Review: Caldwell BR Pivot and Stable Table

tt35

New member
I recieved my rotating benches a couple of days ago and got them assembled yesterday so I thought I'd give some first impressions of them for those who are interested.

Both benches were pretty straight forward to assemble. The only issue I had was that the pins for the BR Pivot legs and feet are very close in size but not the same and being male in gender, I didn't read the instructions close enough to realize it
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so I initially got two of the pins in the wrong spot. A few minutes later I was back on track. Maybe twenty minutes a piece for assembly. Only a couple of everyday tools required.

Here is a picture of a home built bench Verminator2 and I made, the BR Pivot and the Stable Table.

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First impressions? Neither bench is any more stable than our home built bench but the advantages of the rotating bench for ground squirrels and prairie dogs was immediately obvious. As I set my rifle up, I realized how nice it will be to "pan" for targets without leaving the rifle. Both are nice pieces of equipment but the BRP was obviously nicer in metal finish and beefier in construction which it should be at close to twice the cost of the Stable Table. The BRP also has thicker seat padding. Both benches have a provision for leveling. The ST has one adjustable leg. All three legs on the BRP are adjustable.

BR Pivot Review: Slightly textured metal finish is nice and will probably resist scratches better than standard paint. Table top is large enough even for spotting scope use. The cleaning rod holders in the top may come in handy for some and the recessed area will help keep loose cases or small rolling items in place. There is a lip around the perimeter of the top also. Breakdown is a snap. Just loosen the set screw on the bottom and top of the center post and it comes apart in three pieces for transport. Seat cushion is non-rotating. Seat height is infinitely adjustable through it range of about seven inches.

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Likes? Fit and finish. Table top size. Stability. "Feet" on the end of the legs to spread weight out and keep some dirt out of the legs.

Dislikes? Only complaint is the legs fold down as you lift the bench making repositioning the assembled bench less handy.




Stable Table Review: Painted/powder coat finish. Smooth but very slight mismatch of the leg anchor and the rest of the pieces. Breakdown is accomplished by pulling three leg pins and loosening the set screw on the table top. The seat can be removed by pulling one more pin if you would like. The seat cushion rotates slightly--maybe 30 degrees. The top is smaller than the BR but is pretty adequate for most of our things. I'd say it is pretty small for spotting scope use. Someone mentioned on the other post that they had replaced the top with one they made themselves out of plywood so that may be an option if it turns out to be too small for you. The top that comes with the ST has two holes on either side of the top to insert a rifle cradle for cleaning.

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Both benches come with three rubber pads for the feet of a front pedestal. These will protect the top but they also keep the pedestal from slidng on the plastic. The seat height on the ST is adjusted using the pin that you remove for breakdown. Not infinitely adjustable but sufficient and it will never slip.

Likes: Bench is moveable while assembled (although it is a bit of a handfull for one person). The seat position is good to put you behind the table where I prefer to shoot from anyway. The Cleaning cradle is ingenious and will be handy. There is a carry bag available for the bench which I purchased but haven't tried yet.

Dislikes: Not much. The top size is a bit tight for someone who has to have everything at their fingertips. I foresee that it will take a little more care as the bench sees more use and gets some scratches. But a quick coat of your favorite Krylon will keep it looking sharp.

Final thoughts: Both these benches are a vast improvement over the small folding bench we tried a few years ago. (Ours was a Cabela's made by San Angelo, I think.) They both can be locked to keep them from rotating if you prefer for target shooting. Are they as stable as a concrete bench? No. But they look like they both are going to serve their intended purpose well. Is the BR Pivot worth the extra money? If you are pretty anal about your equipment (i.e., have to have the best) or you need the extra bench space and money is not a big object, the BRP is awesome. Otherwise, there is nothing wrong with the ST and the cleaning stand and carry bag are nice.

We'll be field testing these tomorrow or Saturday. If we come up with anymore input, we'll post it. Let me know if you have any questions. I'll see if I can answer them for you.

As a Caldwell dealer, we will be handling both these benches. Let me know if we can help get you into one.

Tim

Additional pics:

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MSRP for the Stable Table is $229. The MSRP on the BR Pivot Synthetic is $359 and the BR with the butcher block top is $429. I'll do a little better on them for PM members. PM me your zip code if you're interested and I'll let you know what I can do shipped for you.
 
Very nice review on the shooting tables! Just one question? Did you have to read the directions to relize you were of male gender or the pins were in wrong?
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Thought I would add to this thread since I ordered a Caldwell BRP from Midway on Sunday and it arrived on Wednesday. Fantastic drop shipping from MO. There is a coupon code floating around another forum that I used for an extra $30 off. Code is 3032210 and I dont know how long it is good for but it sure worked for me! So, you get the BRP for $299 to your door. Good packing and impressed with all aspects. As noted in prior posts, the long pins go on the feet and shorter pins attach the legs. Does not say that in the instructions. About a 30 minute setup as I checked all bolts and took my time putting it together. I like this bench!
 
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