I space them so they’re comfortable for me to reach on each step, both height wise and side to side wise. I don’t line them up the center. No way. Side to side like you said. Not at 90 degrees but more like a 45 or 60, depending on the size of the tree. Also, be careful, if you slip and fall up against a bolt or screw in step, they can rip into you and gut you like a fish. If they are off to your sides, you’ll be less likely to encounter one in case of a slip and fall.
I use a lineman’s belt on my saddle or harness to allow two handed use during the drilling and climbing. I never rely on hugging the tree to keep me safe.
On preset trees (which 90% of the time if I’m using bolts they are pre set) I mark up the bark enough around the holes to make it easier to find them if I’m not leaving the bolts in the tree. I can usually know right where the hole is but you’d be surprised how hard they are to see if your not looking straight into them.
I drill straight in. Some guys angle the holes slightly downward but I find it unnecessary. In fact, the holes can fill with water and when the temps drop you’ll have ice in the holes and you’ll have to redrill to get your bolts in. Again, if you are leaving bolts in the tree, that won’t matter.
I use a cordless drill for presets. WAY faster than a hand drill and you won’t get worn out so fast if you have several to do.
All that said, I find bolts to be easy to climb, but as I mentioned before, if you ever get in a situation where you’re on the bottom side of a lean in a tree, be careful you don’t pull the bolt out while climbing. Maybe in those situations a downward angle while drilling would be helpful.
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