500 yard range has begun

Jeff in TX

Decided to put a 500 yard range in. It won't be anything fancy, just functional to a degree. I ordered this simple shooting bench. This will serve as the top of the bench. Going to flip it over, remove the legs, add a couple pieces of rebarb and fill with cement. I'm also going to add three floor flanges with 1" steel pipes for the legs. They'll be cemented in as well. The legs with bench attached will be cemented into post holes, cheap and easy and solid as a rock. On Friday I'll pick up the target which will be a hanging 1/2" thick steel plate 2' wide and 2.5' long. We'll have to move it as we move distances and target weighs 100 lbs. Not the most portable of solutions but it will work. We'll be using what we call the Side Rd for the range which is why I can't put up a permanent targets at each 100 yard increment, but it's the longest stretch with a natural berm at the end. Once everything is place I'll add more pictures

Just ordered all my pieces parts for my SBR Mod 0 300 blackout. Once I have the stamp this will be a great place to test it out.

john9001

500 yards is a long way to go to change a target, do you have a ATV?

Jeff in TX

john9001 wrote: »

500 yards is a long way to go to change a target, do you have a ATV?

'

ATV's, trucks and tractors. We're thinking of putting the target on the small 6' flat trailer and just moving the trailer when we want to change ranges.

Fisheadgib

Why not just make a form and cast the bench from concrete? You're essentially just using that plastic top as a form.

Teach

Find a copy of "Do It Yourself Gunsmithing" by Jim Carmichael. It's out of print now, but the online bookstores usually offer good condition used copies. One of the final chapters in the back of the book has detailed plans for a cast concrete shooting bench that's semi-portable due to having 6X6 pressure treated wood skids attached. I've considered building one for the SE shoot, just haven't gotten a round tuit yet!
Jerry

Jeff in TX

Teach wrote: »

Find a copy of "Do It Yourself Gunsmithing" by Jim Carmichael. It's out of print now, but the online bookstores usually offer good condition used copies. One of the final chapters in the back of the book has detailed plans for a cast concrete shooting bench that's semi-portable due to having 6X6 pressure treated wood skids attached. I've considered building one for the SE shoot, just haven't gotten a round tuit yet!
Jerry

I did a concrete shooting bench from a form for our 100 yard range. While easy to do the top of the bench can be a bit rough. Found this little bench for $45.00, I have all of the piping and flanges and it will just be as simple to mix the concrete and fill. I went many rounds with myself on what to build but the Texas sun plays holy heck on anything made out of wood. All in all the bench will cost me about $50.00 to $60.00 to build and I won't have to mess with it. not too bad for what I'm trying to do.

NCFUBAR

As a concrete table topper we used an anti-fatigue mat from Harbor Freight. I am pretty sure it was under $10, easy to cut with a carpet knife and you roll it up for transporting.

Ernie Bishop

It is always fun to play at 500 yards.
Good for you!

orchidman

Built this one a few years back from plans we found on the interwebs...........



Then added a suppressor..........................:tooth:



Tamed the noise of the the 7mm08 down to about an unsuppressed .22 HV.

JerryBobCo

orchidman wrote: »

Tamed the noise of the the 7mm08 down to about an unsuppressed .22 HV.

That is true southern engineering!

Jeff in TX

NCFUBAR wrote: »

As a concrete table topper we used an anti-fatigue mat from Harbor Freight. I am pretty sure it was under $10, easy to cut with a carpet knife and you roll it up for transporting.

Great idea!

tubabucknut

I would love to have a 500 yd range available. I have yet to shoot beyond 450.

Varmintmist

Just make sure the bench can handle real pooped up loads

orchidman

JerryBobCo wrote: »

That is true southern engineering!

