Mountain bike gun rack?

[tionico]

Zach, yes, those bits could be made to work. My main reason for not starting there, and I thought about it, is that the gun is behind the rider, and not too accessible from astride the bike, feet flat on the ground. Another, the gun would have to be either vertical, or tilted rearward at the stock. You'd not be able to angle the muzzle rearward and stock forward, as the rider would be in way of it. I would not fully trust the wire ties, particularly the thin ones you illustrated (maybe you meant those as "generic example", and would use the eighth inch or heavier ones). I'd want something permanent and physical to positively prevent the scabbard working its way axially until it hits something.

Depending on the Q-factor of the bottom bracket, there may be sufficient space between the frame's main tubes and the rider's legs and pedals to mount the hard case scabbard, muzzle down and forward, but to clear the front wheel as it steers, then angled up and rearward to put the buttplate behind the rider. Again, I'd have to see it. Slung nearly horizontal just below the top tube is another possibility.

Yet one more position to explore would be muzzle down and rearward, scabbard based in a sort of socket at the non-drive side rear dropout, and coming up alongside, or close to alongside, the non drive seatstay. The butt would likely end up ahead of the seatpost, and, depending on the angle of the seatstay, may or may not be clear of the rider. That may, if it works, be the best position of all.... rigidly mounted, out of the way, readily accessible to rider, even astide the bike, feet on ground, protected in almost any unplanned excursions into the rough, close to the CG of the bike, and so close the centreline of the bike it won't make a bit of difference except for the deadweight of it.

If I had the bike here..........

I do like the hard plastic scabbard, though, far above the hide one. Absolutely waterproof, sufficiently rigid as to protect it in a fall, waterproof IF cap is properly fitted....

 

[mattg521]

Some kind of bike-athalon? That would be awesome!

That topic has come up around the shop a couple of times

 

[ZachS]

Yet one more position to explore would be muzzle down and rearward, scabbard based in a sort of socket at the non-drive side rear dropout, and coming up alongside, or close to alongside, the non drive seatstay. The butt would likely end up ahead of the seatpost, and, depending on the angle of the seatstay, may or may not be clear of the rider. That may, if it works, be the best position of all.... rigidly mounted, out of the way, readily accessible to rider, even astide the bike, feet on ground, protected in almost any unplanned excursions into the rough, close to the CG of the bike, and so close the centreline of the bike it won't make a bit of difference except for the deadweight of it.
.

That's exactly what I was thinking... But like you said, so many variables.

 

[alphapygmy]

What a can of worms I opened. I'll be out in the garage today with the bike and an unloaded gun to see where all it might fit. If it wasn't for the front suspension I would have put it muzzle down along the fork then up by the handle bar. We'll see after I get out there and tinker around a little.

 

[WhyteCheddar]

I used a simple inexpensive ATV handle bar rack. Worked perfectly. YMMV

 

[alphapygmy]

I used a simple inexpensive ATV handle bar rack. Worked perfectly. YMMV

I think I'm going to give the handlebar rack a try, if that goes awry I'll get a rear cargo rack and strap it to that. I strapped some weight to my handlebars and rode a little and it wasn't too bad. Since all the roads I ride on are gated logging roads I don't think I'll have issues with the extra width, time will tell.

 

[Globemaster]

 

[rossmallick]

Hi guys-I'm using my mountain bike more and more to scout further in than I can by walking. Does anyone know if there are gun racks for mountain bikes? I'm trying to find some that carry the rifle across in front of the handle bars but I'm not seeing anything but racks for ATVs or racks to hang your bike for storage. Anyone else go through this? Thanks

I have been trying to fit rifles on bicycles for years and it has taken that long to finally get some satisfactory results. First off you need to know the terrain and vegetation you will be hunting in, because that determines the best rack for the hunting conditions you face. All my equipment has been obtained from garage sales, which has kept the price down to next to nothing but has meant it has taken longer to get good results than would have happened had money been no object. I should explain the conditions I hunt in and you can judge for yourself if it is appropriate in your conditions. I hunt in heavily forested areas with limited visibility as a result, on trails ranging from good to barely passable on a bike ( I often have to get off to push over obstacles). This means I have to keep my eyes on the trail immediately ahead of me instead on the woods to the side where much of the game is likely to be. My guess is I missed at least half the game as a result. To remedy this I have put side wheels on the back (like kids training wheels only bigger) from old children's bike wheels, so I can look to the side into the woods with less need to look at the ground ahead for fear of falling. It is not perfect but an improvement on the situation I had before.

