# Warren Sweat Rifleman



## Ozzie (Sep 23, 2007)

Does anybody else on here still prefer to hunt with the old Warren Sweat Rifleman plywood seat climbers?  I've seen generation after generation of new climbers come and go, but it's just hard to beat the old 14 pound rifleman stands for light weight, simplicity, and ease of putting on the tree.  

Sitting on those plywood seats is not that uncomfortable either, I have sat for 6 to 8 hours at a stretch in mine and the bolt upright position makes you concentrate on hunting and not ZZZZZ.  You can also climb almost silently in one, because they are so light you can really control how they make contact with the surface of the tree, and it's also easy to spin around the tree and change direction if the wind changes.  

When it comes to hunting equipment, sometimes the old school stuff like an old Warren and Sweat stand or a folding blade buck knife is still hard to beat!


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## potsticker (Sep 23, 2007)

Ozzie said:


> Does anybody else on here still prefer to hunt with the old Warren Sweat Rifleman plywood seat climbers?  I've seen generation after generation of new climbers come and go, but it's just hard to beat the old 14 pound rifleman stands for light weight, simplicity, and ease of putting on the tree.
> 
> Sitting on those plywood seats is not that uncomfortable either, I have sat for 6 to 8 hours at a stretch in mine and the bolt upright position makes you concentrate on hunting and not ZZZZZ.  You can also climb almost silently in one, because they are so light you can really control how they make contact with the surface of the tree, and it's also easy to spin around the tree and change direction if the wind changes.
> 
> When it comes to hunting equipment, sometimes the old school stuff like an old Warren and Sweat stand or a folding blade buck knife is still hard to beat!


I hang a couple to hunt every year. Ive customized mine. Two things, a padded seat. And pope insulation on stand arms to give you a quieter contact with a rifle. They sure beat these new stands for weight.


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## Ozzie (Sep 23, 2007)

potsticker said:


> I hang a couple to hunt every year. Ive customized mine. Two things, a padded seat. And pope insulation on stand arms to give you a quieter contact with a rifle. They sure beat these new stands for weight.



Yep!  I have mine customized the same way.  I put the pipe insulation on, and then take some camo pattern duct tape and wrap the whole thing.  What also helps is to take some of that 3M spray insulation gap sealer stuff and spray inside the tubing, it really helps to deaden any sound and makes it even more quiet.


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## drenalin08 (Sep 23, 2007)

I still use both of mine!


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## potsticker (Sep 24, 2007)

switchback said:


> I still use both of mine!


I dont bowhunt out of it because of the brace in the middle, but i have a muzzleloader model that lets you move all around the stand.


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## patchestc (Sep 24, 2007)

have used mine for 12 years and killed many deer.
use pipe isulation, and added a padded back rest.
facing the tree kinda helps u hide.  have a different
one that faces away from the tree for bowhunting.


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## rip18 (Sep 24, 2007)

Fear of metal fatigue finally made me throw mine away a couple of years ago.

I didn't like them the first time I used them.  That morning, I went to the tree in the dark where a buddy had installed it.  I followed his instruction to climb to the first limb - which ended up being WAY up there.  Then I tried to figure out how in the world I was supposed to climb over the seat & get in that thing - I had used the old Baker pull-up & climb method.  

After my buddy came to get me, I crawled over the side & climbed down.  He let me get within about 12 feet of the ground before he told me there was a better way!!!


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## whitworth (Sep 24, 2007)

*My climbing Warren Sweat tree stand. ..*

was a model available with the Rifleman back in the 1990's, a Cottonwood.
It had a foam cushion seat and back support, plus a foam padded rest.  

Replaced the foam on the rest a couple of times (round foam pipe covers), improved the back seat wire with a tape covering, put foam insulation in hollow square tubing of the aluminum stand, replaced the foam in the cushions. 

A little heavier at some 21 pounds, it sure is a comfortable stand for hours in the tree. 

Sure beats buying a new, more expensive, tree stand. 

Never left it on a tree overnight.  Did use it once as a lean-to support on an overnight camp-out.


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## potsticker (Sep 24, 2007)

whitworth said:


> was a model available with the Rifleman back in the 1990's, a Cottonwood.
> It had a foam cushion seat and back support, plus a foam padded rest.
> 
> Replaced the foam on the rest a couple of times (round foam pipe covers), improved the back seat wire with a tape covering, put foam insulation in hollow square tubing of the aluminum stand, replaced the foam in the cushions.
> ...


Hint, if you loose those wing nuts or bolts they had knobs to fit, paint them orange, you will loose them. Dont buy aluminum bolts they will fail.


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## whitworth (Sep 24, 2007)

*Good Idea*

"Hint, if you loose those wing nuts or bolts they had knobs to fit, paint them orange, you will loose them. Dont buy aluminum bolts they will fail."

I've carried a couple extra knob nuts and grade 8 bolts for years in my day pack, which goes in with my tree stand.

What "modern" tree stand uses bolts and nuts today?


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## timetohunt (Sep 25, 2007)

Hey you gat a picture of one of those stands. I don't think I have ever seen one.


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## Murdock (Sep 28, 2007)

One of the best stands out there. I tried a Cottonwood II and didn't like it. I still have the original one.


