Rifle Slings

[Safarigent]

Hi,
I am in the process of getting my rifles refurbished.
I have brought Uncle Mikes push button qd slings for both the rifles.
Now, i am researching which slings to get for the rifles.
Not a fan of the cobra sling.
Dont ike the basket weaves either.
I was reading online and found out that a lot of people use the military sling for their hunting rifles.
Would it make sense to acquire one of these, and if it doesnt make any sense on my .30-06, i can put it on my .22.
There are a lot of 1" variants of the military sling available.
Something like this:



If not, i am looking for one of these quick set rifle slings:


http://www.murraycustomleather.com/slings.htm


Any advice from members here would be very welcome.

[Risala]

http://www.airgunbuyer.com/details.asp? ... oduct=3218

[Safarigent]

A member suggested the SA80 sling.
Dont think that will be my first choice on a hunting rifle. Note: i intend on using the rifle outside india.

[Mark]

Safarigent,

To me, it really depends on how you are planning on using your sling, whether to simply carry your rifle with or if you want to use it as support for shooting as well. Of the two links, I like the second one better than the first (military style) sling. When I do use a sling to carry a gun, I often have to adjust it depending on how many clothes I am wearing (because it is cold) and those hooks are a bother to me.

However, I do not use a sling to help in aiming, only for carrying and then I only use it if my hands are carrying something other than my rifle. So for me, I like a simple nylon sling that is usually not on the rifle but crammed into a pocket. But face it, they do not add to the looks of a rifle when attached! :


Since India has some of the finest leather craftsmen in the world, I would consider browsing pictures of fine custom guns until you see a nice sling on one of them and then commission someone to make one like it for you.

[ckkalyan]

Excellent suggestion Mark, to have the sling custom made....

[Safarigent]

Thanks for your suggestion mark.
I am in touch with Mr. Murray of Murray Custom Leather. Picking up the A 1 Quick set sling.
A good quality military sling is on the cards for my dads garand.
I personally have not had experience shooting with a military sling in the field and should i find myself leaning towards the military sling instead of the carrying strap, i shall go down that road.
India has some lovely leather workers but they are all based out of the Kanpur area and it would be penny wise and pound foolish to spend time in designing a sling of appropriate quality, finding the rights bits and pieces, etc, not to mention the travel to and fro. Western U.P is not on the tourist road map for a reason!
But, your idea certainly holds water for motor cases, wood and leather rifle cases etc. a lot of such stuff is sourced from India and China. Just gotta find the right chaps!

[xl_target]

As Mark mentioned, the type of sling that you choose will depend on how you plan to use it. If you are going to shoot with a sling for support then the plain old military sling works fine. The leather M1907 slings are usually stiff and in the cold it is hard to work the claws in and out of the adjustment holes. The easiest to use are the canvas military slings. That would also be correct for your dad's Garand. There are also nylon military slings but they can be slippery and might not hold a loop as well as the canvas ones. I have both the leather and canvas but much prefer the canvas web sling when using a sling as an aid to shooting.


Original Post-WWII U.S. MILITARY M1 GARAND OD Canvas Sling


WWII US ARMY M1907 Leather M1 Garand sling

There are two basic ways to use the canvas military sling.
One is the hasty sling which is usually used when standing (coming off a march, etc). It is quick but doesn't give as much support as when it is looped around your arm and cinched tight. A hasty sling, when used in the sitting and prone positions it can apply cant to your rifle which can affect accuracy.

[youtube][/youtube]
Using the sling as a hasty sling.

[youtube][/youtube]
Using the US GI sling as a loop sling


Of course, if you are just using the sling to carry the rifle, then any old sling will do including the fancy tooled leather slings that cost an arm and a leg.
When deer hunting in the midwest, I usually only use the sling to carry the rifle or shotgun. When using the shotgun with slugs, I prefer using a single point sling or no sling. It is just an aid to carry and not to shoot with. Most of our shots will be quick, very short range shots in thick woods.
When shooting in the wide open western plains, there would be plenty of time and the range to the game would demand the use of a sling or other support. One thing to note is that when shooting with a sling, most hunting rifles will change their point of impact because of the pressure from the sling. One must practice with the sling at the range to be sure that the point of impact doesn't change or one must zero with the sling on.

[Safarigent]

Thank you for your post XL.
So a canvas military sling for the garand.
I intend on trying shooting with and without the sling and become competent with both.
Only then will i be ale to take a call about whether to use one in the field or not.
So, is a military loop sling preferred or shooting sticks/bipods?

[ckkalyan]

Thank you for the great background and information on the use of the sling xl_target!

Cheers!

[AgentDoubleS]

AB,

This is what I got for my rifle along with uncle mike swivel and studs. While good quality and suitable for carrying the rifle it's just not suitable for shooting with it (something that I do prefer to do). Won't change anytime soon though.



Cheers,SS

[Safarigent]

Hi SS,
I personally dont like the cobra slings.
If it has that neoprene lining on the underside, that will be a bonus as the strap wont slip off.
So, if you prefer to use a sling to aid your shooting, why get this?

[AgentDoubleS]

I didn't realise the suede would be as hard/relatively inflexible as it is on this one. I like the suede look though. Will research a lot more before I get my next one. (Which is incidentally how I got interested in this thread).

Cheers,
SS