As for the rack itself, I have tried everything. They are all based on child carriers parents take babies on. They are strong enough to carry babies and therefore rifles. The cases were attached to the baby seats in various ways. I tried baby seats in front of me, but this affected both vision and steering. In some positions I had to keep my knees apart to stop them bumping the gun case. Racks on handle bars can work on ATVs but is not recommended on bikes as it affects steering and creates a wide obstacle sticking out to the sides. The back is the best but if on either side of the rear wheel can create balance issues. I overcame this sometimes by having a shotgun on one side and a rifle on the other. Depending on the game it is not always worth the weight and trouble of carrying both.

The solution I came up with is a combination of a baby back seat frame which attach to the bike itself, which forms the base on which a gun bracket (essentially a plastic hole that fits a gun case in) is screwed on. This is available for ATVs from the major manufacturer of such gun carriers. Unfortunately I was never able to find a gun rack designed to fit on bicycles so had to join the bike baby seat base which is readily available with the also readily available ATV gun rack. Actually the gun rack is in two parts, the bracket which attaches to the baby seat base, and the gun case itself which slides down muzzle down and pointed backwards in the bracket. As it goes down over the back wheel it is dead centred for perfect sideways balance. As with any bike the extra weight over the back wheel and in this case the high centre of gravity must be taken into account. The positioning of the rifle must be carefully done to avoid the butt sticking in your upper back, and not so far down that the muzzle end hits the ground at sharp holes. Once this is done, the rifle is out of the way for both steering and visibility, and good balance is achieved. I have also attached the frame for putting in a shotgun or shooting sticks to one side of the back wheel if necessary. A side bag can also be attached on the other side of the back wheel to balance the extra gun.

As a warning, doing this creates a bumpy ride for the gun and shooting sticks. I broke an expensive shooting stick in one ride because the bouncing caused the joint locks to fail. Also though guns should be able to take the punishment, scopes often cannot or at least lose their preset zero. For this reason my more expensive variable power scoped rifles I use for long range shots are left behind and I use a shorter semi auto with a low power fixed scope which as proven able to take the worst abuse. A shorter rifle also fits better on the bike. There are now new winter bikes with very fat tires which may be ideal for this type of hunting, that will reduce the bounce considerably and provide better traction, making the side wheels less useful, but they are beyond my budget. My current bike I got free as it was left over from a garage sale when no one would buy it. As I leave my bike hidden in the woods during the hunting season, its theft will be less likely given its less than pristine condition.

I might end by pointing out why I use a bike. When I was young I used an ATV covering over 3,000 kms without ever getting a moose that season. The noise and constant movement probably reduced my chances. I now hunt out of a ground blind, walk and take the bike. In my area ATVs are banned for hunting in the morning and since I can only make day trips I only get about 4 hours hunting in the middle of the day. I would have to take my truck instead of my little SUV tripling my gas consumption making hunting uneconomical, as well as the hassle of loading and unloading it every day to prevent theft. The bike enables me to cover more ground, more quietly, and puts me into areas I could not reach on foot given the daily time constraints I am under. Ross

 

[Ligito]

The thought of a long-barrelled scoped handgun, perhaps with quidk-detach stock, is something to consider.... then it can travel in a holster at your side, or perhaps in one mounted to the top tube/head tube junction, perhaps in a Kydex holster with a finger-release catch, so it can't escape until you release it. It would be fully inboard of everything, totally safe in any unplanned excursions into the rough, yet instantly available, even whilst mounted on your steel steed.

Wouldn't you then have to carry paperwork with you, for an NFA weapon?

 

[del_and_bones]

Wouldn't you then have to carry paperwork with you, for an NFA weapon?

Disclaimer: IANAL, I own NFA items, and this is what I have gathered from reading around and talking to dealers. I may not be correct YMMV.

You are only required to "show you papers" to actual ATF agents. That being said I would carry a photocopy of the stamp, not the original, and keep it with your hunting license.