Benchmaster: The World's Best Shooting Table?
I'm far too lazy to set up a shooting table, so I asked Buddy the Wonderdog to do it. It took him about two minutes. Here, Buddy is asking what I thought of the job he did-- I think he did beautifully. As the generous handwheels that instantly lock the legs in place are not exactly paw-wheels, humans can of course beat Buddy's set up time by a bit. Nevertheless, here we have an experienced pointer pointing up how easy it is to set up the Benchmaster.
The tested product's full name is quite a mouthful. It is Benchmaster's “Mark Thompson Signature Edition Folding Shooting Table.” I'm not always clever enough to be able to remember all that, so I'll just refer to it as the “Benchmaster Shooting Table.” It is the only shooting table that carries the Benchmaster name, so there isn't much confusion there. There is nothing remotely like it on the market that I'm aware of.
The Benchmaster “folds flat for packing.” It weighs about fifty pounds, fifty-two pounds according to UPS to be precise, with the packaging materials. When you slip it out of the box, you'll be amazed how big and generously strong this unit really is. The tabletop dimensions are 24-1/2 inches wide by 36 inches long, more than roomy enough for most any rifle / bag and cradle / shooting rest array I have, or can think of. It is all tough, powder-coated metal with everything that is completely integral, including the seat. There are no loose parts nor is anything added or taken away when you set it up. There is also a carrying handle built in as well, so this table despite its overbuilt construction can be very quickly moved to accommodate ambient conditions, different terrain, and different ranges. You can adjust the height of the table. You can adjust, rotate, and extend the seat as you wish. You can also adjust everything independently with the beefy galvanized threaded rod legs. So, whether you shoot left-handed or right-handed, or are shooting on uneven ground it takes but a few moments to get things both rock-steady and comfortable.
The image above shows how compact and self-contained the Benchmaster table system really is, with its integral carrying handle in view on the right. It is all self-contained including the infinitely adjustable shooting seat that cleanly folds inward for transport.
There are few things more practical or more often used than a high-end shooting table like this. You'll use it every time you sight in a rifle, pattern a shotgun, or shoot any firearm that works better with a steady platform. There aren't too many things out there that will get used virtually every time you shoot, but a shooting table certainly qualifies. All too often, even some commercial shooting ranges have rickety, warped, thin sheet metal type shooting benches that cannot do anything but hurt accuracy. There are, of course, wooden tables out there as well in various states of decay that can have an unfortunate propensity to tear up an elbow or offer up random splinters for you as well. I have the scars to prove it. All of this goes away with this type of higher-end rest.
Part of my responsibility is to evaluate rifles and it is difficult to blame a rifle for unsteady rests and bad ambient conditions. Since I shoot essentially year round, this table is almost worth its weight in gold to me. I say “almost,” as gold is now upwards of $8000 a pound, so this table would be over $400,000 with that analogy. So, I'll characterize it as extremely valuable, but given the table or its weight in gold I'd be forced to take the gold.
Active, serious shooters will quickly appreciate the quality and usefulness of the Benchmaster. I suspect long-range varmint hunters that are seeking to drop a prairie dog on top of his mound at 900 yards will want one as well. Despite its card table type portability, easy enough to slip into the back of an SUV and so forth, once you set it up you'll understand that the clean, strong welds aren't just for show. This is one tough, durable table. It runs about five hundred dollars and its usefulness is only limited by the user's ingenuity. It is made in the U.S.A. and has a lifetime warranty, though I doubt that this warranty will ever be used.
I can't help but highly recommend the Benchmaster. There isn't anything out there remotely as good or as practical that I know of. To get yours, go to http://www.benchmasterusa.com . I can't think of any active shooter than wouldn't greatly appreciate this shooting table.
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Copyright 2010 by Randy Wakeman. All Rights Reserved.
