Lightweight Shooting Platform?

[RioHondoHank]

Here is the prototype of my shooting bench to carry in a backpack.

 

[WildRose]

Pretty slick!

 

[RioHondoHank]

Pretty slick!

It is really stable and high enough to get over the weeds most of the time. I've got some ideas to make it better. Like I said it is just a prototype.

 

[WildRose]

It is really stable and high enough to get over the weeds most of the time. I've got some ideas to make it better. Like I said it is just a prototype.

I'd offer this idea.

Make the front support a bipod instead of monopod and mount thumb screws on the legs or make them threaded instead of just sip on and that will tighten the whole thing dramatically.

If you were to also can't the front legs forward and rear legs backward with some outward cant you'll have an extremely, and I do mean extremely stable platform.

I really like your basic design premise though.

 

[RioHondoHank]

There are already bolts screwed into self locking nuts that are welded to the legs so the legs are extremely stable. They are self locking so as not to worry about losing the bolts in transit. I think these pictures were taken before i welded the nuts to the legs. The idea of only one leg in the front is to keep it simple. The tee shaped piece shown in the disassembled picture serves as both a support for the front leg and and the all thread used for the adjustable elevation. Then when disassembled it can be layed flat to take less room in the back pack. Making the front a bipod would complicate this assembly.

In my opinion it is very close to bench rest stability as now configured.

The rear legs could be sloped and even I guess the front, but that would require having the front rest sloped back. Also rear sloping legs might interfere with the abilty to get up close the the bench as the left leg is between you legs when seated on the ground. One of the next things I am going to try is folding legs on the back and a better way to mount the t piece to the board. Stability is important, but I also want to keep it light compact and able too be quickly assembled so there may be some trade offs.

 

[WildRose]

There are already bolts screwed into self locking nuts that are welded to the legs so the legs are extremely stable. They are self locking so as not to worry about losing the bolts in transit. I think these pictures were taken before i welded the nuts to the legs. The idea of only one leg in the front is to keep it simple. The tee shaped piece shown in the disassembled picture serves as both a support for the front leg and and the all thread used for the adjustable elevation. Then when disassembled it can be layed flat to take less room in the back pack. Making the front a bipod would complicate this assembly.

In my opinion it is very close to bench rest stability as now configured.

The rear legs could be sloped and even I guess the front, but that would require having the front rest sloped back. Also rear sloping legs might interfere with the abilty to get up close the the bench as the left leg is between you legs when seated on the ground. One of the next things I am going to try is folding legs on the back and a better way to mount the t piece to the board. Stability is important, but I also want to keep it light compact and able too be quickly assembled so there may be some trade offs.

Ahh that splains it.

Like I said I really like your basic theory here. If you can get it exactly where you are happy with it I'd quit posting pictures of it and patent it HA!

Is that a Burris XTR on your rig?

 

[RioHondoHank]

Ahh that splains it.



Is that a Burris XTR on your rig?

Yes, that is my 300 Win mag barrel with Burris XTR

 

[WildRose]

Yes, that is my 300 Win mag barrel with Burris XTR

Thought so. Looks good on there.

 

[majorpurple]

Thought so. Looks good on there.

yup, looks amazing.

 

[3fingervic]

I was thinking about something while deer hunting yesterday (early antlerless). I hunt a lot of bean fields. I like to lay prone, but wish that I had a portable platform that could get me a foot or two off the ground. Anyone know of a product or built one themselves.

 

[RioHondoHank]

I was thinking about something while deer hunting yesterday (early antlerless). I hunt a lot of bean fields. I like to lay prone, but wish that I had a portable platform that could get me a foot or two off the ground. Anyone know of a product or built one themselves.

Have you not read the earlier post by me in this thread?

 

[3fingervic]

Have you not read the earlier post by me in this thread?

I did, and that's a sweet setup, but I was looking for prone shooting. Maybe like a modified portable cot.

 

[RioHondoHank]

I did, and that's a sweet setup, but I was looking for prone shooting. Maybe like a modified portable cot.

I don't exactly understand why it would be an advantage to be prone rather than sitting on the ground shooting off a bench, but to each his own. The cot idea would involve a much bigger and heavier piece of equipment if it was to be stable.

 

[WildRose]

I did, and that's a sweet setup, but I was looking for prone shooting. Maybe like a modified portable cot.

Actually a fold up Army surplus officer's field cot with an aluminum frame would work pretty well if that's what you want. They don't weigh that much and can be packed easily.