Hunt bighorn sheep or elk in the mountains and get back to me. Or hike five miles into your hunting area in the dark and do the same.
Does an ultralight mountain rifle need a sling
- Thread starter TrevorMack
- Start date
Hunt bighorn sheep or elk in the mountains and get back to me. Or hike five miles into your hunting area in the dark and do the same.
Our eastern hunting is a lot different than what you may experience out west. Here, it's more like upland hunting with the rifle at ready for a quick shot. I don't even have a sling on my rifle. Just carry a 1" lightweight one in m pocket.
TrevorMack
Regular
- Location
- Nova Scotia
Not any time soon but plan on it eventually, just want one for when I do. Also hunt black bear on a smaller mountain in home province which will be the main use for rifle.
- Location
- Steel Town and The Peg
Exactly. My slings seem to be more cosmetic. 1/2 the time, I leave them in the truck as I "push the bush" or for "woods loafing".
If you are using your ultra lite rifle for sheep, goats, chamois, tahr or any other high mountain critter you will ABSOLUTELY need a sling. Tying your rifle to your pack is always an option but not one I would recommend in grizzly country......I have a story about this misadventure, which I won't get into now, but suffice it to say I will NEVER again tie my rifle to the back of my pack. A sling is indispensable on a ultra lite mountain rifle.........period.
Only time a rifle doesn't have a sling in the field is when you are training and fighting with a bunch of nationalists in a 3rd world country who are lazy and like to carry rifle over their shoulder while on patrol.
Your SOP is no slings allowed so at least they will have the damn rifle in their hands when they come under fire.
Other than that ... slings on all rifles !
Your SOP is no slings allowed so at least they will have the damn rifle in their hands when they come under fire.
Other than that ... slings on all rifles !
A sling for mountain hunting is a must...there will be many times when you need both hands and feet to climb.
This is my answer as well.
Doug i want to hear that story ... i never had rifle tied to a pack but just to keep it why?
Phil
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Sometimes ground conditions aren't conducive to putting a rifle down should you want to stop and glass or should nature call. Even a light rifle when carried in the hands, after hours on a difficult trail, increases fatigue beyond what's experienced when the rifle is slung. That advertised 5.75 pounds doesn't include the scope, mounts, and ammo. The weight of the sling isn't free, but it is worth its weight in gold.
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
One spot we used to hunt deer, we called "hell hole". It was so named by the guys pushing deer.
It was a cut over, with blackberry and raspberry bushes so thick you really used your rifle only to push ahead of you. The canes constantly robbed you of your hat, and tore your clothes to ribbons. Yet deer seemed to move through it effortlessly.
It was no place for a sling. The pushers never did get a shot when we hunted there. You couldn't see ten feet most of the time. One guy said he probably should just leave his rifle in the truck for that run. Guys on stand did well though.
I'm a rifle at the ready type guy, and that practice has accounted for a lot of close game.
On stand, yes, I'll have a sling. I also used it when we hunted the big marshes north of Sudbury where you could see pretty much a kilometer.
I have to comment on the guy who, on stand, has his rifle slung on his back. How much game has been lost in this manner? Now some of the Western guys will not understand that I expect, but, when pushing deer, you may have seconds, or, A second to make a decent shot. The deer may be standing, looking at you. But it won't be when you try to get your rifle off your shoulder.
One of our guys uses a sling that holds his rifle (he uses a P17) across his front in the ready position. It automatically comes up to support his shot when needed. I can never remember the name of it. Wonderful system for a hunter that walks.
Hunting conditions differ. When I hunted BC I used a sling all the time.
It was a cut over, with blackberry and raspberry bushes so thick you really used your rifle only to push ahead of you. The canes constantly robbed you of your hat, and tore your clothes to ribbons. Yet deer seemed to move through it effortlessly.
It was no place for a sling. The pushers never did get a shot when we hunted there. You couldn't see ten feet most of the time. One guy said he probably should just leave his rifle in the truck for that run. Guys on stand did well though.
I'm a rifle at the ready type guy, and that practice has accounted for a lot of close game.
On stand, yes, I'll have a sling. I also used it when we hunted the big marshes north of Sudbury where you could see pretty much a kilometer.
I have to comment on the guy who, on stand, has his rifle slung on his back. How much game has been lost in this manner? Now some of the Western guys will not understand that I expect, but, when pushing deer, you may have seconds, or, A second to make a decent shot. The deer may be standing, looking at you. But it won't be when you try to get your rifle off your shoulder.
One of our guys uses a sling that holds his rifle (he uses a P17) across his front in the ready position. It automatically comes up to support his shot when needed. I can never remember the name of it. Wonderful system for a hunter that walks.
Hunting conditions differ. When I hunted BC I used a sling all the time.
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I have back pack hunted for days and I sling my rifle across my front and sling over my left shoulder, and I can rest my left hand where fore stock meets barrel and I can bring rifle into play in less than 2 seconds. I will never again be caught with my rifle bungeed to my pack. The method I use keeps my rifle from banging about and getting scraped up on my pack frame and as mentioned can be brought into play very quickly. The only downside is my packing rifles have no bluing where the forestock meets the barrel from my hand riding there for days. I can live with the bluing loss...........
Iron Sighted
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Peace Region
A sling for mountain hunting is a must...there will be many times when you need both hands and feet to climb.
I'd much rather have my rifle in the scabbard on my pack when climbing than have it hanging loosely off my body. I have slings for all my rifles and don't really find them comfortable for carrying over longer distances. Funnily, the cheapest sling I have, a wider Butler Creek neoprene sling is the one I find the most comfortable.
If you are hunting in the bush, but aren't expecting to see anything, don't have it on a sling, carry it in your hands - don't ask how I know.
If you need to cover longer distances in open country, the sling could be handy. Just remember, you may get an opportunity unexpectedly at any time and the sling could ruin it. Overall, to me the sling is more of a hindrance than a help most of the time.
If you need to cover longer distances in open country, the sling could be handy. Just remember, you may get an opportunity unexpectedly at any time and the sling could ruin it. Overall, to me the sling is more of a hindrance than a help most of the time.
Try the "Quake" brand of slings.
Soft neoprene surface strengthened with nylon webbing.
Don't rattle or slip on your shoulder.
I bought them in a stateside Cabelas.
Don't see them in Canadian stores.
Iron Sighted
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Peace Region
I will try to check those out, thanks for the lead, now to see if the can be had North of the border....
