How do you carry your gun with a pack on?

If that's a concern why don't you just carry bear spray which is more effective? Best of both worlds in that case... easy packing of a rifle and more effective defence against Yogi.
Bear spray is a 12ga with buckshot not aerosol marinate.Harold
 
Spray actually works just fine upwind, people just need to make sure not to spray too early, like kayak lady. It’s a strong squirt more than a mist. Pretty rare to have a wind that’ll cause you issues, and even if you catch some mist beats being lunch.

I doubted spray after seeing some very confusing effects from it. Then I realized the purpose of spray is too confuse and distract a bear while you leave, people expect them to run, I’ve come to understand that’s not spray’s mechanism of action. It’s confusing the bear while you leave. Both it and guns have their place.
 
I used to carry it "african" on the right shoulder, then I discovered that repeated hits and pressure of the gun against the side of the backpack damaged the scope.

Now I still sling it on the right shoulder, muzzle down, but I twist the rifle to bring the scope around to the front. My right hand is usually cradling the front of the forestock for control, which makes my forearm naturally protect the scope.
 
If that's a concern why don't you just carry bear spray which is more effective? Best of both worlds in that case... easy packing of a rifle and more effective defence against Yogi.
Who pray tell told you bear spray is more effective than a shotgun? Do you realize that bear spray is considerably weaker than the police issue spray and determined goal oriented individuals /bears just fight right on through the spray and kill the sprayer.Don't bring a knife to a gunfight.............Harold
 
Who pray tell told you bear spray is more effective than a shotgun? Do you realize that bear spray is considerably weaker than the police issue spray and determined goal oriented individuals /bears just fight right on through the spray and kill the sprayer.Don't bring a knife to a gunfight.............Harold

Look at my post above, there's 4 links to studies showing injury rates are much much lower using spray compared to using guns. For a variety of reasons. One big one being it's quicker to deploy and the effects are instaneous. The same isn't true for bullets.
 
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Was not a fan of eberlestock packs, too floppy even with the pouch cinched down. And with it cinched down it was too tight to get the gun out and in with it on.

Shawn

They're not meant to be a quick draw scabbard. They're a drag bag with a pack attached. Never had any floppiness issues even with a heavy varmint rifle, ammo, spotting scope, water, food, steel targets etc etc loaded to go shooting in the back country. Maybe user error?
 
Vickers Tactical 2 point sling . I have 3 of them . You can ride your rifle high on your chest and then put your pack on . Hands free . If you see something worth shooting press the lengthening strap down , rifle to the shoulder and fire . It's very fast . They go on one way for a tactical rifle and reverse it for a hunting rifle . Simple . Get the one with padding . From Amazon you'll get one inside a week . They are from Blue Force Gear .
 
I use my hands. Not really adding anything new, but this thread is about carrying with a pack, so I can go off a little on a tangent to mention I just found a Pioneer brand Trapper Nelson No.3 pack in pretty good condition on kijiji and got it for a very good price. Needed to gloat.:dancingbanana:
 
I'm partial to the gun bearer style sling attached to my pack. Mine's a home build version but functions the same.


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It also spends about 90% of the time strapped to the back.

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...even when there isn't dead things in it.

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RC
 
http://shopruger.com/Compact-Padded-Rifle-Sling/productinfo/19112/

This is the sling I have (without the grey, it's all black w/red logo).

I will try my 22lr sling and see if a sling that doesn't have a wide foam rubber piece works any better... But honestly I don't think it's the particular sling that's the problem. I think my issue is with how insecure that is if I can't have one hand on the bottom of the sling. Something like the gun bearer seems like it could be the ticket, but i only just found out about those so i thought maybe there were other novel solutions that I was unaware of.

Hey BUM got any pictures of your setup? or care to give a bit of detail in how you built your own?

I'll try to remember to snap a couple and post them up.
 
That’s proper backpack hunting. :cheers:

Yar. That's what I want to do. Need to get back in shape first though - the beer belly set in around the time we had kid#3 and now I rock the Dad bod...

Thanks BUM. I've made my own, but I'm not 100% satisfied with it, it tends to hold onto the butt of the rifle, i think my recoil pad is getting too much grip on the old backpack strap I used...
 
Looks even fancier than what I was thinking of. Should do the trick.

Never been bear sprayed but I have been OC'd and tear gassed. Not much fun.

Study after study has shown bear spray to be significantly more effective at preventing injury during a bear encounter. If you want the best tool for the job, that's what the evidence says it is.

http://www.themeateater.com/2016/the-cold-hard-facts-of-bear-deterrents-bear-spray-vs-firearms/amp/

http://www.themeateater.com/2016/scratched-the-great-bear-spray-debate/

http://relay.nationalgeographic.com...zzly-bears-attacks-science-animals-bear-spray

http://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.707738

Did you listen to Rinella's latest two-part podcast? "The Meat Tree - Part 2" is very interesting. I love the guy, but Rinella has made some stupid comments about guys packing handguns for bear defense before (heard his say "everyone wants to be Rambo") but after this latest incident his stance seems to have shifted.
 
Yar. That's what I want to do. Need to get back in shape first though - the beer belly set in around the time we had kid#3 and now I rock the Dad bod...

Thanks BUM. I've made my own, but I'm not 100% satisfied with it, it tends to hold onto the butt of the rifle, i think my recoil pad is getting too much grip on the old backpack strap I used...

Had a similar problem from time to time. I blame the bottom part not being stiff enough. I've toyed with the idea of reinforcing the bottom "basket" or "hoop" with a stiff plastic material or heavy-gauge wire like coat hanger.

Bonus is that it will just hold my 12.5" 870.
 
Have you ever seen a dead bear attack anyone?

Lol

I think part of my problem is the holder doesn't lay flat enough. It is more of a circular shape(you can see what I mean in the pic without the rifle in it), which makes it grip the stock more than it should... It's currently sitting under my pack, trying to get it to bend the edges and sit flatter... If that doesn't work I might stitch the sides to flatten it...
 
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