JACKAL SHOOTING PLATFORM JAKKALS NAG JAG CONCEPT 2 CHOICES READ THIS, IT IS A VERY GOOD IDEA!! Here is an idea you can also try you have two choices, use a shooting chair OR use a table kind of platform MY choice; well, I use both. Here is why I use both, if I hunt with night vision on a moon condition I DON T need an extra IR light and intensifier, then I just use the NV binoculars on its own, then I use this table as I don t need my large IR light, BUT if I hunt with NO moon, I then use my chair as I have a massive mounted IR light on it. Ok, let s say you hunt like this, or want to try this, I personally like this, especially for hunting the old style with a red light, and you can scan and spot eyes approaching, go to the rifle with a dimmer on that light and work with that unit. Typically a light on the rifle and another to scan. Then this system is great, you can rest over the table with a sandbag as a rest and have a totally stable and solid rest. The only things you need on the table is an electronic caller remote, rifle and red light or night vision binoculars. Just put on a few small sand bags for rests at each vantage point. 5-6 should cover all the areas nicely, unless you have a small bipod on your rifle. All you need is to have a swivel stoel on the bakkies bak at the back, mount it so it s dead in line with the hole or octagonal hole. I like an octagonal hole as it offers more place to put your elbow when aiming the rifle. The eight sides are very nice and well proportioned. Make the hole a size that suits your frame, but I prefer a 8 sided hole.
WHAT I LIKE IS; This is what I like, I have a canvas canopy, it is made to zip all the way closed from the tail gate, so my table top is sunken in flush with the top of the cattle railings, so I can zip it all closed in 3 seconds if it starts raining, super fast. My canvas cover is made with a zip that is 4 inches inwards from the sides above, so it closes fast if I need it to. And the sunken table top isn t in anybody s way. If it rains I have NOTHING sticking out and nothing can get damaged in the rain etc. The canvas zip stops 50cm behind the cab, and I fasten it at that spot. All nice and neat, just like I want it to. I am a perfectionist and like all my equipment to be perfect. I use an 18mm piece of chipboard and fit the carpet to that, but then it s about 2mm below the trailies top. The carpet helps to remove noises etc, my friend also made one like this but used a rubber mat on top of his platform. But it is extra weight; the method I used is lighter. The measurements I used on this task are; My Hard body is a LWB, so space is no problem; here are basic measurements I decided upon. After this I still have about a metre at the back to use. The Octagonal HOLE is 70cm in size. The platform on each side to rest a rifle etc is 38cm wide. The overall width is 1,450 wide by 1,380 long. I fitted the cross member to the sides and used a piece of 2 square piece of Oregon pine. I then resin covered it to seal against weather and then bolted the top platform to that. The L shaped bracket I fastened with 2 bolts on each side.
Here are pictures of the cross member BEFORE the resin and black paint. It comes off fast with two wing nuts on each end. It was the plan to make it light but very stable, and this design is totally solid. This photo below shows the front of the trucks bak, it has a shelf to put batteries on etc, but here you can see the second cross member, this bar is 30 cm from the front of the trailies. You can clearly see the two nuts holding the side brackets in place. Another picture above from another angle showing the bar with the extra shelf. It was my aim that after the platform is completed that the canvas cover can still go over the bakkie and the platform will not interfere with it at all, this way I can go to a stand with the cover on, and then just zip it open when ready to make a stand. It is an ideal design and totally stable and with a sand bag or bipod at night you cant miss!
I show this concept in an easy to follow way so if somebody wants to build one then they can easily see what I did, especially for people who are not so good with their hands - this will help. This is a close up photo from the side, the inside gap between the two bars is 130cm, but with the cover put on it will become a hole size of 70cm. Remember if you are a bigger guy or smaller just make that hole to suit yourself and your frame. I made mine just a nice size hole to be able to hold a night vision binoculars and turn in a circle when I am sitting on a swivel chair. Here are a few pictures of the platform taking shape. This is the corner brackets with strengtheners underneath, a good elbow rest The secret to woodwork is to always keep square then your end result will be perfect! I made 4 triangles, and another angled piece for the sides, and then fasten it underneath, makes perfectly triangular corners and with the carpet on top will be 100% perfect, the corners just ad to the stability of the concept, another place to rest your elbow when shooting. The idea is just to have a rifle and light / dimmer on top of this platform with a night vision unit also with you, neat and tidy! The batteries rest on that shelf behind the cab underneath (shown in the previous photos) this idea is nice, neat and tidy, geen ander kak wat wys nie! Easy to pack up and leave to another stand, maak die lewe baie makliker! If you are relaxed, confident and everything is in good working order you will feel more confident on any hunt.
In this photo notice the corners are fitted and it is now an octagonal shape, as I mentioned before I prefer the 8 sided shapes, as it allows the hunter to rest or shoot with a solid rest because of an elbow helper so to speak. The photo s that come next makes the top look like its 7 metres wide, but it is on the inside a width of 1,450 by 1,380 long. I decided upon making the complete platform with wood, as its lighter and less noisy, steel is heavy and it is generally harder to work with. My next one for the other bakkie I will make with an aluminium frame and a hardboard cover, it will weight nothing at all then. These two photos below show that it is just under the top of the trailies, the carpet will be fitted on top and the canvas canopy with go over the concept, and then when I want to call, I just zip open the canvas. Notice small draai stoel under the hole. See the platform lies just below the top of the tralies and it stops 60cm short from the back in case somebody wants to sit at the back on a small chair.
