Anyone out there have plans for constructing a benchrest to be used in the standing position for activities such as regulating doubles or load development for doubles? I am going to build one, but wanted to check and see if I could get a head start with some plans or pics of what others use. Such a bench would help take the sting out of shooting the 470 for load development and testing.

This post does not answer your question.

However, the recoil of a .470 is not bad, and if you fold up a hand towel and place it between the gun butt and your shoulder, I am sure you can shoot the gun well from a sitting position.

This may sound stupid but get yourself a 6 foot step ladder and wrap a towel around the step to shoot off of. Kind of a low cost shooting rest!

Here is my standing rest. I shoot off the back corner of my truck on the way to work - 4 quick rounds take about 5 minutes to set up and be back on the road.

I place my left hand on the bag and the height of the truck bed is just right.

I shoot against a mound of dirt in this powerline clearing that a bunch of dirt bikers piled up for a jumping ramp.

Man, you just gotta love a guy who takes his double rifle to work with him!

Here is a description of a standing bench I use provided to a fellow looking to build one. I took a few photos but it was too dark and they aren't good. Plus it was too cold to do good photo work.

I will be visiting the gunsmith in a bit, but I did find out that a feloow makes these and sells them, I would be happy to chase the name and number down if you like

"The standing bench I use is my gunsmith's and it is adjustable from sitting height to standing height.

The bench features a thick and heavy laminated wood top that is about three or four feet in fore to aft length and three or four feet wide with curved cutouts to accomodate both left and right handed shooters.

The bench features three heavy steel pipe legs, one under each forward corner and one under the center rear mounted under the peninsula of top left between the curved cutouts.

The legs are either 2" or 2 1/2" steel pipe mounted in welded on flanges screwed or carriage bolted to the top. The legs angle outward from the top, like a tripod.

Within these legs, which provide about a low sitting height minus maybe an inch by themselves, slides the next smaller diameter steel pipe which will fit into the mounted legs.

The legs mounted to the top each feature a welded on fitting which holds a bolt which can be screwed into non threaded, larger than bolt diameter holes drilled or torch cut into the lower legs at about 2" intervals for maybe 8" of their length and located to give from an inch or so lift to the mounted upper legs up to 9" or so of lift overall for adjusting height for use as a sitting bench.

The lower legs are long enough and the bolt fitting low enough on the upper legs that when the lower legs are pulled out and the bolt screwed in the lower leg rest on the bolt with the top at the right height.

The lower legs feature flange feet welded at about the right angle for the flanges to lay flat on the ground. The holes for the bolt in the lower leg are drilled or cut into the outside of the leg, which is where the welded bolt fittings lay on the upper legs.

The bench is heavy and stable. We set a comfortable height sandbag rest for the forward hand toward the front of the bench top and use a sandbag under the rear elbow adjusting as required. Leaning into the bench with your chest, with your hip leaning against the rear leg provides amazingly stable shooting at almost the height you would be standing.

Recoil compared to sitting is much easier. My rifle is an odd for a double 458wm, prior to using the standing bench 15 or maybe 20 rounds in a day was all I could take off a sitting bench and my shooting accuracy declined rapidly after a half dozen or so. And I sure didn't look forward to it. I've gone better than forty rounds with the standing bench, but my shooting starts to flag after twenty or so ussually.

If you need to do load development, there is just nothing that can beat being able to shoot four rounds and then adjusting your load right there and shooting another four...What might take weeks with a sitting bench and remote loading equipment takes only a couple of days.

I think that the fact that this particular bench works asr a standing bench is plain accident. But after getting beat a couple of times sitting at the same bench we tried raising it and it worked like a charm. Made a believer out of my gunsmith too. I haven't worked up loads with him - he is my reloading tutor and mentor - for more than six months but I bet that the bench is still standing height for the regular use it sees.

Here a photo would be worth a thousand words and I'll try to remember to take a photo of the bench next time I need to visit my gunsmith."

JPK

How's this one?

Maybe the "Ryfle Rest" that was available from Brownwlls, attached on a heavy camera tripod could be used with satisfactory results.
Lefteris.

Lefteris V

No support for you elbows = poor potential accuracy.

On the photo - The bench I use is taller and I think taller by at least six inches and I find that about right.

The bench I use is also adjustable. I'll try to get some photos.

JPK

JPK,

Thanks for the detailed description. That's the kind of info I was looking for. I was thinking about building in some adjustment to the legs so it could be used as a regular or standing bench and you verifed such an approach is workable. If you could post a pic I'd love to see it but if not there is enough info to get me started. I agree with your statements concerning recoil of the bigger rifles - standing is better, and you need the support for your elbows to make it work well. I can only stand about 6 rounds from my 470 off the bench before my brain starts rattling aroun, but from standing and offhand I'm good for many more.

If you do a global search of all forums for "standing benchrest", I recall that there are at least two plans laid out.

Guys, if you don't have one, get yourself a Past "Magnum" Recoil Shield. I can fire 20-30 rounds from the .450 #2 off the bench, no problems, while wearing mine. That's with 500 grain Hornadys at 2060 fps.

quote:

Originally posted by ron vella:
Guys, if you don't have one, get yourself a Past "Magnum" Recoil Shield. I can fire 20-30 rounds from the .450 #2 off the bench, no problems, while wearing mine. That's with 500 grain Hornadys at 2060 fps.

Ditto.
You can properly sight your double from a tall sit at the bench with sandbags, with proper hold of rifle, rifle touches only your shoulder and hands, and do not hold it with any down pressure.

Then go practice off the shooting sticks and offhand, to verify you were doing it right from the "tall sit."

Better yet, try a PAST pad - I use the shotgun model - and try a standing bench. i have done better than 40 rounds a day developing loads. 15, maybe 20 was my max off of a bench with the rifle as high as I could get it.

500grs @ 2135 or 450grs @ 2190fps.

Until you shoot off of a proper standing bech you just don't know what you are missing.

JPK