Shooterest Portable Shooting Bench
Edward Pierz 05.02.12
Many shooters prefer to use their firearms on their own property or in areas where “benched” ranges are not available. This is where the Shooterest comes in. The Shooterest is a portable, collapsible shooting bench that easily attaches to the back of a vehicle via a standard trailer hitch. The Shooterest takes the comfort of a “benched” range anywhere you and your vehicle want to go. There are two seats and shooting platforms, which have more than enough space for two adult males, their firearms and supplies.
The initial assembly was fairly straight forward, and it took me about 20 minutes to assemble by myself with only a 1/2″ socket and ratchet. Now let’s delve into some specifics. As far as transport goes the bench can be attached to you standard 2” receiver on your vehicle. The really convenient part is that the bench can be attached to the hitch fully assembled so it will only take about a minute or two to have it fully deployed and ready at your desired shooting location if you have another person to help you lift it. Once you are done shooting the take down is just as easy. You just take out the hitch pins, lift the Shooterest, and mount it back on the hitch.
Once the bench is properly mounted on the hitch you need to adjust the bench to the terrain. There are 14 knobs that screw into the bench to secure the table and seat height. First you need to set the two stabilizer bars on either side of the bench. Next you set the table height, and depending on whether or not you are shooting from a seated position set the seat height. The table height can be adjusted over three feet up or down and the knobs can be secured at any position along the way. It is important to note that the bench is essentially infinitely adjustable because there are no holes for the knobs to slot into. The knobs simply screw into the bench and you tighten them once you have found the height that works for you. Here is a video provided by Shooterest describing the setup process.
httpv://youtu.be/X2yZF7q042o
Another great thing about the Shooterest is that you do not even need a vehicle with a hitch to use it. The Shooterest can be set up free standing by rotating the hitch so that the longer end is facing the ground. This also allows shooters to use the Shooterest in places where their vehicles can’t reach, though the entire bench may be a bit heavy to lug around.