Shooting table top finish coating

[bobinpa]

Concrete benches are by far the best option for stability. Th

I am a member of my local gun club of meager means. We have solid tables/benches, a couple concrete tops, but mostly plywood tops.
What is the preferred table covering for a plywood table tops? Paint with sand? Rubber?
Thanks for the advice!

Concrete benches are by far the best option for stability. They aren't expensive either. The labor to build them is more than the material. Try and see if you have a member with skills to build them. The material should be less than $100.00 each.

 

[LHSmith]

I have been following this thread because one of my next things to do is a new shooting bench...just as soon as the weather breaks. My question is exactly what kind/material are the benches that top notch benchrest competitions are shot off of??? What was the bench like that the last world record benchrest was shot off of??? I think I want one like that.
Obviously, I don't shoot benchrest and have never been to a match. The two things I kind of remember in regards to benches in Tony Boyer's book was that he said if you are set up and looking thru the scope at the target and somebody leans on the bench and the crosshairs move the bench is not stable or rigid enough. Okay,I get that one. The other was something about using carpet to cover the top, but having it cut out so the rest feet were on the actual bench top. He never mentioned rubber. I cant imagine my Sinclair rest, heavy as it is, walking around on the top...even with the screws raised up.
Then again, he also talks about having your rifle set up in the bags and being able to cycle the action to load it and the gun not moving. That is to say set up the rifle, have rounds in the magazine...work the bolt without holding onto the rifle or otherwise touching it and be able to cycle to battery. I have several long range rifles and I cant do that with the heaviest one.
One other thing I will throw out there...it's just as important if you are shooting to see how small of a group you can get, to see that the target cannot move either. Sounds simple, but I have shot some bad groups while scratching my head watching the target sway in the wind before I finally got it.

Concrete bench tops are the predominate in SR BR. Kelbly's range , where the FISS "Super Shoot" is held every year has 40 something concrete benches.
Depending on your shooting style, it is pretty easy for the front rest to move (if you don't take precautions) especially for those who favor to "pin" the rifle against the rest stop. Also a gun not properly balanced and/or using a badly out of tune load will jeopardize tracking by upsetting the bags at each shot.
While SR BR rules do not restrict use of magazines( in fact IBS Hunter Class rules demand that there is "a magazine capable of holding two or more loaded rounds...") No serious competitor that I am aware of uses a rifle with a magazine, Hunter Class competitors also universally load their rifles single shot.
The ability to fire shots down range rapidly, comes form a well tuned rifle, a proven rest set-up, and lots LOTS of practice.
FWIW, employing concrete bench tops do NOT guarantee zero movement. Proven design and construction methods used will maximize their stability.

 

[msinc]

Concrete bench tops are the predominate in SR BR. Kelbly's range , where the FISS "Super Shoot" is held every year has 40 something concrete benches.
Depending on your shooting style, it is pretty easy for the front rest to move (if you don't take precautions) especially for those who favor to "pin" the rifle against the rest stop. Also a gun not properly balanced and/or using a badly out of tune load will jeopardize tracking by upsetting the bags at each shot.
While SR BR rules do not restrict use of magazines( in fact IBS Hunter Class rules demand that there is "a magazine capable of holding two or more loaded rounds...") No serious competitor that I am aware of uses a rifle with a magazine, Hunter Class competitors also universally load their rifles single shot.
The ability to fire shots down range rapidly, comes form a well tuned rifle, a proven rest set-up, and lots LOTS of practice.
FWIW, employing concrete bench tops do NOT guarantee zero movement. Proven design and construction methods used will maximize their stability.

When you say they "do not guarantee zero movement" do you mean the movement in the rest/bags or the entire concrete bench moving itself??? I intend to pour a "floor" slab with rebar 6" thick, sort of a footer for the bench. Then lay three 8" X 16" concrete "cinder" block pillars for the L shaped cast top to be mortared onto. I guess I could put rebar in the block cores and pour them full and cast the top in place to lock it to the rebar instead of the possibility of cracked mortar later.
I understand it doesn't take much "movement" at the rifle to affect the group 100 plus yards away, but I think this combo might minimize it as much as possible....what do you guys think??? Is this hillbilly hatched plan remotely similar to the real deal at the matches????
I get what you are saying about the magazines, forget about that...the whole point was that I cant even cycle the bolt without turning the rifle upside down let alone loading it like Mr. Boyer is advocating.

 

[LHSmith]

When you say they "do not guarantee zero movement" do you mean the movement in the rest/bags or the entire concrete bench moving itself??? I intend to pour a "floor" slab with rebar 6" thick, sort of a footer for the bench. Then lay three 8" X 16" concrete "cinder" block pillars for the L shaped cast top to be mortared onto. I guess I could put rebar in the block cores and pour them full and cast the top in place to lock it to the rebar instead of the possibility of cracked mortar later.
I understand it doesn't take much "movement" at the rifle to affect the group 100 plus yards away, but I think this combo might minimize it as much as possible....what do you guys think??? Is this hillbilly hatched plan remotely similar to the real deal at the matches????
I get what you are saying about the magazines, forget about that...the whole point was that I cant even cycle the bolt without turning the rifle upside down let alone loading it like Mr. Boyer is advocating.

Yes, While I prefer sonotubes filled with concrete for the legs, if you go with CMU block legs, I would pour the cores and glue/ mortar the top to the legs.

 

[perry42]

If using plastic sheeting for top covering go with LDPE material and 1/4> 1/3 " thickness.

perry42