ML Off Season---Shooting Rail for "Wings" on Cheap Ladder Stands

gleason.chapman · 03-01-2009, 05:15 AM

Many of you have followed my off season improvements for wings on cheap River's Edge or Comfort Zone tree Stands: http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/tm.aspx?m=3327230

Complete assembly of these stand improvements are here:
http://www.the-gleasons.com/How%20to%20make%20Wings%20for%20Ladder%20Stands.pd f

This is a ladder stand with "Wings", the wings are 2 pieces of 3/4" pressure treated plywood attached to the foot support of the cheap ladder stand. A shooting rail from Cabelas is $44 and cuts of about4" of space between you and the tree, becuse the seat on these cheap stands is sosmall you feel like yourgonna fall out of the stand, therefore I designed this shooting rail, which is cheaper and does not take ANY space against the tree.

I made a shooting rail yesterday in about4 hours formy "Wings Ladder Stands", hereis theshooting rail finished and installed in a Ladder Tree Stand with Wings.

Here is what you need to buy or have on hand:

2 pieces 21" long of aluminuum tubing 1.5" for bottom of L
2 pieces of 42" long1" steel tubing for up part of the L
1 41" 3/4 steeltubing for shooting rail
2 3" 3/8" bolts for bottom of the L
4 2.5" 3/8" bolts for the triangle partholding the L together at the bottom
1 2.5" 3/8" bolt for the right L, this holdsone sideof the shooting rail
1 3.5" fully threaded bolt for theleft L, this has 3 nuts to hold a washer to hold the shooting rail tight
1 36" piece of foam to cover the shooting rail.

Chap

Here is the finishedShooting Railinstalled in a tree stand, note you do NOT have to crawl under the rail, it flips over to the side so you can get out of the stand easily. Also there is NO foot room loss to the wings, you can still shoot to the left, to the right and stand up stand on a wing and shoot behind you. The rail is about 8" from the front of the Wing. You flip it up to the right to get out of the stand.

gleason.chapman · 03-01-2009, 05:16 AM

As your setting in the stand, this is the left side "L" to support the rail. This is the top of the L showing the 3.5" 3/8" bolt with 3 nuts holding the shooting rail. Notice a large washer keeps the rail in place. I intend to use some plastic coated wire to hold the rail in place.
Chap

gleason.chapman · 03-01-2009, 05:22 AM

Here is the bottom of the L on the Left Hand side, notice the brace on the up support. All bolts are 3/8". Chap

gleason.chapman · 03-01-2009, 05:25 AM

This is the Right hand L support showing the shooting rail and the holes drilled in the bottom part of the L to attach to the "Wings Tree Stand". I give you exact measurements on where the holes should be drilled in the graphic. The top rail is 3/4" tubing the UP supports are 1" steel and the bottom supports are 1.5" aluminum. Chap

gleason.chapman · 03-01-2009, 05:47 AM

I intend to take a cordless drill out into the woods where my Wings Ladder stand is and use the pre-drilled holes as a guide to place these L supports in place on the plywood. Here is what I intend to do:

Chap

gleason.chapman · 03-01-2009, 05:34 PM

Here is a picture of the shooting rail installed on the Wings of the Ladder Stand.

Chap

gleason.chapman · 03-01-2009, 06:04 PM

Here is the left L showing how it is attached to the Left side of the Wing of the ladder stand. Note it is install on the BOTTOM of the Wing, so you do NOT have to give up any foot room. I used 3/8 carriage bolts, 3" long with washer and lock washer. Nice and strong. Note you can put your weight on the rail, but you can definitely put your gun weight on the rail, no problem.
Chap

gleason.chapman · 03-01-2009, 06:09 PM

Here is setting in the tree stand, with the shooting rail level and the right hand support of the shooting rail. Note the foam over the shooting rail. Note that the rail is level.
Chap

HuntAway · 03-02-2009, 03:55 AM

Thanks for that Chapman!!! You just saved me $50.00. Much appreciated.

gleason.chapman · 03-02-2009, 04:09 AM

Quote:

ORIGINAL: HuntAway

Thanks for that Chapman!!! You just saved me $50.00. Much appreciated.

Amen, glad I could help. It cost me about $4 for the bolts, washers and nuts and about $3 for the foam to go over the rail, the rest of the metal came from my friend, who gave me old stop sign tubing.
You could use plastic white plumming pipe also painted camo, that is cheap and strong.
Chap