Too cheap to buy a lead sled....pretty handy building stuff. Any homemade bench rests out there I can steal some ideas from? Just looking for something to zero in scopes on...nothing too fancy.
Don't disagree with any of that....but I'm wanting something easier to store and take out. I won't use it much. Kinda feel like making something anyway.
I made this a few years ago when I was bored on a random Sunday and had some scrap wood laying around. It's not rock solid enough for competition or anything, but it works well for me. If I wasn't cheap, I'd lay a sheet of plexiglass or acrylic over the top to protect it from the rain. A long time ago I made a nicer one with a top made with 1x4 decking and grooves cut out on the side to lean guns against and finished and stained it, but my parents "stole" it from me. They do late 1700's period camping and it looked rustic enough for them to use in their campsite. It's probably 17 years old now and they still using it several times a year. Dad teaches school kids how to write with a quill on it so it gets good use. You can see just the top of it below, it was more stable than the one above.
Made a shooting table, hemlock slab. Sandbags are the most secure and accurate way of resting, I use bipod and a bag in the rear. Creatively thinking I've thought about carving a rest from a can't or log, but that's alota work.
Stopped by the hardware store at lunch to look at...well....hardware and get some ideas. I think it's going to be a cross between a lead sled and a wooden gun vice. Two adjustable feet in the front...one in the rear. Butt stock clamp (won't use it much but why not). Picked up some threaded inserts, carriage bolts, felt mats, rubber mats, and rubber stool leg caps. $20. Have to see how much 8/4 oak I have left....but should have enough.
Just need a few knobs for the front elevation adjustment and its ready to go. Shot the 10/22 from it today and it worked OK...needs a few tweaks...but I want to get a few more rounds on it before I do anything else. The front rest is removable if I need to make another for a different gun. Made it from black locust so it has some weight to it and should be plenty strong.
