Rifle Slings

[Skinna]

Ok call me a cheap-skate, but i just cant come at some of the prices that slings go for these days.
I could understand some of the prices if they were hand made, but ... ...

Im after a couple of slings for hunting rifles, & one for a shotgun, & I obviously dont want to pay $80-$100+ each for them, only to be disapointed that i could have paid $25-$40 for one that is essentially the same in a practical sense, & used the extra on more bullets & powder.

So does anyone have any suggestions from experience, on what slings are reasonable ones for reasonable prices?

What you got, how is it, & where did you get it from.?

To be honest, i dont use a sling much--most of my need for a sling is for throwing a rimfire over my shoulder for the 'just incase', when i go for the walk out to recover/check/ensure is dead/process a critter while spotlighting--its very rare i have one over my shoulder for an entire day, although a comfy one for reasonable price would be good

Cheers.

[bladeracer]

Ok call me a cheap-skate, but i just cant come at some of the prices that slings go for these days.
I could understand some of the prices if they were hand made, but ... ...

Im after a couple of slings for hunting rifles, & one for a shotgun, & I obviously dont want to pay $80-$100+ each for them, only to be disapointed that i could have paid $25-$40 for one that is essentially the same in a practical sense, & used the extra on more bullets & powder.

So does anyone have any suggestions from experience, on what slings are reasonable ones for reasonable prices?

What you got, how is it, & where did you get it from.?

To be honest, i dont use a sling much--most of my need for a sling is for throwing a rimfire over my shoulder for the 'just incase', when i go for the walk out to recover/check/ensure is dead/process a critter while spotlighting--its very rare i have one over my shoulder for an entire day, although a comfy one for reasonable price would be good

Cheers.

My preference is to mount a single-point attachment to the side of the action and just use one QD single-point sling for whichever rifle I pick up.

[CrackThump]

For $25 you could probably make one out of an old pillowcase and some clothesline.

Pay the $75 and get something aussie made that will last longer than your rifle.

Or I dunno, pay $45 for a nylon one , support the chinese economy and then replace it 3 yrs later when it rots.

Buy once, cry once

[Skinna]

Ok call me a cheap-skate, but i just cant come at some of the prices that slings go for these days.
I could understand some of the prices if they were hand made, but ... ...

Im after a couple of slings for hunting rifles, & one for a shotgun, & I obviously dont want to pay $80-$100+ each for them, only to be disapointed that i could have paid $25-$40 for one that is essentially the same in a practical sense, & used the extra on more bullets & powder.

So does anyone have any suggestions from experience, on what slings are reasonable ones for reasonable prices?

What you got, how is it, & where did you get it from.?

To be honest, i dont use a sling much--most of my need for a sling is for throwing a rimfire over my shoulder for the 'just incase', when i go for the walk out to recover/check/ensure is dead/process a critter while spotlighting--its very rare i have one over my shoulder for an entire day, although a comfy one for reasonable price would be good

Cheers.

My preference is to mount a single-point attachment to the side of the action and just use one QD single-point sling for whichever rifle I pick up.

Got a picture &/or link of what this is?

By side of the action, you mean attached to the stock or something drilled & tapped into the reciever.?

[Blr243]

I was given a sling that had an elastic shoulder section I think the designer thought by adding a bit of elastic it would be more comfortable but it was terrible I could feel my rifle bouncing up and down with every step I took .....I like skinny slings that cut into the top of my shoulder. The wide padded pansy slings slip off my shoulder too easily ......old 25 mm webbing from old ratchet straps work great but look very average. Looks not imp to me

[bladeracer]

My preference is to mount a single-point attachment to the side of the action and just use one QD single-point sling for whichever rifle I pick up.

Got a picture &/or link of what this is?

By side of the action, you mean attached to the stock or something drilled & tapped into the receiver.?

I don't like wooden stocks for my hunting rifles, you could screw a pic rail to wood, but I prefer to mount the single-point attachment to the scope rail with a wooden-stocked rifle.

