getting ready to hang a shoulder mount on the wall...will a lag bolt into a stud hold this or do I need to place a header in the wall....feels pretty heavy... looking for a bit of input from someone who has one on the wall

No expert here by any means, but I would think a lag bolt into a stud would work fine. That's what I did with mine and it hasn't fallen down yet. I wouldn't think it would be that heavy, but somewhere in the 30lb range is what I think mine weighs. I did solder a washer onto the head of the lag bolt to make sure the hanger wouldn't slip off the head of the bolt.

As long as you get the bolt solidly into the stud, it will work fine. I have 8 big critters: 2 Caribou, 2 Moose, a bugling Elk, 2 Buffalo, and a Kudu all hanging on bolts in studs.

test1328's idea of a washer onto the bolt head is good.

I found some 3" washer head torex screws that provide plenty of strength and a wide head that won't let the critter slip off.

Hey man, come by the house. I've got my Kudu and Oryx hung with 3/8" lags into the stud. Holding pretty well. Probably similar in weight.

Not a Mountain Caribou....but it is on my wall.



Lag bolts work for walls as do masonry nails in brick.

IMO anything will do, as long as it's securely in the wall.

I have hung big moose antlers from two lags on adjacent studs when possible... They get shaken a bit around here and I have seen nails fail... Lags give me a LOT more gooder feeling...

Thanks guys...

I had all my heads hung on studs using lags.
Went through a minor earthquake & nothing came down.