All ready now just to fit the carpet- it now rests just below the top of the cattle rails. I love a perfectly laid out bakkie, and this platform gives me perfect height and a perfect rest. Here in this photo below I have started cutting out the shape and tacking it down, the end result is great and when I got this far I was anxious to get out and try it! It helps having spare carpet lying around the farm! If not what the heck just go rip up the wife s spare bedroom carpet! We had tiles put down a while ago so I kept most of the pulled out old carpets.
Hope you enjoyed this idea, try make one, it s a real good idea if you are going away to a farm on holiday, this way you can also call, and not have to take a big skiet stoel, and this is also out of the way and a neater option hidden under the canvas cover. I just decided to ad this to my site as I get so many references like this one, and it also helps other farmers / hunters I mailed this article to a few people, and many of them commented that this will be copied by a lot of hunters as it s a really great idea. The final pictures look great. HERE IS THE FINAL PROJECT; Now you can go out and call, and pack in snacks and sleeping bag, go call, and afterwards at about 11 at night move to the next spot, have coffee and move over the small chair, close the canvas and sleep, wake up at 3 and call again, then at daybreak drive back to the farm. You are warm inside the back and if it rains who cares as nothing gets wet!
Here the top is zipped open, 20cm from the sides and 50 cm back and front, it has a flap that goes over the zips, and is waterproof. I put in a mesh window for when we sleep inside at night, then after a hunt you can go sleep, and stand up again at 3 and call till its light again. All you do is zip it closed on top. The platform is great or the shooting chair is inside just the lights stick out. The flap over the roof can roll up but I leave it to reduce the glare at night. This is an awesome concept, great for NAG JAG VAN JAKKALSE!!! If I use the table top as shown in earlier photos it rests just below the canvas, and all you see is a hole on the top this is a great concept.
In case you wonder why I pluck all photos with my address it is really simple some people steal photos for forums etc etc this way it prevents internet theft. PHOTO 2 Here is the hole with the chair in the centre, it swivels within the opening and can close fast if it rains. The arm of the chair drops down and it is closed up totally in 5 seconds. The red cord is just to keep the canvas from sagging to much when the top is closed. I love this principal, very neat and tidy.
If you want to go out at night and hunt and keep warm, inside this with the back door closed its warm! And if it rains you simply zip it closed, summer it is nice with a chair, but winter I use the table top and either way its warm, dry and very neat, and you can sleep inside also if you need to wake up at 3, have coffee and a rusk and go on calling! GOOI!!! As I said before, I like this also with a platform with a hole because I can scan with Night Vision, watch an animal approach then when close enough swop to my gun and shoot, it is simple and clean and you dont have a big chair that gets damp or wet at night, plus you can sleep inside and its far warmer at night to hunt like this. This is nice to use in winter
GENERAL PICTURES
Hi LETTER TO A FRIEND When I decided on a gun turret style, it was my idea that you can go out and call, and pack in snacks and sleeping bag, go call, and afterwards at about 11 at night move to the next spot, have coffee and move over the small chair, close the canvas and sleep in the back of the truck, wake up at 3 and call again, then at daybreak drive back to the farm. You are warm inside the back and if it rains who cares as nothing gets wet. This appeals greatly to me; I have made the canvas that it zips open from 4 inches inside the top on both sides, like opening a can of tuna! And the hole on top is open, I have my gun and NV or red light and scan, then it s all clean and tidy. I am fitting a new canvas later in this month and will take photos with this concept. Also at night its warm inside so you don t freeze at the back of the truck. And the gun with you at night is warm inside the back of the truck. If you plan to sleep two guys can sleep easily inside the long wheel base also, I have a small roll up mattress and a sleeping bag. I love this concept, and with a table top you shoot with a DEAD REST, no movement and you can t miss really. I have three sand bags to put my gun in when shooting or putting in when driving so it won t move etc. This is a brilliant idea I had, and will always use it, its far better than an open truck with a chair that is open to cold, wet, dew and rain, late at night sometimes it is wet with dew, and everything gets wet, with this top, nothing gets wet! If you use this canvas with a shooting chair simply take out the table top, and put in the swivel chair with lights, if it rains etc, all you do is zip it closed again, nice and simple and neat and tidy! Now in winter I can use it with the top with a hole and in summer an open top with a swivel chair, and also IT IS conspicuous on the road and nobody will know you are a hunter operating at night when it is closed up, this is another reason I like to use this system. Often at petrol stations I am asked what I am doing with a weird looking chair etc, to avoid problems I always say I am making a movie/ advert for a company up the road from here.hanna hanna, and that kills all interest, the less you talk or mention hunting to strangers in SA the better! (You learn the hard way). Regards Gary