Which backpack quick draw gun bearer for Mt. biking?

[weekender7]

I can strap my rifle to the back of my back pack but I had rather have it easily accessible without having to take my backpack off. The bearer system needs to stabilize the rifle while riding without fear of it falling off. I don't know if I want the gun at my chest or on my side while riding. Suggestions please?

 

[BAKPAKR]

Are you going to be riding single track or gated roads? When I used my bike on gated roads, I just mounted a yoke type gun rack to my handlebars. It worked great and it was quick getting my rifle out. It wouldn’t work on single track though because your barrel or buttstock would catch everything.

 

[weekender7]

Gated roads. But I prefer not to have the gun on the handle bars because of the vibration. I understand it "should be OK". I just don't feel comfortable with it there. All my hunts in the past have been archery and I always just strapped my bow to the back of my pack. I never worried about needing the bow quickly. With the gun, I want it NOW lol, but also safe and comfortable.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I will try a test ride on my bike with a Kifaru Gun Bearer sometime this week and let you know what my thoughts are.

 

[weekender7]

Thank you BAKPAKR, standing by.

 

[doverpack12]

I would use the stone glacier system to keep the rifle out of your face and eliminate swinging movement as well. Still one tether strap pull away from being in your hands and ready but the rifle will ride behind your shoulder instead of in front.

 

[Mike7]

The Kifaru gun bearer is superior to everything else that I have tried for riding rough or overgrown rodes & trails without any limitation and while protecting your firearm. It is not good for a bow on a bike. For a bow, mounting as low as possible on your backpack (i.e. hanging down below your bike seat) works okay.

Having either in a padded lockable case strapped on a bike trailer is comfortable and protective, but not easily accessible of course.

 

[Mike7]

The handlebar mount only works decently at best for a shotgun on a wide open road. Handlebar carry shakes the crap out of your weapon, effects your stearing & bike handling, and gives you a big wide obstruction on the front of your bike.

The Stone Glacier carry is okay, but not as good for ducking under bushes and trees over the road.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I did a short ride around the yard tonight with my rifle in the Kifaru GunBearer. With my seat height/handle bar height, it would not work for me. The barrel was pointed slightly downward when I was riding with most of the weight on the forearm strap. That concerns me because I had the little plastic fastener on that strap snap this past winter while on skis (no damage to rifle). There was a lot of movement from side to side as well.

Based on some of the other responses to your post, I took a look at the Stone Glacier set up. I really like the looks of it. I also read that it can easily be set up on a Kifaru pack, so I am going to pick one up.

 

[Mike7]

I have had 3 different gun bearers, and never have had a failure of the plastic clamping piece luckily. It is good to have options like the SG though...but also just in case you haven't tried it, there are a lot of gunbearer adjustments that can be made for riding the bike (e.g. where the gunbearer attaches on the shoulder strap, how tight the chest & shoulder straps are, where on the hip belt the gunbearer is attached, and how far up or down the portion of the gunbearer that holds the rifle butt is adjusted.

My main SG pack actually right now uses the lower SG frame connection but with a Kifaru rifle butt holder, and I have both the SG behind the shoulder strap and Kifaru on the shoulder strap upper connections. It is all pretty interchangeable.

 

[BAKPAKR]

I love Kifaru gear and I have collected quite a bit of it over the last 15 or so years, including 4 GunBearers. The clamping piece breakage is the only issue I have had with any Kifaru item so that says a lot about the quality of the gear. I agree that there are a lot of adjustments that can be made to GunBearer. For the minimal cost, I would recommend that OP get one, and if it didn’t work as planned on the bike, it could still be used while traveling on foot.

 

[weekender7]

Thanks for all the advice/info that has been offered.