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Best Way to Sling a Rifle Where Significant Movement is Required


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I have a stage this Saturday that will start with 12 or more shotgun targets. The rifle will be slung at the start. After finishing the shotgun targets the shotgun is grounded and we are going to run, climb a ladder (probably) onto a shipping container, and engage long range targets with the rifle.

I am still pretty new to 3 gun. I have slung the rifle in front muzzle down (not good for a lot of movement) and behind the back muzzle up. I was watching some video from the Hard as Hell Match and a competitor had his rifle slung behind the back muzzle down.

Is there any conventional wisdom on this issue? I believe the rifle will be unloaded.

Thank you in advance!

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I am right handed so my Handgun is holster R-hip. That is important to keep in mind. Slings and handguns can interact in a way that ends your match prematurely.

I use a v-tac 2 point sling. For stages with a lot of movement, sling muzzle up over Right shoulder, sling across chest, cinch it up tight. I can run, crawl, get up and down from low positions, whatever.

For less movement, I sling muzzle down, behind back, butt stock at R-shoulder.

For just standing in one place or very little movement, muzzle down in front, buttstock at R-shoulder.

Edited by Lead-Head
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Sling up and run around in the garage wearing your 3 gun gear until you find a method that works for you. Then mark your sling with a sharpie or tape it where you like it with hockey tape. A sling is a personal thing.

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I would generally carry muzzle up for "extended" carry. If I squat down to do something... muzzle up carry => the buttstock hits the ground ... muzzle down carry => the muzzle (potentially) hits the ground.

Front carry generally means I'm going to be using the rifle relatively soon. So muzzle down for me when I front carry.

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  • 2 months later...

I have a magpul MS2 sling and hardware store improvised sling mounts on my 3-gun rifle.

We had a very similar situation last weekend where it was a shotgun start, with a rifle slung and a handgun holstered. I like to sling muzzle down, with the sling across my chest so that the rifle stock is held tightly up by the left shoulder and the handguard is held at about 4:00 behind my holster. IF the stage had required rifle before handgun I might have slung up across the front of my chest out of concern for snagging my handgun while unslinging my rifle.

I think WHERE you attach the sling is very important regarding getting a rifle to ride on your body the way that you want it to. I like for the rear attachment point to be either at the rear of the lower receiver or at the very least on the forward 1/3 of the stock. I like for the front attachment point to be an inch or two in front of the upper receiver, both of them faced so that a rifle wants to hang flat side towards your body if you pull it up tight. It seems to me like more people have trouble getting a slung gun into action when the sling is attached at the very rear of the stock and at the very front of the handguard. It just seems more awkward and it seems like the sling is more apt to interfere with their natural motions whole moving and shooting.

I can slide the keeper on the MS2 so that the rifle will be held very tight to my body. It is very fast and easy on the clock for me to grab that loop and rapidly loosen the sling so I can get the rifle into action.

I have a non-3gun AR that I practice with and I often carry it and shoot with it slung. It seems like that familiarity translated well to adapting to a slung rifle in a course of fire at a match. I worked a stage at the Pro-Am and it was simply astonishing how many people had trouble charging an unloaded/closed bolt AR while they were wearing it slung.

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I am a righty. I use a VTAC 2-point sling muzzle down (right shoulder to left hip) in front if I don't have to move much. If movement is involved I just rotate it, muzzle following the sling until it is muzzle up (left cheek to right shoulder blade) in back.

When it is in front I can shoulder it without removing the sling if need be. When it is in back I just grab the stock with my support hand and pull it forward until the firing hand can grip it, then keep rotating it up into firing position.

ETA: Yep, just what's in James's video, except I don't recall ever having to pick up and sling the rifle on the clock, rather than just starting with it slung.

Edited by CJW
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I do muzzle up on my back strap across my chest. I pull on the stock with my left hand and shoulder the gun by rotating it. I found this to be very useful especially with all the loaders attached to my belt as it doesn't disturb anything.

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  • 4 weeks later...
  • 5 weeks later...

James Casanova has a small video that might help: https://www.facebook.com/504559829685716/videos/583077288500636/

He just swept everyone behind him doing it that way :blink:

Most of the time when rifles are slung they are considered a dead stick until they are loaded for purpose of 180. That's why you never see loaded guns being slung.

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James Casanova has a small video that might help: https://www.facebook.com/504559829685716/videos/583077288500636/

He just swept everyone behind him doing it that way :blink:

Most of the time when rifles are slung they are considered a dead stick until they are loaded for purpose of 180. That's why you never see loaded guns being slung.

...and the Giant Elephant in the room raises his majestic head....

It's very convenient to explain away the "dead stick" handling when match directors have just gotta have everyone sling those guns!

Try drawing an empty pistol with all the contortions and sweeping I have observed with long guns at many matches and see if everyone considers it a "dead stick, short, one each".

Like I've said in the past, having shooters run around like some WWI exoskeleton tank festooned with all their finery is bad stage design.

Flame away.

ericm

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I do not disagree with you Eric, and you have never had to sling in such a manner in one of my matches. But, if you are going to shoot in other matches, you should know how to sling on the clock. There are other ways as well.

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If my sling is capable, I generally grab the handguard with my weak hand, whack the quick release with the right hand, then bring it over my shoulder. No waving of others has to be involved. However, I've also experimented with the method of grabbing the grip with my strong hand, whacking the quick release with my weak hand, then swinging the whole thing around like a croquet mallet.

And I've seen Eric shoot. We need to hang more crap off him so he slows down.

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James Casanova has a small video that might help: https://www.facebook.com/504559829685716/videos/583077288500636/

He just swept everyone behind him doing it that way :blink:

At what point of the video do you feel that he swept everyone behind him?

0:34. He broke the 180.

And how would you know where the 180 is? Were you there? What match was this and what ruleset?

You asserted he "swept everyone behind him" which he did not. There was no one behind him. It is okay to admit you are wrong by the way.

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And how would you know where the 180 is? Were you there? What match was this and what ruleset?

You asserted he "swept everyone behind him" which he did not. There was no one behind him. It is okay to admit you are wrong by the way.

Tell you what, how about you, during a stage, turn around 360 degrees with your gun pointed low ready. I'm sure the entire crowd at the match will march you off the field for your DQ. That's basically what he did starting at 0:34 seconds in.

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