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## Oldstick (Sep 28, 2007)

whitworth said:


> was a model available with the Rifleman back in the 1990's, a Cottonwood.
> It had a foam cushion seat and back support, plus a foam padded rest.
> 
> Replaced the foam on the rest a couple of times (round foam pipe covers), improved the back seat wire with a tape covering, put foam insulation in hollow square tubing of the aluminum stand, replaced the foam in the cushions.
> ...



 I like my old Cottonwood too.  Very big and comfortable.  I am extremely fearful of heights but I am perfectly comfortable sitting in it facing the tree (with harness of course).  I finally replaced the seat back cables with a piece of nylon rope.  Cut out some of the banking and clanging.

Not much fun carrying that big sucker around though, so I mainly use it as a longer term stand.

And yes I have lost one or two of the handy dandy knob nuts.  Came off while I was carrying it into the woods one day.


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## DaGris (Sep 28, 2007)

I love my cottonwood. Great stand and I can sit for hours in it.


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## Murdock (Sep 28, 2007)

here is one-mine has been rigged to always face the tree.

here is one for sale: http://jacksonville.craigslist.org/spo/427047386.html


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## Tom Laubach (Sep 28, 2007)

I have one from the 70s. I auctally worked at the shop helping build them to pay for mine. They sold the company to a Dr.  He is a big bow hunter who lives in central Florida. 
He has a good book about bow hunting.


Alvin Warren & George Sweat are both deceased.

My stand is different than the picture. Both the seat & the foot part are plywood.  I still use it some times and face the tree.


  Dr. Ray McIntyre's book “110% Success Bowhunting Whitetails” can be ordered by calling him direct at (352) 357-0744.


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## Ga-Bullet (Sep 28, 2007)

Had a Warren and Sweet Once. That Thing weighed 31Pounds. I Traded it in on another Stand{API}. Guy Looked funny when I ask him, If He Could Help Me Get it out Of the Truck.


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## Gaswamp (Sep 28, 2007)

warren sweat made a fixed postion bow stand a little before or bout the same time as they made that climber.  I sure wish i could lay my hands on one


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## KDarsey (Sep 29, 2007)

Gaswamp said:


> warren sweat made a fixed postion bow stand a little before or bout the same time as they made that climber.  I sure wish i could lay my hands on one



 Me too....some low-life stole mine & I really liked that stand. Had me a padded seat & pipe insulation on the tubes & even put me a stick-on $2 clock on it!


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## Gaswamp (Sep 29, 2007)

Kdarsey do you remeber the name of that model?


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## Ozzie (Sep 29, 2007)

I also have the bow hunting version of the Rifleman which was (naturally enough) called the Bowman.  It is pretty spartan, all it has is a seat board and a big marine plywood platform.  It is wide open when you are sitting on the seat, a safety harness is a definite must when you hunt with it.


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## Gaswamp (Sep 29, 2007)

yep thats it.  seat would fold up.  stand easy to hang.  very comfortable.


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## KDarsey (Sep 29, 2007)

I thought it was the rifleman. It had the seat blade on 2 pieces of square tubing that went between your legs and the seat back folded in when not in use (faced the tree)
  I also had put a gunrack on it.


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## Ozzie (Sep 29, 2007)

No, the Bowman's seat does not fold up.  It is a fixed piece of marine plywood so that when you sit you have your back against the tree, and the Rifleman faces towards the tree.  The Rifleman is as KDarsey describes above, the Bowman is completely different, other then the fact that it to is made out of marine plywood and square aluminum tubing.  It does not have any tubing that runs between your legs, the support is on the outside.  The Bowman isn't really comfortable, it's just basically a board you sit on with your back against the tree.


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## KDarsey (Sep 29, 2007)

What I was thinking, tried to find a pic,but I guess it's too old...
  Sure would like to have it back though.
 I still have one or two of those old Baker Suicide Climbers, they make nice tables for camping. lol


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## 7Mag Hunter (Sep 29, 2007)

I have a WS "special" model, which an be used facing the
tree and facing away from the tree...Still in great shape,
and I often use it for WMA hunts where I want to sit all
day...Lots of room, and have 4"thick high density foam/
camo seat pad for comfort...I little big, as I have added
side rails  for arm/rifle rests, but no problem to sit in
ALL day....About 21-22lbs.....


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## Gaswamp (Sep 29, 2007)

well guess mine ain't a bowman since the seat folds up but it uses marine plywood and its certainly comfortable.


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## Wishin I was Fishin (Sep 30, 2007)

i still use mine once in a blue moon... then i remember why i quit using it and throw it under the house again  its definetly a good stand though


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## GAbuckhunter88 (Oct 2, 2007)

Yea, we have one just laying in the basement. It was one of my dads old climbers and hasnt moved in forever.


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## Digger57 (Oct 2, 2007)

Yup, I've got an old Bowman in storage and plan to use it again someday. It's a good stand and I've taken a lot of deer with it. It isn't the most comfortable thing around but padding the seat helps a bunch. I think I bought it new around 1991 or something & it's still in great shape. One of my old hunting buddies always tells the same story around the campfire about it. He goes on & on about how many warning stickers were on it when I unboxed it. There were quite a few. "No smoking, wear goggles, flush after use, don't run with scissors, watch your language, see rock city, no farting, look both ways before crossing, watch your step", etc. were all on that thing. I guess it's somewhat of a conversation piece!

Digger~


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