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Last week, one of the topics took a mysterious turn (as they all seem to do) and went onto the topic of slings on shotguns. With all due respect to Ted, and Britgun, I am curious how some of the other members feel.

I don't like a sling on my grouse guns. If the sling has the opportunity to get caught up on branches in thick cover, I don't want it. But, I do keep a sling in my vest/pack in case I need both hands free.

If I was to leave the car or camp and walk a ways before beginning to hunt, I might be inclined to carry a sling.

I have friends who use their pump guns for birds, and change barrels to hunt Deer. They all have a sling on the gun all the time. One friend has used a 12 bore Beretta O/U for everything from Woodcock, Grouse, preserve Pheasants, and Chukar to Bear, Deer, and Moose. I've never seen that gun with out a sling on it.

So, what is your preference, and your reason for it?

Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 1522 Location: NH

Sling on my deer gun, nothing on my upland guns.

slingless here - the only guns I own with slings are both .22LR guns and they share the same sling.

My duck guns have had swivel-less slings of various kinds over the years but each failed to deliver consistently and were trashed.

If I'm in the woods, I'm actively hunting - sometimes inactively depending on the time of day and when the next/last meal is/was - I'm not really inclined to add a sling either.

That said, I'm up here in New England where the fields are shorter than Alaskan nights in December...

Member Joined: 02 Feb 2006 Posts: 602 Location: western pa

I like a sling on my SP10 and 835 (goose field guns). Also on the model70. Wouldn't even consider it on my 2 barreled bird guns,although they seen to be popular on German doubles for some reason. This is just an opinion, but a sling seems to me to be a carrying device and as such is pretty much like the tits on a boar to the upland hunter who needs to be prepared to shoot most any time. Slings are also handy to steady an aimed shot,but of no value when the job at hand is forward allowance. Around here,they are popular with turkey hunters who cover a lot of ground and goose hunters who also have other equipment to carry. I use QD swivels and remove the sling once I get where I'm going.

Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 124 Location: Kansas City

Many times I've wished I had a sling on my shotgun. Over the years it could of prevented some nasty tumbles down ravines, it would of been nice having both hands free. My old Spanish double looks like it's been through a war. The only thing holding the stock together is epoxy and fiberglass. If I had a German double with swivels I would put them to good use.

Member Joined: 09 Dec 2005 Posts: 989 Location: Las Vegas

I think the loop slings are great. Any sling is very practical in given situations, however, I do not care for the cosmetics of the permanent sling swivel eyelets.

Matt

Seems that even the Winchester Shotgun i bought in Germany had provisions for a sling, they just seem to use them more than we do over here. But then it was made in Spain for Winchester to market in Europe.

Even my 16 ga Spanish muzzleloader has sling swivels.

Just differnt customs and approach. Kind of like the formalities of hunting in Europe.

Your experiences may have been different.

rayb

Joined: 01 Jul 2006 Posts: 26 Location: Finland

A sling is convenient, of course, but it really prevents you from having your gun where it should be, in your hands, that is. Smile

I use a sling on my waterfowl/turkey gun, a 12ga 870SP. It's always gets used when setting out decoys on a marsh with no place to set your gun and when carrying a 20# turkey back to the truck.

I have one other shotgun that came with sling swivel studs already installed, a 16ga 870. Almost removed them, but I have used a sling on it when training my youngest GSP. Seems like sometimes when training a young dog on a checkcord by myself I just don't have enough hands so the sling comes in handy.

Have never used one while upland hunting and doubt I ever will. I could see where a sling could become a safety item in some of the extremely rugged country that some people hunt chuckars in.

Dennis

Never had a sling on a bird, duck or goose gun. I t would feel unnatural to me to have one hanging, no good in tight cover either. My deer gun is a Martin bow------so no sling there Laughing

Here's my post from the other thread:

Each of us should certainly do what works for them. To me, unless you're wearing one of those Tyrolean hats and lederhosen, slings look funny on a shotgun Very Happy

!

Some of the reasons I've heard for slings make perfect sense; Ted's story of carrying his dog is poignant. The loop type in a pocket to be used when necessary makes the most sense to me. Other than that, I revert to my earlier statement above...

I use one on my BPS duck gun all the time, and when it sees turkey duty also. I can't imagine a duck gun without one, especially when you're carrying decoy bags, etc. For upland, I occassionally use a slip-on sling when chukar hunting and things get nasty. Otherwise, I can't see the point for an upland gun. If I had a Euro gun with sling swivels, I would just leave them on sans sling.

Member Joined: 28 Oct 2005 Posts: 665 Location: Louisiana

No slings for me on a 6# Model 90. Just doesn't get heavy. But if I were climbing/slipping/hanging on for Chukar I suspect I'd use one.

When my friends and I do a preserve pheasant hunt, the birds can really pile up. A sling could really help in avoiding 2 trips. That is why we usually try to bring along someones son or nephew. Tell him his name is Bwana, the official bird carrier. I even tried that on my wife, but she is way too smart for that one.

fin, the hat and lederhosen? wasn't that rev? or was it 16gaugeguys favorite outfit?