The Sling: benefits and technique

Not a whole lot to add, but I've always liked the M1907 slings. I've got a cheap Repro that's been riding on my hunting rifles for years.

I'm enough of a fan that both my center fire bolt actions have shooting slings. One has a biothane M1907 style from Turner Saddlery. The other has a biothane Rhodesian sling from Andy's Leather. But I don't have shooting slings on my lever actions or semi-auto.

I suspect most of the new shooters are not buying bolt action hunting rifles but instead some sort of auto-pistol or maybe a revolver.

I picked up a couple of new The Claw slings at Walmart on closeout for a few bucks, I like them. I will mount one on my new (hopefully to arrive soon) CVA Scout .44 Magnum and the other is mounted on my CVA Optima V2 inline. Most of my bolt guns have either a Montana sling or a simple nylon job.

GI web slings. Just them, on every serious rifle I own. I see the ubiquitous rifle sling as not an accessory, but a shooting aid, whose use is largely ignored currently

Almost all of my rifles, and my HD 870, have a sling. That’s one accessory that not only makes a long gun handy. but is also an important shooting aid for me.

Stay safe.

All long guns should have slings. I prefer the GI web/compression type, but the G3/carabiner style is also good. I do have 1907s hanging on a few rifles for historical accuracy, but I dont really like them.

All my long guns, shotgun, levers, bolt, semi's, and even the mech tech, Have a sling.

I have slings on most all my long guns. Some can double as a shooting aid, but the main reason most are there, is so I can get the gun out of the way should I need to and still retain it.

The 1907 type slings can be set up to be a very effective shooting sling, or just used as a hasty sling, depending what you want out of it. It can be just a plain old sling too.

Same can be said for the USGI web type slings with a slider on them.

The downside to the GI type slings for shooting is, they tend to be fiddly and take some time to get properly slung in.

Personally, for a hunting or general use type sling on that type of rifle, I think the Ching Sling that Cooper always used to advocate is a great choice. Simple slings that when properly set, allow pretty much instant use with no fiddling. Just stick your arm through the sling and youre either carrying the gun or slung in. Ive found them to be just as rock-solid as a shooting specific sling too, and a lot faster to be slung in.

My AR's just have a GI web type M1/M14 or BAR sling on them. Only one has it set up as a shooting sling, the rest are just simple carry slings, set up on the side of the guns. If I had to and had time, they could be reconfigured to be used as a shooting sling, but I really dont see the point with them.

Good post! I read a lot of Jack O’Connors’s writings in my youth including the use of a sling as aid to accurate shooting and found them to be a huge asset. I need to procure some new slings fo a couple of my rifles. Lots of junk leather out there these days.

I cannot even begin to articulate why I don’t put slings on my long guns but off the cuff I will say these about them for me:

I am aware of their advantages be it as a shooting aid or a carrying aid.

I choose not to use them because they are just another “thing” that hampers simplicity. I do as few accessories as possible generally. Extras have to have a clear and overwhelming advantage over a disadvantage. If it is only minimal, it is not for me.

They can rattle. (Yeah I am aware most don’t). They catch on branches while doing the type of hunting I do.

In the end I have never really felt enhanced with one. My shooting is good enough for me and for the type of shooting I do where a sling’s presence would not help enough to matter.

However, it’s utility as a carrying device cannot be ignored. So much so, I make sure all my hunting rifles have sling studs so I keep a sling in my pack and attach it when I need my hands free of my rifle but my rifle still on me.

This mainly involves packing in and out of an area. I suspect this is the only reason most people have one at all and after that it is an annoying thing hanging off the gun. That is why I take mine off for my hunting.

I find a sling to be more of a personal preference and others see it as a necessity. If I did more open spaces hunting I would surely want one more often.

For my use, a GI web sling or a quick adjust commercial sling is what I prefer. I really just use the hasty sling method.

I've tried the leather and web military slings and getting all rigged into them per "directions", but for my non-competitive shooting they've just slowed me down.

I really ought to try a Ching sling someday.

Slings are situational for me. For bolt guns with flush bottoms they are great for carry on long hunts where I might need to hike for miles. Lever guns, I prefer to just carry them but again on a long trek I use a Montana sling on them. If I am wearing a pack I may use the Kifaru rifle support. I am more likely to get prone or to sit and use a bipod or my pack as a rest or shooting sticks than fooling around with a battle sling.

The problem is, once you get into slings you will spend as much time debating what sling to use as what rifle to carry. Then you will end up with 5 times as many slings as rifles, until you have to build an extra closet just for all the slings.

