Not answering for S&W but for me…the way his gun is in the picture, mine will balance just like that without me touching or holding it. It’s a lot more stable than a window ledge…they will teeter on a window ledge. Because the gun is so stable I don’t need my elbow rested on a ledge or shelf but the way I’m setup, my right elbow normally will sit on the ledge too.

I'm sure you've shot prone, or from a bench/table. Everything is on the same plane, flat. My stand is no different than sitting in a chair at the range, shooting from the bench. I can use a rear bag under my forearm if I want. Most of the time my right arm is resting on the window opening. Having the shooting rest at window level, all the way around the stand with full window openings opens up just about any shooting position you need to get into, quickly. I can also use my bipod with a rear bag and sometimes do. I build my stands around the idea of being able to shoot from it, in any direction at any moment. For concealment, you only need about 12" on two mating walls to make a solid corner.

Put enough shelves and hooks/hangers.

I put a lot of thought into the blinds that I have built, and I wouldn't change much.
I did insulate the roof and that made the difference that I wanted. But insulating the walls and the floor would be a nice improvement.

I may have to copy this one when I build one this spring. Did you use some sort of metal sockets for the 4x4 posts to attach to the floor?
Also how do you get up in that thing?

Im not making any progress explaining my concept so Ill wait till I can get pics.

Yes, they are called elevator brackets. A lot of companies make these, just google deer stand elevator brackets. I have a very solid blocked, glued and screwed ladder that's about 52" tall. Walk right up, and into a your chair.

make legs out od steel NOT WOOD.

On floor lay a piece of unattached carpet. if owls or coons move in, pull out that carpet and throw it away, put in another one.

Arrange windows so that deer cannot see through blind. Arrange windoows offset, so that deer cannot see through blind. Better to conceal you.

Most of my blinds were made by me. Since I hunted by myself, I went with 4’x4’, but should have done 4’x5’. All treated wood construction, with normal framing and T-111 siding. Floors are 3/4” treated plywood. Carpeted floors. Full width Plexiglass windows that I made, where the plexiglass can be open, closed or partly open. Just slide them with a finger. All with tin roofs. Doors are 2’ wide and full height. No insulation, but all have heaters. All blinds have shelving. All cracks and crevices are foamed on the inside and siliconed on the outside. All but one stand are 4’ or 5’ elevated, using 4by4 treated posts.

Things I would change: 4’x4’ is just a bit too small. Works Ok, but 5’ by 5’ would be better, and square beats rectangular unless you hunt with another person.

I built mine 15 years ago and it either about to be trashed or remodeled

The bottom is 7 ft so my head as I sit is about 10-11 ft

1. I had made it taller, prob 12-15 bottom w head in the 18-20 ft range
2. I’d have made a ledge to shoot from
3. I’d have insulated it

And if I wanted to spend the extra, I’d built it off a trailer so it’s easy to move the other changes is pennies

Thanks for all the input, gents! Most of these things I have in the stand already, but love hearing the additional ideas. The stand I hunt out of was designed by my wife’s grandpa who was a lifelong hunter, so there was a lot of wisdom put into it. 6x8 with shelves, rifle rests, dedicated leaning spots, sealed really well, etc. Main thing I wanted to do differently to it was shorter and wider windows (I’ve been spotted in it before, but have better covering now) and am adding some shadow boxes to the outside of the windows…just to give a bit more shade when the sun is out. It does have a full size door and plenty of standing room, which works for me at 6’5. Her grandpa was around the same height. It’s got solar on it powering a couple large car batteries and inverters running AC power for the switches and lights, but I’ve swapped those out for more efficient DC powered red LED strips

Doesnt seem like you need much advice. I think its good to ask though. Can you elaborate (or pics) on the "rifle rests" and "dedicated leaning spots"?

I’m hunting out of a good one but it is aged and will need rebuilding this next season and I’ve yet to build one on my own before, so figured it was worth asking!

Let me see if I can dig through for some pics. The window shelves are 10” deep, great for resting bags on to rest the rifle and plenty of elbow room for me to lean on and get steady. The shelves have a rubber mat on them that’s probably 5/8” thick or so as well, just to offer some smooth sound dampening when setting things down on the shelves (but not on the storage shelves)

The leaning spots are notches in each corner, the shelf is notched with I’d say a 2x2” square inset. Probably a bit larger than that and the rubber is notched about that size, to let the rifle lean against the rubber and not knock it over. It’s nice to have when getting settled in. Example being when I walk into the stand, I set the butt on the floor and lean the rifle barrel into that little inset so as I’m setting down my bags or taking layers off/putting them on and bump the rifle, it doesn’t fall over

Has anyone come up with a good door design similar to the kind that Deerview sells that just fit in a cut out?

Find an old trashed out camper trailer and get the door off of it.

Two pics - one I circled the gun leaning cut out. On this side the rubber overhangs the shelf. The opposite corner of the stand has another where the shelf is cut in a little more than the rubber so the barrel only touches the rubber. Second pic shows how the rifle rests on the shelf and a better look at the thickness of the rubber

We used the same windows from McCoys and haven't had any issues so far with them, would use them again in a heart beat. The elevator brackets have also worked out well along with the LP smart siding. Wish I would have used a wider window in the front but it still does the job. Blind has only been out there since 2019.

Always slope roof away from entry. Steel wool in cracks or corrugations. Small fold up table in corner if there's room, good for gear bag or backpack. (can use as a seat for those youngans too). Carpeted gun rests ( I like indoor/outdoor). Adjustable office chair helps with window height, and comfort, and naps.

nice stand

put shingles on. A limb fell and damaged the roof over the summer. Now I have a leak and 2 sheets of plywood rotting.

I should have added side view windows and painted inside black. Still can just haven’t messed with it yet

Here is mine that me and my son built. He can weld so thats why we went this way. I wish its lighter but then this thing is a beast! As you can see it survived a tornado. We jacked it up bit by bit then once high enough pulled it on up with a rope. I built a wood sled and moved it. 1.5 inch sq tubing is the frame. Plywood all around with the floor 3/4". Inside has plywood walls up to the shooting windows. Being in the metal roofing business I put camo metal panels all around and fished the 3 sides. Only the roof bottom panels got bent on the fall....I just pulled it out by hand....its fine. 5x7 .....I guess I could have made the shooting windows a little wider on the long sides but its fine for my applications. Legs and ladder are all metal. Door is a self made wooden door with the camo metal on the outside. Flashing above all windows are bent out to keep MOST water out. The wooden walls inside allow a shelf and places to hang things. Windows are plexiglass Home Depot cut for me. The legs will come out of the larger sq tubing welded to the bottom of stand

I have steel cables attached to t post now on all for sides....lesson learned