Gun boot or rack on outside 4x4?

[westernrover]

How do I handle a rifle in and out of the SUV when hunting? How do I do it better?

I have a two-row SUV with several people in it. The doors are fairly small and the rifle(s) are long. There are a bunch of ways to poke the rifle into the vehicle, but I'm not willing to muzzle people.

What I've done so far is: Open the rear cargo door. Unload the chamber/clear the rifle. Put the rifle in a soft case sideways in the cargo space. It's fairly full of stuff so the case doesn't bounce around. It gets tedious doing it fifteen times a day for ten days.

Rifles and optics are like $2000 - nothing extremely precious but not junk that I'd be willing to chuck into some hooks on the bumper and bounce through the creek.

So I've seen the Koplin gun boots that some people have on their SxS or ATV. I suppose they keep guns dry but they probably also contact and rub the rifle and optic in more places due to the full cover. I also wonder about them fitting accessories. I just have bolt actions but have used a Harris bipod before.

I have steel bumpers front and rear. I should be able to bolt or clamp on some racks or a boot loop. I'd kind of like to have the muzzle up so nobody walks in front of the muzzle ever.

I only intend to use it when I or my passengers are actively hunting. I don't live in a wet climate, but it does sometimes snow and there can be spray from the tires or dust.

Should I get a boot? Clamp a set of Y-type racks on there? Is there a vertical rack that works good? Maybe I can mount a center-console type rack on the rear bumper? I have a roof rack. Should I clamp bar-mount grip racks on the back or sides of the roof rack? Gun boot or exposed rack?

 

[Skylerbone]

I had my Model 70 stock snapped at the wrist by a Kolpin on a Canadian hunt first day out. The rear of the boot was removed for easier access (guide’s SxS) and the butt stuck out proud of the vehicle’s frame where it contacted a tree. So where you mount it matters. Mine sits vertical between the front seats of the Pioneer.

 

[Atavar]

I’m probably too redneck for you but when people are crowded in an SUV rifles are verified chamber empty safety on and carried muzzle up between the knees of the hunter when actively hunting. For transport they are in cases in the boot.
We’re too poor for those fancy external weather cases.

 

[Chuck R.]

I've got a 2 gun rack mounted on my roff roll bar similar to this:



It's safe and secure, but not the quickest to deploy...

 

[Jeff62]

I have a Kolpin boot mounted on my atv. It came with a well made zipper case that fits inside the plastic boot. I like it.

 

[jmorris]

In my Jeeps I made an overhead mount that is simple, keeps it out of the way/sight and works well.



Don’t really have a good photo of the one on the mule but it’s a boot someone gave me attached to the expanded metal with two 1”x1/8” aluminum straps. Fine even in the rain, the fuzzy liner stays completely dry. Going to get an XL to see if it will hold an AR with a thermal, so I don’t have to hold my hand over the eyepiece rubber traveling from one place to another to kill pigs.



I have some racks on a 4 wheeler but between dust and mud, they generally hold tree trimmers.

 

[Bazoo]

I'd say you're too worried about people walking in front of the muzzle. I don't mean being muzzled, but when cased / booted with empty chambers for travel, I don't see a problem.

Guns between knees can be a safe way, particularly with empty chambers.

Sorta pends on your hunting partners. If they are conscience of it, muzzling isn't an issue. If they ain't, it's a calculated risk being around them.

 

[Skylerbone]

If they ain't, it's a calculated risk being around them.

m

If they ain’t safe, they ain’t my huntin buddy.

 

[jmorris]

Found a better photo of the Plano gunslinger boot on the mule.

I used some plastic spacers 3/4” inch thick between the boot and expanded metal, fender washers on the other side.

 

[Varminterror]

Nothing sticking out to run into anything, but I covered a lot of miles with rifles and shotguns in a Kolpin boot. There’s a sock inside to buffer the firearm against the hard plastic.

 

[BigBL87]

Found a better photo of the Plano gunslinger boot on the mule.

I used some plastic spacers 3/4” inch thick between the boot and expanded metal, fender washers on the other side.

View attachment 1038690

I work a couple minutes away from the Plano outlet store, they had a bunch of these for like $15.99 when I stopped by today. Didn't see if it came with the brackets though.

 

[jmorris]

I work a couple minutes away from the Plano outlet store, they had a bunch of these for like $15.99 when I stopped by today. Didn't see if it came with the brackets though.

I’ll make you a deal, get me one and send it to me and I will send you a set of brackets for yours.

They won’t have the brackets I made above but you can get 1x1/8” aluminum from many hardware stores and it’s pretty easy to bend into shape.

 

[BigBL87]

I’ll make you a deal, get me one and send it to me and I will send you a set of brackets for yours.