A little difficult trying to get photos on my own, but basically the rifle just hangs down in front of me, I don't need to hold it at all, but it is comfortable to rest my hands on it sometimes. A simple push moves it to either side if I want to climb something, and if I want to move it to my right shoulder instead, I just shrug my left shoulder through and put my right arm through instead. The QD attachment takes a second to separate from the rifle if I want to put it down for some reason, or swap to a different rifle. My milsurps tend to have repro original slings, but I don't find a conventional sling over the shoulder in any way comfortable. Possibly the worst I've used is the paracord woven slings, those are painful unless you are well rugged up.

[bladeracer]

I was given a sling that had an elastic shoulder section I think the designer thought by adding a bit of elastic it would be more comfortable but it was terrible I could feel my rifle bouncing up and down with every step I took .....I like skinny slings that cut into the top of my shoulder. The wide padded pansy slings slip off my shoulder too easily ......old 25 mm webbing from old ratchet straps work great but look very average. Looks not imp to me

I made a sling using 25mm web strap as I couldn't find anything on the market that did what I wanted from it. I put QD clips in it so I could unplug it to very quickly swap one-handed from a taut tucked-away sling to an open sling I could throw over my shoulder. You can sort of see it in this pic.

11042015794.jpg (613.52 KiB) Viewed 10373 times

Found a better pic.

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And another.

P1160718b.jpg (310.81 KiB) Viewed 10371 times

[marksman]

l have been after a ching sling for a while in2anity put it up, la cannot find them so l am going to have a crack at making my own going by this blokes thread
https://www.africahunting.com/threads/l ... aar.47328/

l'm waiting for the strap and screws at the moment, it doesn't look that difficult from the above description
the cost will be around $65 for 2 to make them but the cheapest l have found is $130 but not available

[Oldbloke]

Interesting design. Looks fairly easy to make, just need leather and punches really


I'm now a fan of the "Safari" style of sling. A very easy DIY. 1" webbing, some strong cord and a couple of buckles. Great of you have a crook back.

Must be dozens of sling types out t here.

[Skinna]

I was given a sling that had an elastic shoulder section I think the designer thought by adding a bit of elastic it would be more comfortable but it was terrible I could feel my rifle bouncing up and down with every step I took .....I like skinny slings that cut into the top of my shoulder. The wide padded pansy slings slip off my shoulder too easily ......old 25 mm webbing from old ratchet straps work great but look very average. Looks not imp to me

I made a sling using 25mm web strap as I couldn't find anything on the market that did what I wanted from it. I put QD clips in it so I could unplug it to very quickly swap one-handed from a taut tucked-away sling to an open sling I could throw over my shoulder. You can sort of see it in this pic.

11042015794.jpg

Found a better pic.

28052015893.jpg

And another.

P1160718b.jpg

How have you attached that sling to the bipod.?

Also, where did you get the buckles from.? They easy to come by.? (ive never even searched for them___yet.)

As for the other, i like the look of the single sling attachment Id like to give it a go, but how does it go if you want the rifle over your back & out of the way.? It looks ok for walking, but also looks like it might flop around if you ever have scale some hairy terrain & want the rifle in a relatively stable position over your back so it doesnt flop around.)

Also, maybe a stupid question, you just get these off ebay or something like that.? And if mounting to scope's pic rail, is that a specifc attachment.?
-my hunting walk-about stocks are also plastic, but not my rimfires, ill have to use std strap for them.

[Skinna]

I was given a sling that had an elastic shoulder section I think the designer thought by adding a bit of elastic it would be more comfortable but it was terrible I could feel my rifle bouncing up and down with every step I took .....I like skinny slings that cut into the top of my shoulder. The wide padded pansy slings slip off my shoulder too easily ......old 25 mm webbing from old ratchet straps work great but look very average. Looks not imp to me

Ive kept a strap thats come adrift from a difficult to deal with old ratchet tie-down, i kept it thinking one day ill pix it. But now i know what im going to do with it.