One problem that we did have was the buildup of gasses inside the tyres causing a 'mirage' effect. Solved that by mounting the electric fan from Bloodhounds Landrover on the 'muzzle' end of the suppressor using a hinged bracket. After 2-3 shots, you release a rope, the fan swings across the end, you flick the switch on the bench and the gasses get sucked out. Power is provided by the quad bike battery.

snake284

Jeff in TX wrote: »

Decided to put a 500 yard range in. It won't be anything fancy, just functional to a degree. I ordered this simple shooting bench. This will serve as the top of the bench. Going to flip it over, remove the legs, add a couple pieces of rebarb and fill with cement. I'm also going to add three floor flanges with 1" steel pipes for the legs. They'll be cemented in as well. The legs with bench attached will be cemented into post holes, cheap and easy and solid as a rock. On Friday I'll pick up the target which will be a hanging 1/2" thick steel plate 2' wide and 2.5' long. We'll have to move it as we move distances and target weighs 100 lbs. Not the most portable of solutions but it will work. We'll be using what we call the Side Rd for the range which is why I can't put up a permanent targets at each 100 yard increment, but it's the longest stretch with a natural berm at the end. Once everything is place I'll add more pictures

Just ordered all my pieces parts for my SBR Mod 0 300 blackout. Once I have the stamp this will be a great place to test it out.

Jeff, I don't mean to pee on your parade, but I would go for a sturdier platform for a shooting table, especially when shooting at long distances. Our gun club made the tables out of concrete. Cost a bit more, but if you want to shoot accurate at long distance, go for the gold.

Pour you a slab, 4'x8'x6". Before you pour the slab put you an 8 inch pipe 30 inches high tied into the rebar in the slab an put about 3 pieces of Rebar down the pipe tied to the rebar in the slab. Support the pipe with some boards nailed to some stakes hammered in the ground out away from the slab. Pour the slab and let it cure where it will support the pipe. Then build a 4x4 Table on top of the pipe with a few pieces of rebar tied to the rebar in the pipe Then fill the pipe with concrete and allow to cure where it will support a table. Then pour the table. It sounds like a lot of work, but you will have a table that won't move. Yeah it's a bit expensive as you'll probably need 15 or so sacks of sack crete. Also, it doesn't hurt to add some extra mortar to the mix. You want about a 3000 PSI concrete structure. Smooth the top of the ground slab and the top of the table. Also, make sure the slab and table top are reasonably level. Then you'll have a solid shooting platform. It will make a big difference shooting long ranges. This is what we have at our gun range and they don't move.

Jeff in TX

snake284 wrote: »

Jeff, I don't mean to pee on your parade, but I would go for a sturdier platform for a shooting table, especially when shooting at long distances. Our gun club made the tables out of concrete. Cost a bit more, but if you want to shoot accurate at long distance, go for the gold.

Pour you a slab, 4'x8'x6". Before you pour the slab put you an 8 inch pipe 30 inches high tied into the rebar in the slab an put about 3 pieces of Rebar down the pipe tied to the rebar in the slab. Support the pipe with some boards nailed to some stakes hammered in the ground out away from the slab. Pour the slab and let it cure where it will support the pipe. Then build a 4x4 Table on top of the pipe with a few pieces of rebar tied to the rebar in the pipe Then fill the pipe with concrete and allow to cure where it will support a table. Then pour the table. It sounds like a lot of work, but you will have a table that won't move. Yeah it's a bit expensive as you'll probably need 15 or so sacks of sack crete. Also, it doesn't hurt to add some extra mortar to the mix. You want about a 3000 PSI concrete structure. Smooth the top of the ground slab and the top of the table. Also, make sure the slab and table top are reasonably level. Then you'll have a solid shooting platform. It will make a big difference shooting long ranges. This is what we have at our gun range and they don't move.

Mike,

I think you missed it in my post. I'm using this bench as the top only. I plan on flipping it over removing the legs, adding rebar and filling it with cement. I'll also use floor flanges and 1" steel pipe as legs, also set into the concrete. The legs will be set into 18" deep post holes that will be filled with concrete. This gets me away from the rough concrete table top and will provide a rock solid platform. I got a couple of other great ideas on this thread.

john9001

I built a rock solid work bench with 1/2 " plywood and 2x4s. I used screws so I could dismantle it.