"Shooting Sling" for AR

[Creade]

I am on the hunt for a shooting sling for an AR.

Not some silly tactical thing to look cool, but a sling that I can actually tighten down and shoot with.

Vintage Leather shooting slings are easy to find, but Im hoping for something of the same nature in Nylon/canvas something a little more AR style.

Any suggestions would be great.

 

[TexasRifleman]

Turners makes the "real deal". Very popular with competitive shooters and comes in different colors and is not made of leather.

http://prostores3.megawebservers.com/turnersling_com/-strse-5/National-Match-Service-Rifle/Detail.bok

 

[rduckwor]

Be careful how you mount your AR sling.

If the forward sling loop is mounted to the barrel, the sling tension can change the POI. Best bet: Free floated fore arm group with sling mounted to this and the stock.

Good Luck,

RMD

 

[cavman]

I got a couple of Turners as well as a Les Tam sling.

http://www.lestam.com/

I am bummed I didn't think of stopping by when I was there last December. I don't get to Honolulu as often as I would like.

edit: sorry, these are leather not nylon

 

[taliv]

you can use an old "web" style sling. or look into "quick cuff" style

there are a couple of other popular ones like 'ching' that i don't have experience with

 

[madcratebuilder]

The Turners 1907 slings are very nice. A sling attached to the gas block can effect POI. A free floated tube with a QD sling attached to it works well. I use a GI web sling on my 5.56 AR's, like those found on the M14. The 1907 slings work great too.

I'm just finishing this rifle and need to get a sling on it. This piece of rope I have on it now is just to carry it with. I'm kind of leaning toward a Turner.



GI M14 sling

 

[CraigC]

It really depends on exactly how you wanna use it. While a good 1907 is an excellent shooting sling, in the field it's not much more than a simple carrying strap. Whereas a high quality "silly tactical sling" has FAR more utility. For this I like the V-TAC.

That said, I don't think a black leather 1907 like my Brownells Competitor Plus looks at all out of place on an AR.

 

[alemonkey]

I just use a regular cotton GI web sling. Works great.

 

[HorseSoldier]

Not some silly tactical thing to look cool, but a sling that I can actually tighten down and shoot with.

As others have noted, with a USGI M16 or M4, that "silly tactical thing" has real utility, while a shooting sling changes your POI and will have you slinging rounds a couple inches at 100 meters and worse from there.

 

[Tirod]

I shot .22 International in high school with the whole kit, sling, jacket, palm rest, etc. The sling was mounted on a rail under the stock and never touched the barrel.

Once I moved to the M16, I understood you cannot sling up any military rifle with the front swivel banded to the barrel. And the Infantry School provided the solution - don't use a sling at all.

Their focus was on carrying the rifle at the ready, and not complicating initial firearms use in the field tactically. Slings can be a hindrance - the uber tactical slings are a CQB/LEO invention necessary because people have to be detained and handled. Infantrymen didn't do that until recently.

If you plan on precision shooting, free floating the handguard or using a tube to mount the swivel is the preferred method. Tactical slings often mount to a single point at the front or back of the receiver, and don't create much problem.

It's just that military gas block mount confounds many shooters attempting to do better than 2MOA - and it always will. That was the goal, and the Army didn't need more than that. '03 and Garand suffer from it, too.

 

[remingtondude58]

I use a Vickers, and I really like it!

 

[Aaron2091]

Creade....is it for an AR ? You may be better off with a "silly tactical sling" if ur using it as a UBR. If its for competition or bench/off hand shooting and you like to do the sling stabilization thing then my vote would be for Madcratebuilder's sling. It looks great.

 

[Creade]

The AR is a hunting/utility rifle for me.

I did not mean to insult anyone with the silly tactical sling comment.
I just meant I did not need chest rig etc.

 

[SW45]

Tirod, excellent response.

 

[Tirod]

I got just enough field work as an MP to understand the positives. The silly tactical sling thing is more LEO and three gun. Transistioning to the pistol is the point, and not controlling the AR, or even grounding the muzzle, is considered bad.

Hunting, Home Defense, etc. a sling is nice - but its a Condition White kind of usefullness. Running and gunning in thick brush, negotiating door knobs and furniture, etc. isn't it's best application. Slings tangle and snag.

Competition slings with cuffs have their restrictions, too. They aren't tactical at all, and nearly useless for comfortable carry.

Slings seem to be very specific in use with the drawback of having one name describe them. An LEO can't use a competition sling, and neither care at all for a hunters sling.

 

[Aaron2091]

Creade you didn't offend...ur post was asking for opinions and I just gave mine. After trying several slings I just found a single point sling attached at the front of the buffer tube to be the most convenient and utilitarian. And I don't get why having your muzzle pre-disposed to point down when your hands are otherwise occupied would be a bad thing. The way I was trained that is the safest direction for the muzzle unless you carry at port arms. Transitioning or being able to transition to a defensive weapon i.e. pistol, is an important concern for me and you should always have an Oh #$&* plan for defensive fire if you have to escape,evade with an ineffective(disabled) primary weapon.
I agree that the three point tactical slings are more of a hinderance than they are worth for me, but my single point doesn't get in the way.
If ur just using it for hunting though and as a truck gun or whatever, again I think Madcratebuilders ideas for attaching to a free float handguard (not the barrel) are good enuf.
I would honestly try both and see what you think.

 

[CraigC]

The thing about a good two point like the V-TAC is that it simultaneously serves as both a shooting sling and a carrying sling. Only you can carry it in the shooting position, rather than having to unsling it to shoulder the rifle. It's quickly and easily adjustable with just a tug and far more versatile than any other sling I've ever tried. I would suggest looking into further before dismissing them.