Author Topic: Big Game shooting bench  (Read 3902 times)

Offline DanoInTx

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Big Game shooting bench
« on: February 22, 2008, 03:59:52 PM »
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?id=0020055225831a&navCount=1&podId=0020055&parentId=cat20793&masterpathid=&navAction=jump&cmCat=MainCatcat602007-cat20793&catalogCode=IJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20793&hasJS=true

Not sure where this review should go, so I closed my eyes and picked a spot:)

Just picked one of these up tonight at Cabellas.  Saw them on special in the Cabelas mailer, and headed off soon after dinner...$79 and change, not bad:)  Unlike many others I am lucky enough to live within 10 minutes of the Fort Worth Texas Cabelas superstore.  Ten minute drive, ten minutes in and out, and a ten minute drive home later and I had it in my possession.

Opened the box and found everything very well packed with zip ties holding all of the larger components together to keep them from beating each other up during shipping.  Took me about 15 minutes to do the assembly.  One thing to note is that the fasteners are metric...it's made in China, so this only makes sense.  What I assembled is a very well made, fairly heavy duty shooting bench.  I am a 225 pound guy and am very comfortable knowing that it isn't going to break under my weight.  The "pleather" top is nice enough, would of possibly wanted something more "all weather" as I am sure this will shred if I leave it outside on my huge 13 yard sight-in range.  The little rest on the front to cradle the fore end of your rifle is a bit cheezy, but functional, will probably just take it off and put a base and sandbag on instead, but this will work for now.  The ergonomics, I am a big ergonomics person, and the ergonomics on this seem pretty good, although I have only shot a pistol from it so far, a long gun should be just as cozy.  I shot a couple dozen rounds through my Beeman P17 into my little lightweight Beeman pellet trap in the garage and the bench felt rock solid....yes, even though my 225 is probably closer to 235-240lbs:)

I don't know how long the sale will be on at Cabelas, and I see their website doesn't show the same price (it's $99 on the site), but even at $99 it's a pretty good deal.  They also had a VERY similar bench for $69 at the store, nearly identical as a matter of fact, but it has a camo cover rather than "pleather" and it didn't seem quite as sturdy, but real close.  The second bench is not on their site at all, so "Honey, hop in the RV, we're goin' to Cabelas!".

As a final note, if you take out the one pit pin that holds the seat on and lift the table, the whole contraption folds flat, then you put the pin back in and it stays locked flat.  Kinda large in locked mode, but flat:)
Dan

Current shooters: Beeman HW97K .177 with Hawke Eclipse 4x16x50SFAO and Steve C. stock, Beeman R9 .177 with Hawke Airmax 4-12x40AO and Gene\'s Midas touch, Air Arms S200 with Bushnell Banner 6x24x40AO Rowan brass bling and Steve C. custom stock, BAM B25, BAM B40 .177 with BSA 3x12x44AO, Benjamin Marauder .22, Benjamin 397 pumper.

\"repeat this mantra:
Air gunzzzzzz, air gunzzzzzz, air gunzzzzzzz!!!  ...You will feel better\" T.E.C.2008

Offline Gene_SC

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Re: Big Game shooting bench
« Reply #1 on: February 22, 2008, 04:13:25 PM »
Ya Dano, a good solid bench rest for us big guys...:) I bought one on sale almost two years ago. It is a different style but works great for me. Mine breaks down and you can put it in a small duffle bag. My problem is that I do not tear it down often and when I do, I am confused on how it goes back together..:) Last time I took it to the South Carolina Shooting Event and I think David Kirby had to help me put it together.. hehe. I remember some of the guys making some real nice ones about a year back. Plenty of pictures on the GTA also. Mine has weathered so so. The seat is all plastic and the back folds up and down. The plastic on the hinge broke but I hardly ever lean back anyway. I think mine was on sale for $69.00 when I bought it. I did notice when I was at Sportsmans Warehouse in Columbia that they had one similiar to yours for a bit more. It looked heavy and solid. I may buy that one some day. CDT bought one like mine and he hardly ever uses it, so maybe when my dies, I can talk him out of his..:) For sure they are very nice to shoot on. Here is a picture of mine.


Gene
THE ONES I SLEEP WITH: BSA Lightning XL, AA TX-200, AA ProSport, BSA Ultra, HW-97K, Crosman NPSS .177, FX Cyclone, HW-30 Nicle Plated, AA-S200, Crosman Marauder, CZ-634, R-9 DG, Webley/Scott UK Tomahawk, Benji Kantana, Benji Marauder, Benji Discovery.....
....

Gene\'s Tunz n Toyz
Springer Tunin

Offline DanoInTx

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Re: Big Game shooting bench
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2008, 02:11:31 PM »
I looked at that one too on the Cabelas website, didn't get great reviews, but planned on looking at it in the store because I remembered you mentioning it months ago.  They didn't have any in the store, but they had a couple others they don't have on their website, go figure.  They also had at least 2 dozen refurbed Gamo S1K's with BSA 4x32 scopes for $99....almost got one, but knew I'd just end up selling it to you like I did with my other one:)  They also had the Gamo BigCat combo for $98 new, but I don't like the new plastic sleeved Gamo barrels...I'm a snob:)

One downfall about the bench I bought I found out today.  The little "Y" deal that cradles the fore end of the gun is kinda awkward to use.  It is especially awkward with my Tau that has a flat bottomed fore end, squares into triangles don't fit quite right.  I will most likely remove the "Y" contraption and buy myself a proper rifle rest with sandbags anyways, so the "Y" isn't a big deal. Here she is holding my Career 707:

Dan

Current shooters: Beeman HW97K .177 with Hawke Eclipse 4x16x50SFAO and Steve C. stock, Beeman R9 .177 with Hawke Airmax 4-12x40AO and Gene\'s Midas touch, Air Arms S200 with Bushnell Banner 6x24x40AO Rowan brass bling and Steve C. custom stock, BAM B25, BAM B40 .177 with BSA 3x12x44AO, Benjamin Marauder .22, Benjamin 397 pumper.

\"repeat this mantra:
Air gunzzzzzz, air gunzzzzzz, air gunzzzzzzz!!!  ...You will feel better\" T.E.C.2008

Offline Gene_SC

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Re: Big Game shooting bench
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2008, 02:25:28 PM »
One thing great about that bench of yours Dano is that your legs are free. They are not boxed in..:) It looks to be very sturdy as well. Mine has heavy plastic for the arm rest and pellet tray. The gizmo that comes up to lay your stock on has a heavy plastic top. I firmed it up some and it does not wiggle or move any. I put two of those weight bench round rubber bumpers on top and wrapped them to the top plastic platform with 100 a mile duct tape..:) Leave a nice valley and the stock can slide on the tape.. It took me a few months before I got everything cinched up and working like I thought it should be but have made even some more small improvements since then. I think eventually I will build a custom bench using aluminum square tubing that will fold up like yours.  Thanks for sharing Dano..:)

Gene
THE ONES I SLEEP WITH: BSA Lightning XL, AA TX-200, AA ProSport, BSA Ultra, HW-97K, Crosman NPSS .177, FX Cyclone, HW-30 Nicle Plated, AA-S200, Crosman Marauder, CZ-634, R-9 DG, Webley/Scott UK Tomahawk, Benji Kantana, Benji Marauder, Benji Discovery.....
....

Gene\'s Tunz n Toyz
Springer Tunin