just above the target area and have piled clay up behind it, despite the additional 30 feet or so rise in elevation, covered in tress.

You either walk down and up straight to the target, or ride a four wheeler around to it. Actually you can make it straight to it on a good four wheeler, but the road is easier.

But yes, I'll be trimming as the trees try to fill in the daylight.

 

[talldragon]

Very nice.
OP will be enjoying this for years to come