Does a good shooting bench make you a better shot?

[lloyd-ss]

The weather has been so very nice these past several days that I finally built a solid and comfortable shooting bench.  Maybe it's all psychological, but I think it helped.  It's one less thing to worry about.  What do you think?


Here is my old bench, a wobbly card table.  I didn't break any records on that thing!



Here's what I built from mostly scrap and leftover lumber that I had around.  The target in the distance is 58 yards, measured.
It's made for righty's and leftie's.



Another pic from farther back.  I really love those old beech trees.



It's pretty stout!




Here's the target I shot after I got the table all leveled up. 
I don't think I can blame the bench anymore.
But the bags, the sand bags, they could use some help!


I think the RWS54 is sick because after I got home I checked the vel on both guns, and the 54 was only shooting 705fps.
It was  a lot of fun building this, and after just those few shots,
I'm kicking myself for not having done this a year ago.
Lloyd

[lizzie]

Wow Lloyd- that's beautiful! I mean really really beautiful! You did a fine job!

That bench will outlast all of us.
I love to work with wood. Did I tell you that's a beautiful shooting bench?

[ltpro]

When shooting from a rest/bench you will get two affects.One is that the stable surface will allow you to hold the rifle steady thus making you a "better shot" . A secondly affect will be more psychological but will also make you a "better shot" .The second affect is because your nerves will relax some ( due to you knowing you are more secure )thus allowing you to site-in better on your target . I have plans to make me a bench something like what you made, nice bench !  

[amb5500c]

Great job. It should prove to make you more comfortable and steady. I need one like it here on my place. But I've been holding off until I decide exactly on the most advantageous spot to put it. Just one more thing to mow and weedeat around. Just what I need.
Richard

[lloyd-ss]

Richard and Ltpro,
I think you guys are right about the comfort level and relaxation of a solid bench.  When I was looking thru the scope I was thinking : is the black ring that I am seeing around the scope eyepiece nice and even all the way around? That is  a detail I had trouble concentrating on before.
Thanks,
Lloyd

[ltpro]

Richard and Ltpro,
I think you guys are right about the comfort level and relaxation of a solid bench.  When I was looking thru the scope I was thinking : is the black ring that I am seeing around the scope eyepiece nice and even all the way around? That is  a detail I had trouble concentrating on before.
Thanks,
Lloyd

From a bench I can hit a nickel size target at 60 yards with ease,another member here just came over and did it himself -when shooting over 30 yards with an air rifle its very important to shoot from a rest for best results .

[aack73]

yes it will. if you trying to get the rifle to do all it can. taking any and all movement out of the equation will help. why you will see alot of big heavy concrete benches at ranges.

very nice looking bench you built there.  

[tom96]

its much nicer than my rest (a 60lb sandbag over the rails on my deck) it could make you a better shot, but wheres the fun in that? i personally prefer a bipod to a bench.

[lloyd-ss]

Wow Lloyd- that's beautiful! I mean really really beautiful! You did a fine job!

That bench will outlast all of us.
I love to work with wood. Did I tell you that's a beautiful shooting bench?

Lizzie,
I love working with wood, too, and used to do a lot more of it before I got hooked on the evil airgun habit.  But I did manage to build this last summer with the help of a high school kid from down the road.  I love the old timey rough sawn board and batten look.  We were clearing a little of the land and got a guy with a portable sawmill to saw the logs into boards.  It's pretty much all oak on the exposed stuff with some poplar and pine for the framing. The beam under the rafter tails of the lean-to is actually a 20' pine log, and the doors and windows were from the recycling shop at the landfill.  It was  a labor of love.   T-1-11 plywood would have been a LOT faster and cheaper. 

Maybe this will help feed your habit ! 

[lizzie]

Well, you did an absolutely wonderful job.

(and I don't need to feed my habit anymore than I already do )

[Nomadic Pirate]

Nice Backyard !!!!

[lloyd-ss]

Nice Backyard !!!!

Thanks!  I really like spending time there.  Unfortunately, the mosquitoes consider me an outsider and they've definitely got me outnumbered and out gunned.    

[pjw]

  Nice lay out Lloyd.

[cactusrat]

Thanks for sharing Lloyd. I like those legs.

One of my benches are on odd-ball post stuck into the ground. That will have to change this winter. I have a lot of trees around here and a few need to be cut back.

[0351_Vet]

Nice work Lloyd

[Mark 611]

very nice LLoyd!

[Jay]

Way Cool bench Bro.(I like the use of the natural log's), if I had the land/lane alot of our people have on here I'd have one without question, except I'm lazy so it would be concrete top an leg's LOL, have a "take down" bench a friend on here has made me just this week, about done with sanding, think I will post it up here also when done.