Any recommendations on a good quality sling for a very heavy (11 1/2 lbs) rifle? It's a Dakota African in 416 Rigby and I need a sling to haul it around Tanzania in July.

Do some distribute weight better than others?

I use the 1 1/4" leather military sling.(NOT the 1").Basically same design 1917,1942.They don't slip on your shoulder,distribute weight well,+ are really not that expensive.Brownell's makes the Latigo sling,read good things about them but have'nt owned one.Also noticed in the AR classified,ching sling for sale.Stay away from the ones with the big pad on one end,they tend to slip around,royal pain.

quote:

Originally posted by GunNut1269:
Any recommendations on a good quality sling for a very heavy (11 1/2 lbs) rifle? It's a Dakota African in 416 Rigby and I need a sling to haul it around Tanzania in July.

Do some distribute weight better than others?

I have a couple of 2 inch leather slings with leather ends, they are lined with suede to keep from slipping. They spread the weight on even the heaviest rifles.

All of my heavy Sakos, a Garand & TC rifle have german made Latigo Slings from Brownells they open and close w/o buckles or snaps and one can use it to steady offhand shots,I happen to favor them.

Paolo,

That Ching Sling looks really nice. Does it distribute the weight well?

GN

I like the US military web sling used later in the war on Garands.1 1/4" wide, canvas webbing. Easy to put on, easy to adjust and I think more confortable than the leather 1917 sling. They are also very inexpensive.

Hello,
Check out www.LesTamSlings.com and believe you will discover one of the very best heavy duty service rifle type slings available. Excellent workmanship and very durable. Been using two of them for over ten years now and still in excellent condition.

quote:

Originally posted by GunNut1269:
Paolo,

That Ching Sling looks really nice. Does it distribute the weight well?

GN

GunNut1269:

Allow me to interject. The short answer is "yes." In fact, it does it so well that if used on lighter rifles the sling tends to "float" on the shoulder and has a tendency to slide off. For long hauls where shooting is not a possibility (e.g., an after dark hike back to the truck), you can also put your head between the straps and carry the rifle backpack style without risk of it slipping off your shoulder.

Don Heath of African Hunter magazine, PH Kevin "Doctari" Robertson, and others have tested it and endorsed it in print, and I've seen favorable comments from Ganyana here in AR.

Thanks for the extra informtion Slingster.

Driver, I will check out the LesTamSlings today.

GN

I like the Westly-Richards canvas sling for a couple of reasons. 1) It is very traditional looking. 2) Quick release connectors. 3) Can be rolled up or folded up to fit into a pocket while stalking or moving through the thick stuff. 4) Is wide and carries on the shoulder well.

Cabelas offers a canvas and leather sling that is 2" wide with some rubber grip on the shoulder side. Leather ends are available in 1" or 1 1/2" as well. It is light and rolls or folds up in case you want to ditch it and put it in a pocket. It is really light so it doesn't add to your load.

It works fine as is but I permanentaly sew my swivels in to remove the brass studds to avoid stock damage and to insure thre is zero possibility of the swivels ever coming loose of the strap.

JPK

I use the Vero Vellini wide sling for my 375 H&H - it works great. Leather is for the traditionalists, this sling is for those wanting a great sling for all day hikes... and its under $40. The model # is V19022. Here's the only link I could find: http://www.gunslingsdirect.com/vv-premium.html

i use a 1 1/4" montana that i bought from IST designs, pretty good carry sling.

alternatively the latigo is pretty good from brownells and i hear the ching and safari ching are good too,although i haven't gone down that road yet.

I use the Cabelas canvas sling that is basically the same as the Westley Richards on all my rifles from 7x57 to 470NE. I leave the brass fittings as is but punch a hole in the keeper and put the brass hook thru it. Has never slipped and has never scratched the stock. What I wonder is can you wash them. I have two that have a lot of Africa on them.

GunNut1269 ----- If you want the most comfortable sling for a heavy rifle that will not leave a sore spot after days of packing, try the plain old Butler Creek stretchy type sold everywhere for $19.99. I have packed heavy rifles in Alaska, Colorado, Alberta and Africa with one and the fact that it gives a little while walking, the percieved weight is half that of a leather sling of any kind. It is not sexy or expensive and has no snob factor, it just works and keeps the shoulder happy. Good shooting.

Slogan Outdoors makes a neoprene sling that is phenomenal. Granted, it is not the best looking sling in the world, but has several ways it can be carried, and their model for heavy rifles works fine on my Kodiak double at 11.5 pounds. I have a Slogan sling on all of my rifles now. I used a Ching Sling in the past, but the Slogan is a much more comfortable sling for long treks.

quote:

Originally posted by 1115:
I used a Ching Sling in the past, but the Slogan is a much more comfortable sling for long treks.

1115:
Always glad to hear of a Ching Sling user. If you're referring to the original Ching Sling then yes, the unpadded 1" strap won't be the most comfortable option for heavy rifles. The Safari Ching Sling is quite different, however, being 2" wide, albeit still unpadded, and providing shooting support that a carry strap cannot.

I've used the Brownells Latigo Sling for 40+ years now and swear by it. I also swear at any nylon type imitation of it! The latigo lets you adjust the sling by simply pulling on it, yet it doesn't slip when carrying it. They are a quality product. They are fast and easy to use for position shooting and as mentioned previously work great for standing on two legs and shooting. I have used mil-spec and cobra types and still go back to the latigo. My .02

I haven't tried Eric's Safari sling yet ... contemplating it for sure.

Once upon a time, I bought a CZ 550 in .416 Rigby from Aleko. When it came in, I realized I didn't have an adequate hunting sling for it, so I tried a sling for one of the buzz guns. Worked well, so heavy stuff has gotten the cheap ride ... a surplus M60 GPMG sling. They are padded and wide and have one side that seems to be grabbier than the other. They work well even though they are not pretty.

Does seem kinda criminal to put one on a Searcy though ;>

Vero Vellini is an incredible shock absorber for the heavyweights. Hand cut and sewn to suit, of course.

Let me add that any sling must come off when the going gets tough - just too much potential to snag and screw things up.

So, IMHO about slings, they're just for comfort on the way, not to say long trek, back, anyway. The VV is the best at that, sans doute.

quote:

Originally posted by mrlexma:
Vero Vellini is an incredible shock absorber for the heavyweights. Hand cut and sewn to suit, of course.

Let me add that any sling must come off when the going gets tough - just too much potential to snag and screw things up.

So, IMHO about slings, they're just for comfort on the way, not to say long trek, back, anyway. The VV is the best at that, sans doute.

I hunted with WW2 & Korean war veterans and none of them ever took their slings off. I've hunted for 45 yrs in all types of terrain and cover ie heavy brush,timber,swamps,desert, snow covered hills and never took off a sling. In fact the M1 Carbine issued to me for 4 years never was w/o its sling .

I know that it may be a bit like blasphemy to put a non-leather sling on a fine hunting rifle, but the BEST sling I have come across to ACTUALLY USE is the "Claw" by Quake Products. It certainly isn't going to win any beauty contests, but it does WORK and very well. They cost like $20 with swivels. I spend three months a year as a PH carrying a heavy rifle almost everyday and have tried NUMEROUS slings, but this one works best. It has a bit of give to it to take some of the jar out of the carry and the shoulder pad just dosn't slip and in fact the longer I carried it the better it got!