On the wall that is.

I'm anticipating my shoulder mounts being shipped this month. Largest is an Eland, smallest a Steenbok with several in-between. The walls being used are standard drywall with 16" centers. Are the larger mounts likely to need special hardware in order to not pull out or damage the wall? I guess I don't care so much about the wall as the trophy being damaged in a rather long fall. Are nails in the studs the only safe option? What do you all use?
Thanks for the input.

For the heavy stuff, I use screws in the studs instead of nails. And I drive them in at a slight angle upward.

Ditto what Jim said. If the studs don't line up where you want the mount to go, I have used 1/2 inch plywood cut to the shape of the back of the mount which is then screwed to the studs and/or use anchors in the drywall as needed. My eland probably weighs 40 lbs, the buff about 65?

You might want to try lag bolts in the studs. That worked well for my cape buff. Also it's nice to have a contractor/hunting buddy to help!!

I agree that lag bolts are the best option for the heavier mounts. 1/4 inch diameter seem to work well.

Bill

Use a stud finder and then drill a 1/8" hole hole to insert 1/4x2.5" lag bolts.

You will never have a critter fall as long as the mount has a good anchor point on the back. If it's just a hole drilled in plywood, screw a 2"x2" metal L-shapped flat bracket so the right angle is at the top of the drilled hole with each leg of the bracket going down at a 45 deg. angle on each side of the hole. -TONY

Lag bolts are good on the really heavy stuff. My life-sized mountain lion mount is designed to be mounted on two lag bolts set 16 inches apart. For the shoulder mounts, I use heavy steel hooks I found a Lowe's Building Supply that take two screws. I use long screws in studs for the heavy ones and nylon screw anchors in the drywall for the lighter ones - again using two screws per mount.

I have used the appropriately sized screws and small lag bolts. I have some very big stuff handing on the walls, and in one room have 35 African animals hanging on the walls; some in studs, some in the dry wall (the very light stuff). Some of it is heavy enough to require 2-3 people to get it up to hang.

I've always bent the screws forming an L bolt. On heavier stuff I use lag bolts
and heat them to bend them. Of course the screw head or bolt head needs to be cut off. A hacksaw or bolt cutter works okay for this. I've hung (and moved and rehung) hundreds of heads for myself and others and have yet to have one crash.
Rich Elliott

Ditto on the 1/4 inch lag bolts into the studs - just drill a smaller diameter pilot hole and use a ratchet to put it in the wall.....easy and strong (they hold a 27" TV wall mount so they will hole any animal mount)

Thanks everyone! Lag bolts it is. I'm not aware of what the back (flat) surface of the mounts will look like, but whether simple holes or hoops, I've layed in a supply of lag bolts. I'm a bit surprised at the weights you've mentioned too. I just never thought to ask when I was at the shop in Jo'burg. I already have a scaffold lined up. When Its all up, photos of "your" work will be posted in the "T Rooms" section.
Gary

On my trophies all are holes that have been covered with metal plates with cut outs in the metal over the mounting holes in order to make sure that your mount does not come crashing down. I have even copied and made them for some of my North American mounts.