I agree with you on the wide straps too. I have one & its way too slipery on a 3kg tikka lite & the rifle is for ever falling off or the rifle slips down under me at the most inopportune times .
My favourite sling is an old 1 inch leather strap with a simple buckle.

Im going to have to get creative with all these ideas you, blade & marksman are putting up. So thankyou guys.

[Skinna]

For $25 you could probably make one out of an old pillowcase and some clothesline.

Pay the $75 and get something aussie made that will last longer than your rifle.

Or I dunno, pay $45 for a nylon one , support the chinese economy and then replace it 3 yrs later when it rots.

Buy once, cry once

I like the idea, but id ideally like to have a few sooner than later, & cant fathom spendong between 2-300 bux on a few good ones at once.

Do you have something you've used & like, or have seen & like.?

[Oldbloke]

Skinner, the 1" ratchet straps are good. (I avoid blue) But being fairly slippery tend to slide of the shoulder if it's a conventional design. Leather is a bit better though. Slides less.

[bladeracer]

How have you attached that sling to the bipod.?

Also, where did you get the buckles from.? They easy to come by.? (ive never even searched for them___yet.)

As for the other, i like the look of the single sling attachment Id like to give it a go, but how does it go if you want the rifle over your back & out of the way.? It looks ok for walking, but also looks like it might flop around if you ever have scale some hairy terrain & want the rifle in a relatively stable position over your back so it doesnt flop around.)

Also, maybe a stupid question, you just get these off ebay or something like that.? And if mounting to scope's pic rail, is that a specifc attachment.?
-my hunting walk-about stocks are also plastic, but not my rimfires, ill have to use std strap for them.

I bought several dozen standard QD sling swivels years ago. You can get lots of different types.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/2Pcs-QD-Strap-Buckle-Leica-M-Quick-Detachable-Sling-Swivels-Bolt-Action-Wood-Scr/264524295978

Ebay, there is a huge variety of buckles and clips to choose from.
https://www.ebay.com.au/b/Sewing-Buckles-Straps/183254/bn_55158709
The straps were real cheap as they were 10m dog leads, way cheaper than buying it by the meter I found. Press stud kits and Chicago screws are also on Ebay.
https://www.ebay.com.au/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2499334.m570.l1313&_nkw=chicago+screws&_sacat=183253

I never want the rifle across my back, then it does flop around and need constant adjustment, the single-point doesn't. It's also impossible while wearing a pack or webbing. With the single-point the rifle hangs down either your right or left side when you want it out of the way, the muzzle tucks behind your calf.

Likewise, there are a miriad of different attachments available to connect a sling to a pic rail. To mount under a scope you want a very low-profile one, preferably one that comes apart so you can poke it through the gap without having to remove the scope - something like this is a good one. https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Tactical-Quick-Detach-Buckle-Rifle-Sling-Swivel-Hook-Mount-Adapter-for-20mm-Rail/184406073385

[womble]

For knockabout work horse rifles i like buffalo leather slings. Be sure it’s genuine buffalo and not made in India.
So probably try etsy, not eBay. 25 bucks and up. Amish made or similar.
No they’re not the best you can get, but on a budget, they’re comfortable because it’s quite supple soft leather and still strong. The texture looks good too.
Another budget option for something well wearing is military surplus. Plenty of new and unused stuff around.
But for not a lot of money you can spoil yourself a little, get your initials or family name, Scottish crest, a boars head, whatever you like engraved.
Or for a lot of money get the crocodile skin one and matching hat just for you stix.
https://www.etsy.com/market/buffalo_rifle_sling?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search_AU_DSA_GGL_Main_General&utm_ag=AU-EN_DSA-General&utm_custom1=0d10176b-cdde-42f3-9e80-bf678b9fc928&utm_content=go_196427303_13451015903_302473618555_aud-170815461848:dsa-19959388920_t_&utm_custom2=196427303&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1qL6BRCmARIsADV9Jtb3vn-mKeTpxum-mGrOO8h4zsqBrU15DZrMZhtYhscpcHPnChNwIfkaAkk2EALw_wcB

[Skinna]

Skinner, the 1" ratchet straps are good. (I avoid blue) But being fairly slippery tend to slide of the shoulder if it's a conventional design. Leather is a bit better though. Slides less.

