Anyone know a place in Texas where I can buy concrete shooting tables? I have two that are coming apart and I would like to replace them. Any help would be appreciated. MUFASA

A friend of mind made some. He just built a concrete form out of plywood in the desired shape, but a bit of steel in it for reinforcement, mixed up some cement and poured it in. When done, he then build 3 legs out of cinder blocks, although sauna tubes could also be used. The result was very solid. However, I helped him lift those 400 pound concrete bench tops into place and that sucked.

GRRRRUNT!

There are nice plans for a concrete bench in the back of "Do-It-Yourself Gunsmithing" by Jim Carmichel. I've been tempted to build one like it myself. I don't think this book is in print anymore, but you might find it at a library or used book store.

If you have a place to set it up and have alreadly made a couple of wooden shooting benches you probably have the skill to make your own from concrete. I make mine and strongly reccommend it. I prefer a 4 ft wide top with a central "U" cut-out for the shooter but a "T" shape is somewhat easier to make a form for. General process is as follows:

I cut an old salvaged sheet of plywood, 3/4" is ideal, to the size and shape I want for a mold/form bottom. I then place that piece on the floor of my utility trailer which give a good working platform as well as easy transportation to the range later. A few screws tru the plywood and into the trailer bed secures the form for safe transport later.

I screw some cheap wood 1x4 side boards to the form edges using 2" "dry wall" type screws. Using 3/4" ply provides a form just under 3" deep and that's plenty thick.

I will coat the finished form's interior with a release agent. Used motor oil is fine but a quart of cheap new stuff oil doesn't cost much and it's cleaner. Then I thoughtfully spread a good bit of 1/2" rebar steel and/or scrap fencing, clothes hangers, etc. in it for reinforcement - you can't have too much of that! As the concete goes in, it is good to "tamp" the wet concrete around the reinforcing material as it is poured. And tamp the form sides pretty hard too, to release trapped air bubbles.

As mentioned, I build my forms on the bed of a utility trailer. This way I can build the form at home, mix the "sack-concret", pour it and trowel it smooth, then keep it safely moistened and plastic tarp covered for a week or two while it cures.

It's important to keep "green" concrete damp, lightly water sprayed daily for maximum end strength as it cures. I cover mine with a plastic tarp to hold the moisture in; a new concrete surface should not be allowed to dry while it's curing! And a green top shouldn't be jostled or moved at all for at least six or seven days to prevent breaking the fragile mass!

But, as soon as the concrete gets really firm, maybe three hours or so after it sets, we may remove the form's sides where body contact will be while shooting and soften that corner. Using a stone or brick, rub the top edge enough to make it a bit rounded over instead of sharply square.

Making the top one week end and towing to the range the next is ok but two weeks of stable, damp curing is better.

Lowe's has two grades of concrete mix, I use the cheaper. I mix mine in the cheap black plastic mixing tubs Lowes also carries but a wheel barrow will work too. I usually need 5 or 6 fourty pound bags for a top but have learned that an extra bag or two is cheap insurance for having enough mix and an extra bag for setting post legs is good practice.

I usually install my shooting bench's legs at the range while the top is curing at home. For my legs I use sections of old creosoted power poles I've salvaged but pressure treated 6"x6" timbers are easier to find. Concrete block legs may be even better.

For my poles, I post-hole dig the holes three or more feet deep, then pour in a gallon or so of dry concrete mix (it will harden by itself) to provide an easy to make but firm, non-settleing "foundation" for the leg posts. Then the legs are set in place and a few inches of earth is fimly packed around them to provide support while the legs are aligned, connected and cut to length. The leg tops need not be in perfectly square alignment but they do need to be apporximately squared and chainsawed off fairly level so the finished top will be well supported and as true as possible.

I use 3/8 x 4 inch lag screws to connect 2x6 pressure treated cross pieces between the leg sides, just flush their tops. The cross boards make things a bit more more rigid and also adds extra support for the top in case some really fat boy sits on it! After the posts are all connected and cut to height, the rest of the fill dirt is packed completely around the legs.

At the range, most of my tops really need four men to lift then off the trailer and set upon the legs. I just unscrew the last form sides, slide the top back and we can lift it up.

But, before even moving the top, I "butter" a thick layer of fresh mortar mix on each leg and over the connecting cross pieces. The soft mortar will act as epoxy bedding does for a rifle, squeezing over each wood piece to make perfect contact with the top.

It is not necessary to actually attach the top to the legs, weight alone will keep it in place.

A small concrete "foot" pad is a great addition to a shooting bench. A wooden deck first seemed ok but mine tranfered viberation when anyone stepped on it! Concrete floors don't move.

For a shooting stool, I usually sit on an inverted 5 gal. plastic paint bucket, the one I use to store my targets, pasters, stapler, muffs, sand bags, rests and a plastic foam "butt pad" in! It's cheap, convienent and good for transportaton of needed gear!

I have found it nice to have a strudy table, at least 3x6 feet or so, for cleaning, mounting scopes, range reloading, etc.

I have also made a 15 gun rack from treated lumber for the range, it's a bit rough but it's sturdy!

Then I evenatually added a rough "park bench" for the gallery, now I need to make a couple more for busy days of sighting in. My little range is mine, private, but I do get some traffic at times!

So, why not build everything yourself and make every thing exactly the way YOU want it? It's pretty easy and at today's gas prices my bench probably costs less than driving a truck any distance to pick up something premade and less suitable!

BUT, on the other hand, as Jeff implies below, a man's got to know his limits so if using a level is a challange, don't try this!

That's if you REALLY want to have a non portable potentially un-level shooting bench...Otherwise go by the Mexican Yard ornament guy's place in your town and buy one of those 1 ton concrete tables that you have seen sitting there everytime you drive by...you know, the one next to Guadelupe, the Donkey and the little guy wearing the sombrero...

...NO BS, these things come in 3 pieces, 2 bases and the top, weigh in excess of 300 pounds, can be perfectly leveled and are simply great for shooting from....Rock-solid!

Screw-up on leveling that construction project you are about to embark upon and you'll wish you heeded my advice...

...we use the rectangular ones, 72" x 40" top.

JW

Wood benches all the way...
Front rests stay put with the pins dug into the wood. Concrete you need a rug cover to protect the rifle and the pins don't stick in right.
My .50 cents..

Don

If I wanted one, I would dig down to hard pan, frame up the forms and paint the inside with oil.
Then I would mix up "redi-mix" bags from the lumberyard with water in a wheel barrow. I would shovel the mud into the forms. I would trowel off level on top. I would wash the wheel barrow and shovel off clean. A few hours later I would trowel off again when it is semi hard. Two days later I would strip the forms.

Extra credit for making the legs with Sono tubes and connecting to the table with re enforcing steel.

Mufasa if you find one what are you going to do with your old ones? Wes