The Gun Counter

The little ones had been agitating for some trigger time because "we never get to go shooting", so PawPaw designated a Rimfire Sunday edition, and laid on some small reactive targets for the kindergarten set.



Grandson Elyas, coached by his father, engaging a flourescent crow. It wobbles when hit, and Ely thinks it's quite satisfying to watch it flop when shot.



Grand-daughter Jada exploring the mysteries of the .22LR as PawPaw coaches. She kept trying to engage the 100 yard centerfire gong and was quite exasperated that it wouldn't move when she shot it. However, she also made that bright crow flop quite a bit.

I'm glad I stocked up on .22LR ammo when I had the chance. The adults got tired of shooting before the grandkids did.

Can you link to the rest that she is using?

Honestly, Yogi, I don't remember who marketed that rest, but several companies paint them their color and box them for the frugal set. It's an el-cheapo.

If I had to guess, it would be something like this Remington marked rest.

Or, maybe it was made by MTM, and they've updated.

Either way, I didn't pay more than $40.00 for it, several years ago.

That looks like fun! Good for you.

I like your shooting bench setup on top of a Black & Decker workmate. Do you put sandbags on the bottom? The surface perhaps needs a bit more meat forward of the angle, so the rest can go further forward, and the shooter can get her left elbow onto the wood...

Denis wrote:That looks like fun! Good for you.

I like your shooting bench setup on top of a Black & Decker workmate. Do you put sandbags on the bottom? The surface perhaps needs a bit more meat forward of the angle, so the rest can go further forward, and the shooter can get her left elbow onto the wood...

That bench is version 2.0 and it's the best compromise I've found so far between portability and sturdiness. No, there are no sandbags. It's actually fairly sturdy, although it's not a permanent bench. It's made to suit me and little-bit will need to adjust her shooting technique as she grows older. This was her first outing, and I think she's hooked. Now I need to keep it fun while we start the fine-tuning.

Eventually, I intend to put a concrete slab and concrete shooting bench on that spot, but because the land doesn't belong to me I'm hesitant in making any permanent investment.

PawPaw wrote:That bench is version 2.0 and it's the best compromise I've found so far between portability and sturdiness...

Eventually, I intend to put a concrete slab and concrete shooting bench on that spot, but because the land doesn't belong to me I'm hesitant in making any permanent investment.

Any chance of some detail photos, when you have it out again? I have a workmate knock-off that I had been using as an impromptu reloading bench, which might get a new lease of life as a shooting bench...

I understand about the permanent bench. Maybe you could install a "picnic table" with pressure treated wood rammed into the ground? OTOH, with the price of lumber, that might be as big an investment as the concrete.

Any chance of some detail photos, when you have it out again? I have a workmate knock-off that I had been using as an impromptu reloading bench, which might get a new lease of life as a shooting bench...

Here's a little bit better picture. It is what it seems to be, a Workmate with a bench top. The bench top is cut from 3/4 inch plywood and has a piece of 2X4 lumber screwed to the bottom side. I clamp the 2X4 in the vise jaws of the Workmate and we're set. A couple of folding chairs complete the set.



If it weren't for the number of Southpaws in the family, the bench would have only one side, but we've got enough lefties that I had to make it two-sided.

That'll do pig. That'll do.

PawPaw wrote:Here's a little bit better picture. It is what it seems to be, a Workmate with a bench top...

Thanks! I get the idea. I like to get my left elbow onto the bench, and put my left forearm across my chest with the hand to the rifle butt, so I'd need to make the "hook" a bit deeper. Fortunately, I don't have to accommodate anybody sinister...

I feel some DIY coming on...

Denis wrote:I feel some DIY coming on...

Without pictures, it never happened.