Why is a shooting sling 1.25"?

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lexjj

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I was discussing loop slings and 1907 slings with my uncle. He has a 10/22 with 1" rings built into it. He is also quite a craftsman and likes to make his own gear. He has a 1" strap of leather and asked my thoughts on my making a 1907 sling with it. I told him shooting slings were 1.25". Naturally, he asked why. Frankly, I do not know the answer, it is just what I've always used, read, and heard.

Will a 1" sling not support enough? Will it tend to cut off circulation more? Anything?

What say you?
 
Big difference in weight between a 10/22 and an old military rifle like the Garand. I have so much stuff on my M4gery I have a 1.5" sling on it. Go with what your comfortable with.
 
The thinner the load bearing strap the less area the force is spread across. As you get thinner it will cut into your shoulder more for a given amount of weight.



There is a practical limit to width, too wide and without added thickness it will just start to exert most of the force on a fraction of the overall width anyways.
Added thickness to reduce that makes it more comfy while slung, but stiffer and heavier and less handy when taken off the shoulder..



If you go thinner it will feel heavier because it will bite into your shoulder more. That can be fine with a lighter than typical rifle, making it just feel like a normal sling with a normal weight rifle.
The thinner you go the smaller the edge the force is applied to.
It also depends how far you intend to have it slung. A short distance and less comfort while slung but less burdensome when shooting may be more ideal.
Many hunters just go from the car to a stand or only a couple miles into the woods, so something really thin can suffice.
Many miles of hiking or backpacking in the outdoors, marching in the military, or planning to sling it all day while fishing (like while sharing a stream with bears in Alaska) or working and that extra bite in the shoulder will be quite noticeable.
 
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Not all shooting slings...

are M1907 type, which is 1 1/4" wide because that is the width the U.S. government specified for its leather rifle slings long before 1907, and it is the correct width for the 1907 itself.
Slings purely for carry can be any width you fancy, and European sporting slings can be pretty narrow, but shooting slings, if you use them in all positions, benefit from the extra width because of strength and reduced tourniquet effect on the supporting arm - when you're all slung-up in sitting or prone, the tension on the sling is considerable, and the wider it is, the longer it takes for your arm to become numb, which it will, anyway.
And, in carrying a rifle of military weight, the wider the better - your shoulder will tell you why.
PRD1 - mhb - Mike
 
I've got a 1907 style sling that is 1" wide for one of my rifles with integral swivels. it works just fine. Your uncle should go for it.
 
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