DIY Shooting Bench

When target shooting, you want to have a sturdy shooting bench to help your accuracy. As you plan to build a do-it-yourself bench, you need to consider whether you will be moving the bench regularly, if left- and right-handed shooters will use it, what amount of money you want to spend on materials, and how handy you are with particular materials.

Portability

When deciding what kind of shooting bench to build, you want to weigh sturdiness against practicality. If you plan to leave the bench in a permanent location, you can really beef it up. If you plan to move the bench, you will want it to be light or to break down easily. A couple of options to consider are building detachable leg assemblies (using screws rather than nails) and having the seating area separate rather than attached to the bench.

Ease of Use

In designing your shooting bench, you most likely will want it to be accessible for both right- and left-handed shooters. A triangle top design, with the wide base of the triangle serving as the front of the bench top and tapering back, is an excellent way to allow both left- and right-handers to sit comfortably with plenty of bench top to support gun and shooter.

Materials

After you come up with a design, you will need to choose a material for your shooting bench. Consider the amount of money you wish to spend on the construction. A wood bench will be much cheaper than a steel-framed one.
Think about whether the bench will be regularly exposed to harsh weather. Wolmanized wood may cost a bit more but will last longer than untreated lumber. Steel materials may rust and be too heavy.

Resources

• Additional Shooting Bench Plans