OK, let's talk about something. It's too quiet.
What do you use to carry your scoped rifles and what/where on your horse do you like to carry it? I mostly use a leather scabbard (hunter) and carry it on the offside butt end up and angled down a little over about 45 degrees. I've been thinking lately about trying to carry it on the onside with the butt to the rear but it seems kind of akward and too long. I think I would need a new scabbard made to reverse the rifle altogether.

Whats your favorite?

I carry mine the same as you, in an inexpensive "Hunter" scabbard.

I don't carry it on the left side, butt back as the bolt would be to the horse. I don't carry it butt forward on either side as it leaves too great of a chance for a tree or other obstacle to come between the rifle and horse.

With the Butt back on the right hand side, you do have to be careful if you leave your sling attached as it can (and has) get snatched out of the scabbard by limbs.

What got me thinking about carring it on the onside was one of those Tom Selleck movies. I can't recall the title, (crossfire trail?)but one of the "bad guys" carries a scoped old style rifle in a full case on the onside and it looked pretty good. I don't think the rifle was a bolt action of course, I think it was a falling block action. You're right that the bolt would be toward the horse, if it were carried right side up. I've always heard its hard on the scope to carry it upside down but I've never tried it. If the scabbard were made to take the load mostly on the rifle itself and give the scope some room inside it, I think it might work. It sure would be nice to have access to the gun on the same side as I am when I get off. Just thinking about trying something new.

I've been carrying my scoped rifle in my old Herter's leather scope scabbard with protective hood, since about 1970. I carry it on the left hand side of the horse, butt forward. I have found that works best for me.

After many trips on horses and mules, in the Sierra, the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, I've never had any trouble with the "butt forward" postition... and I've ridden many a mile in some really rough country.

As for my old Marlin 336 .30-30, I've ridden horses with it, same position, over hill and dale, using my 20 year old Ray Holes Saddlery (Grangeville, Idaho) lever action scabbard. Ray Holes is as good as it gets, for totin' a rifle on a horse or mule.

Works for me.

L.W.

My most common carry is a scoped bolt rifle, scope down, butt to the rear, at a sharp angle so I don't feel the rifle under my leg and on the off side. I mount and dismount from either side, which ever is up hill, and the bolt rides on the pad not the horse. I've never had a scope problem even after a week straight of looong days in the saddle. Rocks have done a job on the scabbard causing me to get a reinforcement strap sewn on the scabbard. I admit I would want to try this with the big belled scopes. I have a hood that I don't think I ever used even once, I do use a scope flip up cover on the eye peice of the scope. Would like to use a scope cover on the objective but they come off, move around, etc. so I don't bother with them any more.

I build my own leather rifle scabards.

I set mine up the same way easyup does. I have tried every which way. This way works best for me.
If I am not mistaken, Elmer Kieth carried his this way. He used a hood on his scabard.

It is rare when a guy does not have time to tie up his mount. I have not had a problem getting my rifle out of my scabard on the off side before I dismounted in a rare emergency situation.

I quess what ever you get used to and familiar with is important.


Daryl

I have a nylon scabbard, I keep it on the left side, butt forward. I tie the scabbard tight on the rifle stock to keep leaves/pine needles out and to keep the gun in. I like it on the onside, easy access after dismounting, and my right knee gets sore with a right mounted scabbard.

I ride in some pretty rough country in the Rockies in Alberta and havent had any trouble this way...

For my eighteeenth birthday my Grandfather made me a scabbard. It was fully enclosed with a heavy duty zipper. Sheepskin lined. I carry it on the left side, parallel to the ground. Butt forward. The scabbard only needs to be unzipped part way and the leather folds back and snaped open.

I used it for 20 years until it was stolen, along with my saddle, out of the pick up. I probably carried it for well over 4-5k miles in the mountains of BC with never any problem and with some pretty expensive rifles.

I had a local guy make me a copy of it when I lost the other one. This one used artificial fleece and velcro instead of a snap but other wise is identical. I run a WD 40 soaked rag inside to moisten the fleece and the rifle is good for the year.

It also doubles as a pretty skookum gun case. I took it to Africa with me. Just tied it onto the Hilux

I have a number of heavy leather scabbards, some are old but still useful...I carry the gun positioned based on the size of my horse...I am more at ease with the gun on the left facing rearward, so that I can step off and bring it with me..but on a large horse I like it on the left side facing forward, as I may step off the down hill side of a steep mountain on a big horse and thats a long way to the ground and I may need both hands thus the left side forward, then I can grab the gun as I run forward to shoot,

Be constantly aware that if you end up chasing elk with a forward scabbard at a lope or run that you can get a tree between you and the scabbard/gun, I assure you that is a wreck that a hand granade would be proud of..

