military sling??

[nico]

forgive me if i sound completely clueless but could someone explain the difference between a "military sling" and a normal (for lack of a better word) sling? I just got my first rifle, which will mainly be used for hunting. I always assumed that a sling was just a strap that you use to carry a rifle over your shoulder, but after looking around on this site, I've gathered that they can also have a significant effect on accuracy

. Is this something that would make a difference while hunting, or does it only matter for people entering competitions? I ask because outdoorworld's website (closest place with a reasonable inventory of gun accessories) lists about a dozen "normal" slings and one leather military sling that are all about the same price. Is there a reason to buy the military sling, or should I just go with a nylon sling? thanks

 

[OH25shooter]

My understanding of a military sling is it can be adjusted for the users size and needs. You can make it longer to wrap your arm around for steady firing and/or shorten it to sling the rifle over ones shoulder. I have one, but choose not to use it because on a heavy rifle with an attached Harris bi-pod the sling cuts and digs into my shoulder. Plus, it slips more when walking and hunching over in the woods.

You can waste money trying to find a comfortable sling. After several, my favorite is made by Vero Vellini. It's about 1 1/2" wide and tapers to about 3" at the shoulder. The material is soft and spongy, with rubber on the inside which is non-slip. Not cheap, but will last forever.

 

[QuarterBoreGunner]

OH25shooter got it for the most part; try checking out Turner Sling- they have a great page that explains how to use the Model of 1907 Military Sling; which is the Cadillac of mil-type slings, IMHO.

 

[larryw]

QuarterBore's link is a great one to learn all about military slings and their use. I have a Turner sling on my M1A and absolutely love it. But not sure its the way I'd want to go on a hunting gun. For one, getting in and out of it is a bit of a hassle, especially when wearing heavy clothing.

A standard carry sling can be used to add stability. The premis is similar to the 1907 sling's, but you don't clamp it around your arm, just use friction to hold in place.

An attempt to explain and apologies if it is confusing, I've done it thousands of times and shown it plenty, just never put it to word: hold rifle in strong arm, sling sagging down. Place weak arm through sling under trigger/forend. Lower weak arm so sling is hitting the back of your arm roughly halfway between elbow and armpit.

Now this is where the explaination will be trickier than doing it (see pictures from Turner's site to clarify).

Straighten weak arm and sweep up and out, towards the front of the gun it so the sling wraps around your forearm/wrist. This section of sling is the third leg of the humerous to radius/ulna (arm bones) triangle that gives this shooting position stability.

You will need to adjust the sling length to get the right tension; it should be tight enough so you can hold sight picture with your strong hand off the grip. I like Browning's Lightning sling for this as it quickly adjusts from carry to shooting length.

Cooper's Art of the Rifle is a must read for sling and shooting postions

 

[ReadyontheRight]

You can also "sling up" with the traditional web or nylon sling issued with the Garand.

It's easier if someone shows you, but you basically slide the cotton/nylon belt up through the hardware so it makes a loop big enough for your arm -- with the hardware between your arm and the rest of the sling. Once you do it a few times, it can be easier to figure out than a 1917-type sling. And definitely less expensive.

Search the "Competitive Shooting" archives for some great advice and pictures on shooting from positions with a sling.

For hunting, you are probably more likely to have shooting rails or a tree to stabilize, but slinging up will definitely help if you ever shoot from seated or prone. One big problem with slinging up for hunting is that you can only shoot in the direction for which you are set. If a big old buck decides to come upwind and check out your scent, and you're facing the other direction, it's pretty difficult to either unsling or turn around if you're seated or prone in cover.

Learning to use a sling correctly is definitely worth it and one marksmanship technique that is uniquely American.

 

[nico]

thanks for the replies everybody.
readyontheright, I think I'll go with what you suggested and just buy a normal nylon sling. Outdoorworld has one that's 1 1/4" thick and $5 less than the 1" military style sling they sell ($15 vs $20), plus I figure nylon would probably be more durable in lowsy weather than a leather one would be.

 

[larryw]

nico, one thing to consider when buying the sling is how easy it is to adjust the length: the length you use to carry will not be the same length you use to shoot with. And different shooting postions require different lengths. As such, not all carry slings are good shooting slings

That's why I like the Browing sling. You can get in postion and just pull on the adjustment gizmo to adjust to length. The GI web sling is similar, but there is a clamp that you open and close to lock it down and is not as quick and easy (especially with gloves). You can find the web slings on eBay and elsewhere for pretty cheap. If you go the GI sling route, don't forget to buy sling swivels (the Browing one comes with).

 

[nico]

larry and everybody else, thanks for the advice. Based on what everybody has said, I ended up getting the Redhead super sling from outdoorworld. It was $15, is 1-1/4" wide, and comes with talon swivels (but it doesn't have a logo like that link shows). It's kinda hard to explain, but the strap basically doubles over itself twice. You pull two parts of the strap toward the butt to shorten the sling, and pull the third part toward the butt to lengthen it. Grabbing all three parts of the sling and pushing it away from the stock takes out any slack. From the links posted in the threads I've been able to find, i figure it'll work well in the "hasty sling" position, and if it doesn't, at least it was cheap.