Carrying around a double rifle all day that weighs just over 11 pounds can get to be a chore after a while. Traditionally many African hunters carry their guns across their shoulders to support the weight. Sometimes you'll see a double that has sling swivels, though some of your better guns don't.
What are your thoughts about a DR and a sling? Is it necessary or helpful? If you didn't want to add swivels but still wanted a sling, what do you think about using a shotgun sling (pictured below) that simply slips over the barrels and the stock? With such you could use or remove the sling as needed without the swivels impacting the gun and its original design. Any thoughts?

I use a sling on all my doubles. Some doubles have a different size hole and width in the swivel bases. My Heym does and NECG carries european quick detach swivels that fit. I find the slings make life a whole lot easier but then I'm over 70.

In the brush I cannot even stand a sling on a bolt gun in brush, so I will not consider one on my double. It gets very tiresome to un-snag the sling from bush branches 4x/hour. In open country, it's another story.

Get detachable swivels and remove and put the sling back on as you need to. Nothing wrong with a sling on a double, you just need to be able to remove it in my opine.

Here is NE450#2 with his hog and double rifle with sling from this past weekend.

Spring, for non dangerous game i think its a good choice with detachable swivels. If your hunting D.G. its the worst possible thing you can do as it will catch on everything large and small, and if Murphy has his say it will be at the worst possible time. I have 20 plus years hunting with one and i have never used a sling, but i am a Dinosaur. One thing i do know for sure is , there has never been an animal shot from the sling position, and D.G's dont have time outs for anyone to get it off of there shoulder and into firing position which is about the same amount of time it takes one of them to end your hunting career. Hope this helps you out. Charlie

I used to carry my sxs 12 ga. slung upside down with the chambers open and two rounds in my right hand. When the dog goes on point, you'd be surprised how fast it comes up. However, I'd have DG double slung until the stalk began, then give the sling to the tracker with the pack. The question was about carrying it for long perionds, not hunting it. Is different.

Slings are handy things to have on a Double. There is no law that says because you have on you have to use it though.

The shotgun slings will wear off the blacking and the finish on the stock. Two for one.

No. No slings on a DR.

Rusty, actually that is my 450/400 3 1/4", I shot the pig with it.
My 9,3x74R has a QD sling, and as you can see my 400 has a sling. The 450 No2 has no provision for a sling. I do not use a sling much while walking, I do find them handy however when I am glassing, or standing around and need both hands free.
I did not use the sling on the 9,3 when Africa.
I would not want one on a rifle when in thick jess. I did not even take a sling for the 9,3 on the DRSS hunt. I have used a sling on the 9,3 and the 400 on true backpack hunts for bear in Montana, and on the 400 on a caribou and brown bear hunt in Alaska. They can be handy, I just remove them when they are in the way.

I have swivels on my double and a DR sling (I can't think of the make right now.) It comes in handy when traveling I take it off when hunting in DG country.

I don't want a sling on any rifle as a rule..I usually have one handy but never use it..I want to be ready to take the shot under any circumstances in a split second....

I have a slip on sling for my double, but have yet to use it and probably never will...

As I recall the only time I have used a sling is when I was dragging something dead to someplace else...