LOL...you been rummaging through my rubbish heap.?
Thats where i threw that ratchet strap the other day when i had to tie down a load on the trailer.

Yep, you guessed it...its blue LOL.

Just a cheap green shed one too (probably why its cactus) If i use it, my Camo painting skills will do the trick.

[womble]

You can get single point slings with a bungee section in them. I thing they’re ok for shotguns and carbines if the swivel is set up well ad it works when you shoulder it.
It you want the do all get the three point sling. Learning how to use it and getting good at it, well that’s not so easy. And then when you have learned it’s easy to forget. So no don’t get one haha.
On my shotgun i have a single point sling with shell holders, mounted to the rear of the buttstock in a three point cradle. But it also has another quick detach swivel that i can plug into a pic rail section on the barrel when i want to shoulder it.

[AZZA'S HJ47]

I have always made my own to fit myself better and have never looked back. There are plenty of patterns available and explained on youtube and at the end of the day i havent had one fall apart on me.

[Oldbloke]

Most animals see blue. So I didnt pick it up. Lol

[Lebner]

I realise you dont want to spend the $80 but you do get a better product. I was going to get the cheap spika unit but opted for a quake the claw, heaps less bulky due its contour design and insanely grippy. Rifle does not slide around at all even over bino harness straps

[Ziege]

I bought the old man and myself some slings a while back, beautiful soft but hardy leather with tough pressed felt backing, look great on the walnut stocks and do their job perfectly, cost me $60 a pop... for something that lasts longer than my life, I dont think thats overpriced.

[deye243]

I agree with the OP the price for a sling is outrageous so I made one out of a bit of bridle leather that I had laying around it was made more than 20 years ago .
still as good as the day I made it but it does not get a lot of use.

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[Oldbloke]

Slings are very easy to make. No way I would pay $80

A DIY leather sling I made recently and a DIY Safari sling.

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[bigrich]

I only have two rifle slings, a one inch leather for stuff like Cz rim fires, and a “cobra “ leather for heavier centre fire rifles that I may have to carry for a while. The wide cobra spreads the weight on my shoulder and doesn’t slide. Aussie made “dingo” brand. They’ll outlast me ...

[marksman]

dingo lives down here not far from me
he's a good bloke who does a good quality job
ozzy made quality

[womble]

Yes. Well renowed Aussie brand.
Prices look reasonable. Check out the cobra sling with sheepskin backing.
Do i need one, yes i think i do.
Because it has to match my car seat covers. Sounds reasonable to me.
http://www.dingogunproducts.com.au/13.html

[TassieTiger]

You have sheepskin seat covers? Okay. That goes someway to explaining a bit

[womble]

Yes, but now i need to buy another rifle to suit that sling.

[TassieTiger]

Why can’t you just turn it inside out ?

[bigrich]

Yes. Well renowed Aussie brand.
Prices look reasonable. Check out the cobra sling with sheepskin backing.
Do i need one, yes i think i do.
Because it has to match my car seat covers. Sounds reasonable to me.
http://www.dingogunproducts.com.au/13.html

don't get the sheepskin one . it makes the sling slide of the shoulder . if you look at the pic of mine you can see the holes where i pulled the stitching holding sheepskin on
on the upside, having the holes from the stitching gives the sling a "softer" edge . i like it

i try to buy aussie even more these days to support locals instead of possibly giving money to something CCP made