What’s the best wat to affix a mount to a wall. Is it simply drive a large nail in partially and hang the mount. or are there better alternatives?
Assume that there is adequate support in the wall itself.
Thanks

If going into a stud, I like to use a 2.5-3" screw, at roughly a 45 degree angle. Bigger the mount, bigger the screw.

With smaller (Impala, etc.) size mounts, I will use an anchor in straight drywall if there's not a stud where I want the mount.

For the Cape Buffalo, I put a 4" long, 3/8" lag bolt into the stud, everything else just uses 4" wood screws.

(I have 6" studs in the exterior walls)

mounts are about 90% foam.
they look heavy because the animal weighed a bunch when there was bones and meat there.
but stuff like a 300 lb mule deer head weighs all of 20 lbs when taxidermied 7-8 of that is antler weight.
an elk is @ 40 lbs depending again on antler mass.
larger stuff weighs more of course and for something big like a Buffalo or a large moose I would run a board across 2 studs and then go into that with my hanger.

quote:

Originally posted by Lamar:
mounts are about 90% foam.
they look heavy because the animal weighed a bunch when there was bones and meat there.
but stuff like a 300 lb mule deer head weighs all of 20 lbs when taxidermied 7-8 of that is antler weight.
an elk is @ 40 lbs depending again on antler mass.
larger stuff weighs more of course and for something big like a Buffalo or a large moose I would run a board across 2 studs and then go into that with my hanger.

A 300 pound Mule Deer head!!!!!

Spax screws are by far the best. They have a large head and will go thru wood with out striping. They can hold a lot of weight.

I'm not so good with comma's comas commas.
those little squiggly things at the bottom like where a period would go.

that and...
I'm pretty positive mine weighed about that much last year after hauling it out of that canyon for over 3 hours.

My only concern with the Buff was that the weight is all in the horns and they are located 4 feet away from the wall. (A long lever)

Really old looking buff.

Thumbs up.

BH63

I use barn nails in my log walls, an heavy bolts in my 1x12s on one wall.

An Alaska Yukon shoulder mount is a heavy beast; I think I used two lag bolts on mine. My 2 Cape buff mounts are not nearly as heavy, but they don't have huge horns like a moose.

An eland is a heavy mount as well.

I just picked up my latest Cape buff mount (from Jonas Bros) yesterday, and the thing is heavier than hell.

It was all I could do to carry from my truck to my living room. I estimate it to weigh maybe 100 lbs.

I don't remember my other two buff mounts weighing this much. I am certainly going to go with heavy lag bolts or something designed to hold 60-100 lbs.

BTW I removed a shoulder mount of an elk from the wall this morning (rearranging mounts) and it didn't weigh even half as much as the new buff mount.

BH63

For a euro mount the Skull Hooker works well. A recent addition to my trophy room. Weighs 35 lbs.