They won’t have the brackets I made above but you can get 1x1/8” aluminum from many hardware stores and it’s pretty easy to bend into shape.

Thanks, I don't have any use for it though. I was just more mentioning it in case anybody would want one, as long as they'd pay shipping I'd send one if anyone did.

 

[westernrover]

I'd say you're too worried about people walking in front of the muzzle. I don't mean being muzzled, but when cased / booted with empty chambers for travel, I don't see a problem.

Guns between knees can be a safe way, particularly with empty chambers.

Sorta pends on your hunting partners. If they are conscience of it, muzzling isn't an issue. If they ain't, it's a calculated risk being around them.

It's not the cased/booted rifle that I'm concerned about. It's the handling that it takes to put it in the case and to take it out. I clear the chamber before doing so, but I would much rather not muzzle anyone while racking or unracking the rifle.

There's several pictures of overhead transverse mounts in this thread. So to put the rifle up into that mount or to take it down, the seat opposite the muzzle has to be vacated first. I'm not saying you can't keep the muzzle up and pointed away, but if it just falls a bit while wiggling it into the mount then you'll be muzzling your passenger or driver. Maybe you don't have one, but my vehicle is full.

Besides that, one of my rifles is 48" long. My 4x4's headliner is only just that wide.

 

[Bazoo]

It's not the cased/booted rifle that I'm concerned about. It's the handling that it takes to put it in the case and to take it out. I clear the chamber before doing so, but I would much rather not muzzle anyone while racking or unracking the rifle.

There's several pictures of overhead transverse mounts in this thread. So to put the rifle up into that mount or to take it down, the seat opposite the muzzle has to be vacated first. I'm not saying you can't keep the muzzle up and pointed away, but if it just falls a bit while wiggling it into the mount then you'll be muzzling your passenger or driver. Maybe you don't have one, but my vehicle is full.

Besides that, one of my rifles is 48" long. My 4x4's headliner is only just that wide.

Ah, I see now.

 

[jmorris]

It's not the cased/booted rifle that I'm concerned about. It's the handling that it takes to put it in the case and to take it out. I clear the chamber before doing so, but I would much rather not muzzle anyone while racking or unracking the rifle.

There's several pictures of overhead transverse mounts in this thread. So to put the rifle up into that mount or to take it down, the seat opposite the muzzle has to be vacated first.

I always load the over head rack in #6 with muzzle out my window, not the passenger side. If you are worried about sweeping them, certainly you wouldn’t even think about shooting across their lap. Shoot a high power rifle with the muzzle inside a vehicle once and you’ll understand why I shoot out the window closest to me or get out (muzzle first) but it also makes it impossible to sweep anyone inside the vehicle.

In any case it’s not that difficult to not point a firearm at someone. We do it playing various gun games all the time. Even with the sideways UTV rack, if someone is towards the front of the vehicle, like in the seat, come in/out from the back. If they are towards the rear, in/out from the front.

Too many people to either side? Mount it length wise.



Have issue with pointing the muzzle where you were just sitting, or where you are going to be once you finish racking the thing? Turn it around.



Nothing but crowds in your area, you might want muzzle up storage, those are all over the place. Most with more security for when the officer leaves the patrol vehicle.

Besides that, one of my rifles is 48" long. My 4x4's headliner is only just that wide.

Sounds like it will fit then, if it won’t, congratulations, you now have a legitimate reason to acquire a new rifle, suited for what you want to do with it.

 

[Zerodefect]

Smash out one of the side rear windows of your SUV's cargo area. Replace with a steel door. Maybe even a full width ball bearing slide tray.

Tons of wheelers do exactly this for a slide out tool tray.

 

[lightman]

I have a Kolpin boot mounted on my atv. It came with a well made zipper case that fits inside the plastic boot. I like it.

This is what I just did for mine. I bolted the mount in the bed close to the back glass, barrel down butt stock up. It has a padded cloth liner in it. So far I'm happy with it. Its roomy enough for a rifle with a hunting scope but I doubt that a larger Varmint scope will fit.

I looked at one of the Police type mounts that holds the gun up right but I occasionally go through water that gets up into the inside floor. Plus occasionally a third person rides in the front seat.

When I had the crew cab Polaris I used a padded case (snipers drag bag) on the back seat with a seat belt buckled around it.

 

[lightman]

m

If they ain’t safe, they ain’t my huntin buddy.

Yeah, me too! I quit hunting with my Father-in-law for that reason. When we were walking his muzzle was pretty often pointing at my head. Evertime I switch sides he switched shoulders. When I called him on it he was pretty quick to tell me that the Army trained him how to carry a rifle. So I quit hunting with him.

I know what some of you are thinking!!! You may be right!!!