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shooting benches

I'm in the market for a portable shooting bench, have kicked around making one mounted on a trailer but my time is limited so I thought I'd do some shopping and asking to see what others think. Will be used mostly for target work at my neighbors farms where I can shoot 900 yards, tuff to find somewhere like that in WV. Since I don't own the property and my shooting area is his hay field I need something that I can take with me. Though the prairie dog slayers on this site would be able to give me some good input, so far I'm leaning towards the caldwell BR Pivot bench: http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/default.aspx?productNumber=586140

Thoughts?
 
If you want a truly portable and solid bench, take a look at the RCBS RASS. It is modular and comes apart into two bags. Heavy, but very solid. I've taken it out to South Dakota twice in a small private plane, and it works great.
 
I made 6 of these which is based off one a I saw at a Cabelas 7 yrs ago. Cost was $87 to make 2 of them & they totally break down to fit into a trunk or truck bed. I know your time is limited to do this though.
All the factory table tops are to short IMO.
Stand002.jpg
 
If you are making take a look at Richard Frainklin's website he sells plans . I made 1 from his plans the only issues I have is the weight . It is as rock solid as they get . I built a trailer and crane system to accomdate me useing by myself. Before building I had purchased the Cadwell table just wasnt what i was looking for. Franklin's table will go the distance.
 
I have to disagree on the RCBS RASS recommendation. I bought one last year and used it in Colorado. It was solid enough to shoot dogs from and was nice to be able to swing and easy enough to change elevation quickly but mine was everything but easily portable. If you move very often at all it is a pain to take down and takes up a lot of space. Mine was not stable enough to shoot groups off of either. The other 3 guys I was with had Big Game Treestands benches that pivot, not the ironing board looking things, and they got them bought for $100 on sale and even though they were not as comfortable to sit at and a little to small for me, they offered a better shooting platform and were easily portable even if you did have to pack the shooting bags around too.
Jason

One bench that I don't see anyone talk much about is the DOA tactical which looks like the BR pivot and it looks to me like it would be the Cadillac (or Lincoln depending on your tastes). It is more expensive than most but looks to be very well thought out and built.
 
thanks for the link and it sure is a lot to think about. I'm leaning towards having a friend weld up the legs and brackets for me and I can make the top, what about good shooting "stools" for home made benches.
 
5 spd, can you email some more pics to me at chris.stewart1987@gmail.com so that I can get a better idea of how this design works. I'm also curious how stable it is on not so level ground. Weight???? Great bench either way.
 
wvuredneck09 said:
5 spd, can you email some more pics to me at chris.stewart1987@gmail.com so that I can get a better idea of how this design works. I'm also curious how stable it is on not so level ground. Weight???? Great bench either way.
I will try to get new pics Sunday for you.
Its about 40lbs although I have never weighted it. Very stable on uneven grounds, 360* swivel top and seat . I can pin the top so it only turns with the seat also, but I like the top & seat to move seperatly for my p-dog usages. 3 main pieces, top, seat & post & base for fast moving & then it all breaks down to 6 main parts.
 
wvuredneck09:
Subject of the discussion......my BR Pivot Lite w/Cooper M38 20VT aboard for your viewing pleasure:

DSC_0073.jpg


If I'd have known how much demand there would be five years after I sold the patent, I'd have saved a few of these babies....... ;)
 
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Rick

I second that. I've been looking for one and the only ones I've found, the owner doesn't want to ship.
Rick how much did your benches weigh, both the reg and the lite model ?

Hal
 
i have two of richards tables they are the best!!! i have had most of the others and they dont compare. If you want the best get a richards table!!! i know a guy who makes them if you are interested. mine went to SD last year on a P dog hunt and i use them for shooting ground hogs at 1000 yards and beyond
 
btw richard's setup is awesome but I dont know that I need or want a rotating bench just want something super stable

Then you don't want something with an attached seat. I just saw a shooting bench on another site that had two seats attached to the main post. One for a shooter and the other for an observer. After about ten minutes I bet the "observer" would be observing some bumps on the head!

Just moving the bench .001" will miss a PD at a couple hundred yards.

I've built a bunch of different benches over the years included a trailer mounted unit. The wind moving the trailer, even with four stabilizer jackls was enough to make misses at real long distances.

Here is the final design of the bench i designed and use..........Just about perfect!

http://rvbprecision.com/shooting/a-varmint-bench-with-a-twist.html

P1060010-vi.jpg
 
Hal: The Std Model weighed a nominal 68-70 lbs, depending on wood density of the oak or ash butcher-block top. The all-alloy BR PIvot Lite weighed right at 50 lbs complete.

When in production, all alloy components were supplied by a Boeing Aircraft castings supplier prior to final machining. The "replacement" benches from Caldwell have an all-steel lower assembly, greatly adding to the overall weight. Seems the Chinese cannot produce porosity-free alloy castings of decent quality to use in any rendition of a 'new' Lite model, hence only the new Standard model being produced, which is a combination of steel and some limited use of alloy.

Despite all this, there is a waiting list/backorder on the BR Pivot at this time. The 'new ' BRP is just as stable in the field, just heavier than the originals.

Sidebar: As for the comments about an attached seat, valid point to be certain, but I'll add that many 1,000+ yard shots have been made from both models of the BRP. The shooters own weight preloads the bench, rendering it rock-stable. I also remember at least two 600 yard santioned BR matches in Seattle that Pete Forras won shooting off a BRP while all the other competitors were shooting from the cement benches at the subject range.

The day shown below near Havre, MT a few yars ago resulted in me connecting with an unlucky dog at a lasered 841 yds using my Holland-built M700 V-Block .243 Ackley (McMillan/Pac-Nor/Jewell/Leupold) shooting Nosler 70gr BT's at 3,800 fps. With, mind you, the dreaded attached seat.

843YdDog.jpg


Case closed IMO.
 
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I recently purchased the Caldwell BR Pivot Premium Shooting Bench. I am not an expert and I have not had another shooting bench to compare. I just wanted to share three observations that I haven't seen anyone comment on and I wish I would've have known. While the setup is rather stable it is not rock solid. For the money and reputation I really thought there wouldn't be any movement or play in the table. Particularly the tube going in the leg system has way too much movement for my desires, the rest is reasonable. Secondly, and maybe more important the table to me is a little short. I can fit on it and shoot but an extra 2-4 inches would've been better. You're not buying this table because it's light weight so the extra table space would've gone a long way. If you look at all the pictures people have on the internet you'll see two things, one the gun rest or bipod is right at the front edge of the table and two if someone is sitting down they are a little contorted backwards(and certainly unable to lean into the gun) in order to make it work. There is one other smaller pickier observation on the wood block top. having worked with wood a lot I would not have chosen the manner in which they cut sink holes so deep from both sides. While I understand why they did it for left or right hand shooters I think they could've chosen a better, shallower bolt system that wouldn't put the wood in jeopardy of cracking.
If I had it to do over again I would buy the cheaper unit, not the wood block top and I would go find my own table top and cut it to the size and shape that fits me and I would cut a handle slot into it.
Overall I still like the unit and will keep it. It still seems to me to be the best one out there.
Just my two cents.
 
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