Why slings on the side?

LRShooting · Sep 8, 2015

Im thinking about getting some grovtec flush cups at least for the typical sling locations, but I see a lot of people putting them off to the side of their rifle. What advantage does this give?

I hunt a lot and ride ATVs around the farm with a gun slung across my back quite a bit as well when checking cattle incase I see a coyote. Therefore, I know very well what it means to have a gun dig into your back with the typical sling locations because it seems to cause the mag and trigger guard to dig in. So it seems that side mount idea might help with the bruising I get from what I deal with now.

natman · Sep 8, 2015

LRShooting said:
Im thinking about getting some grovtec flush cups at least for the typical sling locations, but I see a lot of people putting them off to the side of their rifle. What advantage does this give?

I hunt a lot and ride ATVs around the farm with a gun slung across my back quite a bit as well when checking cattle incase I see a coyote. Therefore, I know very well what it means to have a gun dig into your back with the typical sling locations because it seems to cause the mag and trigger guard to dig in. So it seems that side mount idea might help with the bruising I get from what I deal with now.

You've hit upon the reason. Side mounted slings allow you to carry the rifle with the side against your back. On some semiautos the side is a lot flatter than the top or bottom.

However you arrange your sling, be sure that being able to use the sling as a shooting aid is a top priority. We spend countless hours debating the fine points of stock bedding, load development and fitting the cartridge length to the chamber. Proper use of a shooting sling will improve your practical field accuracy more than all of those combined.

Inebriated · Sep 8, 2015

The advantage on most setups (AR's, AK's, etc.), is it makes it easier to carry slung across the chest. Most rifles I have that I mount slings that way on, have the sling mounts closer together towards the center of the gun. This is great for having it across the chest, without impeding shoulder transitions, reloads, etc., but unstable for prolonged carrying across the back. If I were mounting that to something I was going to carry primarily across the back, I'd have the mounts further apart, but still on the side.

LRShooting · Sep 8, 2015

natman said:
You've hit upon the reason. Side mounted slings allow you to carry the rifle with the side against your back. On some semiautos the side is a lot flatter than the top or bottom.

However you arrange your sling, be sure that being able to use the sling as a shooting aid is a top priority. We spend countless hours debating the fine points of stock bedding, load development and fitting the cartridge length to the chamber. Proper use of a shooting sling will improve your practical field accuracy more than all of those combined.

I was wondering about that. I use my slings as shooting aids a lot. I somewhat discovered it my self while trying to find a better way to hold my gun study when I was little, but I've since refined it with age and help from a future brother in law who happens to be a marine where the teach this stuff

LRShooting · Sep 8, 2015

Inebriated said:
The advantage on most setups (AR's, AK's, etc.), is it makes it easier to carry slung across the chest. Most rifles I have that I mount slings that way on, have the sling mounts closer together towards the center of the gun. This is great for having it across the chest, without impeding shoulder transitions, reloads, etc., but unstable for prolonged carrying across the back. If I were mounting that to something I was going to carry primarily across the back, I'd have the mounts further apart, but still on the side.

Im not crazy about the AKs and what not. Im more about the precision side. I'll probably get a larue some time, but it'll be a while

Kaeto · Sep 8, 2015

Side slings were first on military bolt actions to get the bolt handle out of the way.

henschman · Sep 8, 2015

I put side mount swivels on all my rifles now. I like to carry them across my chest with a tactical sling like the padded VCAS, even hunting rifles. I find it is quicker to bring them up to fire from that position than any other, and it carries them more securely. And if you need to carry across your back instead, it is easy to transition. If you locate the front swivel properly, and have the sling set up where it will adjust tight enough, you can use a tac sling as a shooting sling. In fact, I find that a "hasty" shooting sling works a lot better with cross-chest carry and side swivels than it does with a regular bottom mount shoulder carry sling.

Welding Rod · Sep 8, 2015

Agreed. I use a Vickers sling, side mounted, for high power matches. It works well if you position the socket in the right place. I connect the rear through the vertical slot at the back of a Magpil ctr buttstock.

The superiority in carry function is night and day.

Why slings on the side?

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