I want to build some new deer stands when the weather warms up a little. In the past I used treated 2x4's for the ladder sides and rungs. I would lag the rungs to the edge of the sides. I'd like to get away from this method because I have to re-tighten the lags every year. I was thinking about boring holes through the 2x4 sides and using 3/4 inch rebar for the rungs. Then I would use some threaded rod through the sides, below the rungs, to keep the whole thing from spreading out.
Are the 2x4's wide enough to handle the load with a hole bore through them?