I have a bad neck, rifle over shoulder will kill me w headache in short order.
My rifles wear them, but for temporary hands free stuff.
May have taken maybe 4 or 5 shots using a sling afield, in 30 yrs.

Bipods and prone when varminting.

My deer stuff has been under 200 yards so sling not needed.
And no, I don't use a shooting rail on any stand.

I have braced on a tree maybe a couple times deer hunting, but mostly when I was a kid using .22rf on squirrels.

Really really try to watch any stress to my shoulder/neck.
Lifelong headache sufferer..........you adapt.

Each of rifles gets its own sling.
Proly order another one from Andy's leather.
Still have my Bianchi double stitch cobra from '76.
Sure would look good on a Ruger #1B (been on two of em so far- but have none at the moment).

Slings, I prefer custom. Each rifle has own.

As handguns were mentioned, most have lanyards.

3Crows said:

I suspect most of the new shooters are not buying bolt action hunting rifles but instead some sort of auto-pistol or maybe a revolver.

I picked up a couple of new The Claw slings at Walmart on closeout for a few bucks, I like them. I will mount one on my new (hopefully to arrive soon) CVA Scout .44 Magnum and the other is mounted on my CVA Optima V2 inline. Most of my bolt guns have either a Montana sling or a simple nylon job.

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At a gun store I frequent I have notice empty spaces in the rifle racks that look like missing teeth. The gaps include places where both bolt and lever action rifles once were. I have also seen a swell of people at several gun stores handling semi auto pistols. Lots of paperwork going on. These are merely my observations and anecdotal data at best so you may be right. Surprisingly, at least local to here I live, there is a slight uptick on the availability of ammo.

1907 sling is one of those things that wants being practiced to get it set right, but, is very slick once set.
The fabric M36 slings are simpler, and fit more clothing choices.

I think that a proper gun forum is a better source of accurate information but also agree that most people are going to seek free advice from YouTube or a social media outlet. YT is hit and miss, while Facebook is mostly miss. There's misinformation on gun forums but nowhere near as rampant as Facebook. There's also plenty of misguided idiots on YT masquerading as experts but there's also a lot that is good. I guess part of the "fun" is figuring out which is which.

I used to HAVE to have a sling on every rifle. Or at least studs to facilitate moving them from gun to gun. Nowadays, many do not and I have no plans to rectify it. Hunting with traditional muzzleloaders changed my perspective on this, among other things. For more traditional rifles, I'll use either a padded leather sling or a leather 1907. In fact, this thread reminded me that I needed another 1907 so I ordered another Brownells Competitor and found another that was on sale. I learned to use a proper 1907 for Appleseed and I was the only one at both events not using the cotton GI sling. For anything to which a tactical type sling is appropriate, I use the VTAC. I have them on all my AR's, several 10/22's, Scorpion, 870, etc.. I've got another one coming for my Ruger American I just put in a Magpul stock. I learned how to use them from Kyle Lamb's book.

Risky buisness said:

GI web slings. Just them, on every serious rifle I own. I see the ubiquitous rifle sling as not an accessory, but a shooting aid, whose use is largely ignored currently

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I love the vintage GI/USMC green synthetic webs on almost anything.

They carry nicely, adjust quickly, do not stretch or mildew and lock-up for precision shooting beautifully.

Carry muzzle-up or down, cross-back or front. Hang it in a tree or use two other rifles equally slung to *stack* in camp or at the range.

If it needs to be quieter, I have either; tool-dipped the rear swivel, wrapped it in baseball-bat tape or removed the rear quick-detach hook from the sling altogether.


Todd.

ApacheCoTodd said:

I love the vintage GI/USMC green synthetic webs on almost anything.

. . .

If it needs to be quieter, I have either; tool-dipped the rear swivel, wrapped it in baseball-bat tape or removed the rear quick-detach hook from the sling altogether.

Todd.

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That right there for me.

Ill got a Bucheimer quick adjust. Its only a 1 inch but man i like it. No longer made

Run it on my old 760 in .35 rem.
If I bundle up can make a quick adj and its golden

I like the m1907 & also the mosin nagant sling, (with the leather belts In leiu of swivels). Have a Whelen-type on my 22.

I collect Mosins, so they have dog-collar slings for historical accuracy. My hunting/varmint rifles get modern versions of the M1907, AR's get single point slings. On my issue A1, I used the 'jungle carry' converison kit with an M60 sling.