Too sling or not to sling
7 Responses to “Too sling or not to sling”
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April 24th, 2019 at 5:01 pm
The only times that I use a sling on a rifle is when I want both hands free. I never use a sling in any other way and certainly not while shooting.
April 24th, 2019 at 6:23 pm
No easy answer. Either way; practice with your chosen setup.
While hunting, I’ve never used a sling. Moving through brush, climbing trees, etc., a sling is more a liability than a benefit. If I need both hands free then I either set the rifle down or hold it between my legs, butt on the ground, muzzle forward. Maybe that’s my answer, but hunting is not self defense. Anyway, in some cultures, in times past, a stocked-to-the-muzzle long gun with a metal buttplate was considered a walking stick.
I have snagged a sling indoors many times, but maybe that’s more a matter of dedicated practice than one of “this sucks because I’m not doing it right, so I’ll quit doing it altogether”.
For now, my go-to fighting carbines do not have slings.
The one and only time I actually got out of bed to address a threat, I had a revolver in hand, simply because the revolver was already in the pocket of the bathrobe.
If I’m dressed then I’m already wearing a side arm, so…the question of under what circumstances I’d opt for a long gun is hard to answer. Longer shots on predators attacking livestock is a real possibility (and was the case in the aforementioned wake-up call), and in that case I don’t need a sling. I’ll find a supported position if needed, and this is far more stable than a shooting sling. A proper kneeling position can be much more stable than a standing, slung position.
Cooper indicated that the shooting sling is only any real benefit in a supported position, such as kneeling, IIRC. Argue on that if you’re so inclined.
And that brings up another aspect of general marksmanship and fieldcraft; the improvised, supported shooting position. Depending on the environment, that could mean anything from a tree limb to a rock to a mound of dirt, to your rolled-up coat, to a fence. The hood or roof, bumper, etc. of a vehicle can work well too. In the pursuit thereof, I no longer bring a shooting bench or any such out shooting.
That means there is a lot of potential fun to be had exploring these possibilities. Even if you’re so unfortunate, wretched and miserable as to be confined to formal shooting ranges, you may find (or steal) some modicum of latitude within which to practice and learn some of these things.
April 24th, 2019 at 8:18 pm
I’ve used a sling while patrolling in the .mil (which IMHO is a lot closer to home defense than hunting) and when shooting rifle matches, both combat and National Match.
In the .mil at the time (80’s)setting your rifle on the ground to use both hands for something else made you subject to an “interesting” conversation with an NCO.
I’ve found the sling helps me with increased stability for standing off hand shots (hasty sling for “combat” shooting) as well as kneeling or prone (web loop for National Match). YMMV
It’s easy enough to secure the sling out of the way alongside the rifle to avoid snags if you are using it for HD. (I personally use handguns and shotguns for that mission based on my current environment).
Use what works for you and what you are comfortable with based on your background and experience.
For me, every rifle I have has a sling, most of which are MILSURP and none of which I use for hunting. If I start using a carbine for HD, it’ll have a sling because that’s how I was trained and so it “feels right” to me
April 25th, 2019 at 9:41 am
Sling. A 2 point sling is best. Single points a distant second. There is no 3rd option.
At some point you’ll need one hand or both.
April 25th, 2019 at 8:38 pm
Article mentions slinging the gun once police arrive… I’d much rather have it on the ground pointed in the safest direction and as far from me as it can be at that point. Step two in most of those encounters is “Lie face down on the ground!” … And I don’t want a muzzle tied to my body during step three when the police attempt to secure the weapon.
April 26th, 2019 at 3:21 pm
WallPhone:
The odds are when the police arrive, you will still be looking for random BG’s, or holding them for the police, so it will still be in your hands until they are close enough to take over for you. You will not/should not be comfortable letting it lay around in that sort of situation. It’s not uncommon for BG’s to return to the scene if things didn’t go the way they expected. Random passersby/witnesses can also decide to take it.
April 29th, 2019 at 9:19 pm
I have a sling for every gun i own. Fuck. WHERE ARE THEY?