Rifle Slings

[Muley]

What's your opinion on slings?

Were they used in the fur trade era?

[rollingb]

I suspect more than a few make-shift "slings" were put to use, in order to leave both hands free while having a firearm readily available at a moment's notice in hostile country.

[cb]

Simple answer is yes - Alfred J. Miller's prints based on his trip to the 1837 rendezvous show several slings - whether commercial or field expedient is another question..

[Muley]

Ok, thanks. I guess i'll go ahead and use one.

Kind of handy during a long hike to a hunting area.

[Muley]

I changed my mind. No sling for me. I'll just throw it up on my shoulder, and carry it by the barrel. It's only 8 lbs.

Gun looks better without one, and when i'm still hunting with the gun in both hands ready to fire I won't have movement from a sling hanging under the gun.

[greyhunter]

You'll need both hands free dragging a deer, so a sling is the ticket. I use a strap loop around the barrel and two half hitch tied around the grip. Easy to remove and leaves no marks. Don't carry slung over a shoulder when  I'm moving, had a buddy demonstrate breaking a stock at the wrist when he fell backwards going down a hill.    I use em tho, one hand pulling the deer, the other hand grabbing branches to keep from falling. Kinda hilly where I hunt.

[Muley]

I've never dragged a deer in my life. These mountains would kill you if you tried it.

I use the gutless method, and quarter it out at the kill site. Sometimes bone it out if it's a long hike. Elk are always boned out. It's all brought out in a backpack. It might take me 3-4 trips with the gun only being with me on the first one. I can't always get it done in one day. I'll hang the game bags up a tree the best I can for the night, and hope the bears, lions, and coyotes are happy with the carcass.

Different kind of hunting here compared to your state.

[greyhunter]

And I have never shot an elk, and understand why you don't drag them! Our deer must be tagged before gutting or moving. A hunter packing out quartered deer parts would be suspected of poaching here, altho I don't believe it to be illegal. Sure would make life simpler not dragging out all those bones, but we are usually close to a road and a pickup. At my age and experience, I no longer shoot deer in gullies, only deer uphill from me. Easier to slide them down a hill with an occasional kick then pulling one up hill! Have pulled them out of some G_ _ awful holes when I was in my 20s and up to 50s. Doubt I will ever see an elk much less shoot one. Too old, too broke to make that hunt.

[Muley]

Our law says to fill out the tag, and detach right away at the kill. From then on we can keep it in our pocket until we get the first load of meat back to camp/truck. Then we attach it to a quarter, or large chunk of the boneless meat. Preferably the part showing proof of sex.

Then we go back for the rest of the meat. If we encounter a warden on the way back for the meat he's fine with the tag being back with the first load, and will check it. Some guys will keep the tag in their pocket until all the meat is hauled out. Either way is ok.

Some of our muley bucks can get pretty big. It would be a chore to drag them out. Youngsters with a hunting buddy may do it, but I hunt alone, and don't even attempt to drag out a doe.  

Plus, I live in an apartment, so I wouldn't know what to do with a whole animal. Better to just bring in the meat to my freezer. I have some neighbors that would freak out if I showed up with a whole animal.

[Hanshi]

As far as slings are concerned, I have a nice one in swivels on my smoothbore.  It looks very military, anyway.  Rifles?  Nah.  A quicky tie-on woven strap's not too bad but slings on longrifles just don't look right to me.

[Longhunter]

I had to have a sling on my .62 smoothbore so's I'd have both hands free to drag my buffler out...

[Roaddog]

Ya must be getn old Ron. Ya useto drag them out one handed.

[Longhunter]

I guess time catches up with all of us eventually...  

[Roaddog]

:rotf  :rotf