How to Build a Wooden Shooting Bench

Any target shooter knows how difficult it is to have to hold your gun or rifle steady in your hand during target practice. A shooting bench is just about the most useful thing for an avid shooter. It's basically a table on which to place the rifle stand or tripod and a bench to sit down on [source: Muzzle Blasts]. Building a wooden shooting bench isn't difficult, so why not try now.

Materials needed:

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  • 4-by-4-by-6 foot wood posts
  • Post-hole digger
  • Treated decking boards
  • Concrete mix
  • 2-by-4 lumber
  • Electric saw

Here's what to do:

  1. Choose the exact spot you want to place your shooting bench. You want to have a clear shot from the proper angle to the target.
  2. Dig two holes with the pole digger. They should be three feet (91.4 centimeters) apart from each other and three feet (91.4 centimeters) deep.
  3. Dig another two holes the same depth, five feet (152.4 centimeters) behind the first two holes.
  4. Dig one more hole, the same depth, exactly in the middle of the two sets of holes.
  5. Mix the concrete.
  6. Drop a 6 foot (182.9 centimeter) 4-by-4 post in each hole. Put some stones into the holes around the posts, to keep them upright and straight. Fill each hole with concrete. Allow the concrete to dry for 24 hours.
  7. Cut the two rear 4-by-4 posts to a maximum height of 24 inches (61 centimeters).
  8. Cut a 2-by-4 piece of wood to a length of 3 feet (91.4 centimeters). Screw it to the top of the two posts you just cut.
  9. Cut a 3 foot (91.4 centimeter) piece of treated decking board. Screw the board onto the 2-by-4. This will be the seat of your bench.
  10. Connect the three remaining posts with 2-by-4s, forming a triangle.
  11. Measure the triangle and cut decking boards to size. Screw the boards to the 2-by-4s [source: Marketing].

Your table is done. The table is a triangle in order to accommodate both right and left handed shooters.

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