Sling question

[MS 9x56]

In all the videos I have watched on African hunting I very rarely see a PH with a sling on his rifle. Just wondering why? Also do they recommend a sling for the clients rifle or not? Thank you!

 

[TEAM BERETTA]

Good question, i would also like to know?

 

[Art Lambart II]

I'm not a PH and I always use a sling so I cant answer your question, hopefully some of our PHs and Outfitters will chime in with their reasons for or against slings.

 

[chashardy]

On my last two hunts my PH only carried a rifle on the days we hunted Cape Buffalo. He carried a 450/400 double with no sling. When we were tracking my buff the owner/outfitter joined us and he carried a 500NE double with no sling. The thinking is that it is quicker to get the gun up and ready to shoot if you are carrying it without a sling. I don't have a sling on my double but my bolt rifles both have slings.

 

[Red Leg]

Probably 90% of PH’s do not use a sling in the belief that it can get in the way in a suddenly dangerous situation. That said, a number of very experienced ones such as Zim’s Len Taylor do use one (he uses a muzzle down carry over the left shoulder that is also my favorite). 99.9% of PH’s will only carry a rifle when dangerous game is present or being hunted. As noted above, I hunt with a sling. I am use to it, it is less fatiguing on a long stern chase tracking buffalo or eland, and carried off-hand muzzle down is far safer and just as quick as the “African carry”.

 

[IvW]

I always carry mine with a sling, muzzle down on my left shoulder(I am right handed). I do not allow a client to carry a rifle in the so called "African" carry, behind me, loaded or not. If it is loaded ot should be in your hands.

When we are closing with the quarry, I will remove the sling, which is attached with qd sling swivels. When a cartridge is chambered the rifle will be in my hands or the clients hands, never over a shoulder, slung or in any other way.
At the point the visiting hunter will be positioned on my left if he is right handed or on my right if he is left handed, of course terrain and stalk dependent.

I will often after chambering a round and putting my rifle on safe hand it to my tracker(at this point his job is done unless whatever we are stalking is wounded then his job starts again), he will normally carry the rifle with the recoil pad in his hand and the rifle pointing back against the shoulder. He is by the way, trained and is in possession of a firearms competency certificate and well trained in fire arm safety.

No loaded firearm will ever ever be on or in my truck. So much so that my tracker, when handing the client his rifle will always open the bolt, pointed in a safe direction and check before handing the rifle to the client.

After all the action firearms will be made safe and again checked when back at the vehicle and before they go back in the gun rack or in the vehicle.

I also prefer a client to use a rifle sling, it is what they are use to. QD swivels make it very easy to remove the sling when hunting DG game doing so in thick stuff. This will prevent the sling getting hung up on any vegetation.

I do not compromise on safety, not mine, the visiting hunters or any of the rest of the team.

 

[IvW]

To be quite honest it is all good and well for the camera to load rifles, especially doubles as soon as tracks are piked up and the hunt starts, however that is totally not necessary as you still have a long way to go before getting close. Good tracker will let you know when you are getting close which in turn will provide more than enough time to "get ready" much safer....

 

[Gert Odendaal]

IvW , I agree, that is why I ordered a type of sling from Hansie Minnaar to carry my rifle with it when I hunt normal plains game..even Doc Kevin Robertson curry his 505 Gibbs with a sling...although I really like to use the "Africa carry " method when hunting alone or if there is a tracker/guide with me I will show him that I push down the round into the magazine and push the bolt over it and close the bolt....just to give him piece of mind when he walks in front of me...and there is not a round in the chamber..

 

[Red Leg]

IvW , I agree, that is why I ordered a type of sling from Hansie Minnaar to carry my rifle with it when I hunt normal plains game..even Doc Kevin Robertson curry his 505 Gibbs with a sling...although I really like to use the "Africa carry " method when hunting alone or if there is a tracker/guide with me I will show him that I push down the round into the magazine and push the bolt over it and close the bolt....just to give him piece of mind when he walks in front of me...and there is not a round in the chamber..

If hunting dangerous game, that sounds like a way to get stomped. If I am on the track of a DG animal, the chamber of my rifle will have a round in it. Period. I keep it on my off shoulder on a sling with the muzzle pointed at the ground and my left hand on the forend. It is under total control and there is little likelihood of a brush grab. If a conventional rifle, it is on safe, if my S2 or R8 it is not cocked. As soon as the animal is down or we are back at the truck, the round is removed from the chamber, pushed back into the magazine, and the bolt closed on an empty chamber.

I prefer to do the same on a PG hunt, but the round in the chamber is far less critical then.

 

[BeeMaa]

I also carry on my left shoulder (I'm right handed) with the muzzle down.
My alternate is muzzle up on weak side shoulder with the barrel to the front.
This allows me to keep a hand on the barrel and control the rifle while the scope is under my arm.
Very quick from either carry option to a shooting position.

I've recently switched to a Murray A-1 sling that I like very much.
The wicked quick adjuster is a game changer.
My wife has just asked me to order one for her as well.

There are several members here who use a Trader Keith's cotton strap.
There are two rows of silicone impregnated rubber to keep it from slipping.
Classic good looks at a reasonable price.