Tips & Tactics

Shooting Rail Lifter

Shooting Rail Lifter

By Steven Purdy

My tip is a result of wanting to adjust the height of the shooting rail on my metal ladder stand after I moved it to a new location.

After setting up my stand, I realized the shooting rail needed to be higher because the lay of the land was different than the previous location.

I used my imagination and came up with a simple homemade remedy using two square-shouldered U-bolt clamps and two PVC pipe couplings.

The idea was to have something sturdy and quiet attached beneath each of the rail arms to raise the shooting bar to the height needed.

The PVC rings are the braces, and the clamps simply hold them in place.

Place a PVC coupling on top of each arm of the stand, beneath the rail, then slide the couplings toward the back of the stand until the rail is raised to the desired height.

The closer to the hinges you get, the higher the rail will be.

Bring a rifle to test the height and get it just right, then clamp the PVC rings in place with the U-bolt clamps. I suppose a hose clamp or heavy-duty zip tie would also work well for securing the coupling.

Shooting Rail LifterI bring a roll of black duct tape too, and wrap some around any protruding parts of the U-bolt clamp. This prevents my clothing from catching on it.

You’ll find this method also works well for raising and lowering your shooting rails to accommodate different sized hunters.

A tall person might need the rail to be raised significantly higher than a child or shorter hunter. Parents will appreciate the ability to raise shooting rails as their children grow.

So, here’s what you’ll need to bring to your stand:

To secure the PVC coupling rings, bring two U-bolt clamps (square-shouldered, not round). They need to be large enough to fit over the stand arms and bottom of the PVC ring.

For the slider rings, bring two, PVC couplings. They should be from 1-inch to 4-inches in diameter, depending on how high you need to raise the shooting rail.

Also bring black duct tape and a wrench to secure U-bolt clamps.

If you have a unique or special tip you’d like to share with Buckmasters fans, please email it to huntingtips@buckmasters.com and, if chosen, we will send you a cap signed by Jackie Bushman, along with a knife!

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