I want no lineing in a scabbard as fleece, sheep skin etc, picks up all the dirt, stickers and crud in the area, just a plain leather scabbard that fits the gun is my choice. I like a flap that covers the scope as a lot of dirt and debre gets in the lenses without the flap...On an iron sighted rifle I don't want a flap..

I like a lever action rifle such as a Savage 99 with a scope for horseback hunting, but have used a scoped bolt rifle often enough.

Also I never carry a rifle scope down as that sets up a stress on the scope and will move the POI for sure, a constant jogging is the toughest thing in the world on scopes...carry in up with no pressure on the scope.

I have carried mine on both sides of the horse, butt forward. I prefer to have it on the left side so it is where I am at when I normally dismount. However, I have always carried it scope down (hasn't caused me a problem yet) but I am sure it will eventually if I keep doing it. Read an article in outdoor life or one of the other rags and it showed a picture of Zumbo with a scabbard on a horse. He was carrying it on the left side, butt forward, but with the scope up. I think this is what I am going to switch to in the future.

I have used a cordura scabbard, but didn't like it. I now use one from Cabela's that is just oil tanned leather with a scope flap. The only thing I don't like about it is the flap closure. It is pretty low grade in my opinion.

A horse is a wonderful testing apparatus for the toughness of optics. Just put your new binoculars in the saddlebag and ride around all day. If they still work that night they are pretty tough. If the rattle like a childs toy you know you should have spent your money better.

Same thing with a scope down. The weight of the rifle will eventually beat your scope to death. Guaranteed, it's only a matter of time.

Putting your rifle butt forward and high, on either side, is a good way to end up with a bruise on your noggin when you have to duck down or if the horse bucks a bit.

Too parellel with a long rifle will keep the horse from turning sharp in that direction.

I've seen some guys carry a rifle in a sling on their back. I've seen some guys get swept off of their horse by a low branch when carying a slung rifle on their back.

I carry mine on the left side so when I dismount it's right there for me to pull out. If you mount it butt-rearward take care to secure it or you may ride miles and miles only to look back and it not be there!

Hello;
That actually happened to a friend of mine. The only thing that saved him from having to replace his Weatherby was that there was snow on the ground and he could backtrack. It had fallen out a couple of miles back and he wouldn't even have noticed except we stopped for lunch.
Grizz

left side butt back and rather high in back for me. when I hit the ground I'm shooting, the gun comes with me...but I ride daily, rope about 5 times a week so am fairly apt on a horse..for the novice butt rearward on right side at an angle that won't let the gun fall out, is good..

I was in an awful wreck with a butt forward left side carry once years ago in my misspent Buckaroo youth, comical but awsome..

Our paying hunters had all the good horses so dad had me take one of the better colts I had been riding (maybe 5 saddles) and away we went. All went well until the client shot (I didn't dismount, was holding his horse) my colt came into and I was looking at the tops of the trees! then away we went and got a big mesquite between the gun and the horse, saddle went one direction, gun became a pair and bent, I went under, and the horse did a series of summersaults, I don't even recall the trip home, nor did the colt I suspect...ended up in the hospital tossing my cookies all the way, seems I rearranged some brain parts, and a few minor bones and a few stitches, then I died! only to arise again and cowboy up! It can happen to you. Use care when hunting horseback is my first advise. I still might ride a few colts now and then, but I do not hunt of them...Always hunt on a dirty broke SOB, please.

Well as with many things, it seems that there is more than one way to skin a cat. I go butt forward scope down on the right side with the gun at about 45 degrees from vertical. With the lead rope looped around the stock, the gun and lead rope go with me as I dismount. Never had a problem this way except the time my horse ran my right knee into a tree as we were herding the remuda up to camp. It bent the magazine on my old Mod 94 and didn't do my knee any good either. If I would have had a scoped rifle in the scabbard, it might have gotten downright ugly but that's what you get for cutting through the pines at a full gallop

Blacktailer,
Are you a slow learner? That can happen twice you know, and damn I hope your leading a gentle pack string with that rope around your rifle..I'm still partial to the saddle horn and not many dallys...

I ment to add to the above so you wouldn't take me seriously so will add it now.

Well Ray I've seldom been accused of having much horse sense.

Horse sense is it. Well to keep on topic for a while, I used to carry off side rear nearly vertical, just as the Australian Light Horse soldiers did with their smle s.
Any hint of a rifle under my leg was very uncomfortable.

Now, horse sense; When I was a newish rider in training (by the horses), I was ordered by the boss (man) to ride out to the hobbled horses for some reason, maybe to swap over the camp night horse.

