Big game hunting isn't a niche hobby. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, there were 11.5 million big game hunters in the United States in 2022, and roughly eight out of every ten hunters pursue big game specifically: deer, elk, bear, moose, and similar animals. At that scale, the question this post answers isn't niche either: eventually, most hunters end up staring at a wall, trying to figure out which mounting system fits their trophy, their space, and how many more might be coming.
A deer mount system comparison usually comes down to three real, practical questions rather than marketing copy or a spec sheet. How many trophies are you actually displaying right now? What kind of wall space do you have to work with: flat, corner, or something in between?
And how much does the mount itself weigh? Answer those honestly, and choosing between the Single, Corner, and Double System stops being a guess and becomes a straightforward match between what you have and what each system was built to do.
The Single System: One Trophy, One Clear Answer
If you have one trophy and a flat, open stretch of wall, the Single System is the straightforward choice. It mounts directly to a flat wall, pivots up to 180 degrees so you can adjust the display angle after installation, and supports mounts up to 35 pounds, which covers most standard shoulder mounts.
This is the system most people should default to unless something specific pushes them toward one of the other two: an awkward wall, a second trophy waiting for a spot, or a mount heavier than 35 pounds. If none of those apply, there's no reason to overcomplicate the decision.
The Corner System: When the Wall You Want Isn't Flat
Not every good display spot is a flat wall. A room corner that's sat empty for years is often more usable than it looks, and the Corner System exists specifically for that situation. It shares the Single System's 35-pound capacity and 180-degree pivot; the difference is entirely in how it attaches: into a corner rather than a flat surface.
This matters more than it sounds. A mount forced onto a flat wall when a corner was the better option often ends up in a worse spot in the room than it needed to be, competing with a doorway, a window, or furniture for the only open flat stretch available. A corner that was never going to be used for anything else turns into real display space instead of dead space.
The Double System: Two Trophies, One Installation
Once a second trophy enters the picture, the calculation changes. The Double System uses two 8-inch arms, each independently rated to 35 pounds for a combined 70 pounds across both mounts, and each arm pivots on its own rather than locking the two trophies into the same angle.
This is worth choosing over two separate Single Systems since it's one installation instead of two, with spacing already worked out rather than measured and guessed at separately. If a second trophy is already on the way, or already sitting in a box waiting for a wall, the Double System solves that now instead of requiring a second project later.
Measure Before You Decide
Before deciding between these three systems, a few minutes with a tape measure settles more than guessing ever will. Measure the actual wall space available, including how close the nearest doorway, window, or piece of furniture sits, not just the width of the mount itself. Check how far the mount will project once installed; most shoulder mounts extend eight to eighteen inches off the wall depending on the species and pose, and confirm that distance won't put the trophy in the path of foot traffic or a swinging door.
Viewing height and distance matter just as much as available space. A mount hung too high loses detail from normal eye level, while one hung too low can feel cramped in a smaller room. Standing where people will actually view the trophy from, then adjusting the planned height accordingly, takes less time than redoing the installation later.
Since all three systems pivot the full 180 degrees, planning clearance for that complete range of motion, not just the resting position, matters as much as the wall measurement itself.
Weight Isn't the Only Number That Matters
All three systems share the same 35-pound per-mount rating, so weight alone won't tell you which one to choose. The Single and Corner Systems are functionally identical in capacity; the choice between them comes down to wall shape, not strength. The Double System's higher total simply reflects two mounting points, not a stronger individual point.
A trophy heavier than 35 pounds, most large elk or bear mounts, needs different hardware entirely, built around a higher weight class, which is a separate decision from choosing among these three. Weighing the assembled mount before shopping, rather than guessing based on the animal's size, is the only reliable way to know which category a given trophy actually falls into.
What Most People Get Wrong When Choosing
The most common mistake isn't picking the wrong system; it's choosing based on the wall you have today without accounting for what's likely to come next. Hunting is rarely a one-and-done hobby; most people who take up big game hunting seriously keep at it for years, which means the display question tends to come up more than once over time, not just for the first trophy.
A hunter who mounts a first whitetail and feels settled with a single flat wall often finds, two or three seasons later, that an elk or a second deer has no planned spot waiting for it, and ends up either crowding a new mount too close to the first or starting a second, mismatched wall arrangement that never quite looks planned. Someone with one trophy and a growing interest in hunting big game, the same population the Fish and Wildlife Service counts in the millions every year, is a reasonable bet to have a second trophy within a few seasons.
Buying a Single System now and a second Single System later usually costs more and looks less intentional than starting with a Double System if two trophies are genuinely likely.
The reverse mistake happens too, buying more capacity than the situation calls for because it seems like the safer choice. Extra unused mounting hardware isn't a safety net; it's just hardware nothing is using, taking up space that could have gone to something else. An empty arm on the wall reads as unfinished rather than intentional, which defeats the point of displaying a trophy well in the first place.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I upgrade from a Single System to a Double System later if I add a second trophy?
Not directly. Adding a second trophy later typically means installing a second system rather than modifying the first, which is why it's worth thinking honestly about future trophies upfront.
Does the Corner System work in any corner, or does the angle matter?
Standard interior corners work well with the Corner System's design. Unusually shallow or wide corner angles are worth measuring against the product specifications before installing, since the patent-pending design assumes a typical ninety-degree interior corner.
How much clearance should I leave for a mount to pivot?
Plan for at least the mount's full projection distance in the direction it will swing, plus a few extra inches of margin. A mount that projects twelve inches from the wall needs roughly that much open space to rotate through its full range without contacting a nearby wall, doorframe, or piece of furniture.
For Full Range systems specifically, that means not assuming a tight corner or narrow space will work just because the mount itself looks small; the pivot is a real feature meant to be used, not just a spec on the page.
Choosing in Under a Minute
Start with what's true right now. One trophy and a flat wall points to the Single System. One trophy and an awkward corner points to the Corner System. Two trophies, whether already in hand or genuinely expected soon, point to the Double System. Anything heavier than 35 pounds per mount needs a different conversation entirely.
None of these choices is permanent in the sense of being irreversible, but getting it right the first time saves a second installation, a second set of holes in the wall, and the awkward stretch of figuring out how the new hardware should line up with what's already there.
Ready to Match Your Trophy to the Right System?
The right system comes down to what you're actually displaying, not which one sounds most capable. Explore all three mounting systems and pick based on your wall, not a guess.