Pitch black and in timber, I new that horses were smart so starting off in the right direction I gave this lamebrain a loose rein.
Long ride later I saw a strange light out about where the nags would have been. Got a bit spooky but I was mostly curious as there wouldn't have been another camp within hundreds of miles. Soon it all came clear, the "smart" horse had circled around back to camp, where the "good feed" was dished out.
And did I cop a ribbing.
John.

Jal,
Trouble with that carry is it leaves you vunerable..

My brother carried his rifle that way and one hunting season we were approaching a canyon where a really big buck had been hanging out all year, I dropped behind him and grabbed his rifle sling and let him walk on as his rifle slipped out and I hung it on a big cactus..As we rode up to the lip of the canyon the big boy jumped out going to the top and my brother in his haste to beat me to the shot was cussing and stuttering and I calmly stepped off and shot the old buck..My brother said, I have lost my gun, you go gut him and I will back track and see if I can find my rifle...I said OK and started across the canyon. I didn't get far and I heard his voice echoing across the ranch, "You damn son of bitch, I'm gonna get you for that" I couldn't wait to get home and tell everyone about it!!

Ray:
You've gotta have humor to hunt with others and horseback.

I started hunting as a kid with Dad and old elk killers and cowboys. They all had the scabbards on the right, butt up and front of the saddle. Never bothered me til hurting my knee's. Since then I can't fork a bronc anyway. We seldom jumped game and never hunted horseback. We just rode to our stands tied up 100yds or so short. We also quartered our elk and packed 'em out on the riding saddle too. Most of our rides were less than 5-6 miles.

Humor now: Ray, I knew a lady?? named Alice around Powderhorn CO. That told about cooking up horse apple's for breakfast and gave the dude's first choice. Sounded rather chicken shit too me, but, got a lot of laughs. She'd put 'em with the biskets, some brown sugar and buttered enough they all looked about alike. OF course "those" were on top and the old hands knew better because they'd tried 'em yrs before.

Ok: Since I don't need it any longer. THis might be a good place to mention I have a real good condition hunter scabbard I'd sell for a reasonable price. It's been used a few yrs, and kept in the house since then. What are they worth? I used it to pack my 1917 enfield w/scope.
Just went in and got the numbers from it:
402 B 26, the 26 is 26"

George

quote:

Originally posted by Latigo:
What got me thinking about carring it on the onside was one of those Tom Selleck movies. I can't recall the title, (crossfire trail?)but one of the "bad guys" carries a scoped old style rifle in a full case on the onside and it looked pretty good. I don't think the rifle was a bolt action of course, I think it was a falling block action. You're right that the bolt would be toward the horse, if it were carried right side up. I've always heard its hard on the scope to carry it upside down but I've never tried it. If the scabbard were made to take the load mostly on the rifle itself and give the scope some room inside it, I think it might work. It sure would be nice to have access to the gun on the same side as I am when I get off. Just thinking about trying something new.

Always had my rifle butt forward on the right side. True, its possible to get a branch between it and the horse--hasen't happened yet.
But I've only got three horseback hunts under my belt.
Guess the horses I've been on aren't smart enough to know their left from right. Been gettin' on or off either sde. Usually mount or dismount up the slope or which ever side is convenient at the moment.

I've had this in the family for years and never used it. Comes from Zimbabwe and I thought it was elephant hide or something like that....maybe Cape buffallo....don't really know.

OK, so it belongs in 'Classified' but PM me if you're interested.

Idahochucker2,
I PMed you on the rifle scabbard and never got a reply, you still got it..if so I need a price.

I just reread my emails and I type too fast I guess..I errored on my favorite carry.
Anyway I like the rifle on the right side of the horse, but to the rear and lifted a little higher than most because I don't want to lose the rifle, when I step off I grab the rifle and my leg hits my arm and me an rifle hit the ground shooting ..

I posted above on the left side, my mistake. Beware of this carry as you must get your right leg over the buttstock when mounting the horse and getting off takes some practice I guess. Unless you are an excellent horseman that can be problematic for both you and your horse.

for most the left side butt forward is the easy way to get er done. You step off, tie your horse, grab your rifle and find a rest and start shooting.

Well Ray,

Maybe my fingers flew too fast on the keyboard. I sent you a PM or so I thought with a price and never heard back. I figured the price was too high but here's the same story I sent in a PM.

I sold this scabbard once to a fellow I know quite well for $275 and at that time I thought it was elephant hide. Then I had seller's remorse and a few years ago he had it up for sale at the Gun Show in Boise for the same price as I sold it. All this was before I bought a Rokon and now I realize the Rokon will be my horse and I have a 'boot' mounted on the side of the Rokon.

So this along with the fact that all my rifles need more protection when being carried than this scabbard can provide,,,,,,I'm thinking I'd like to get the same as I paid for it.

Since I thought I sent you a PM and didn't hear back from you....well, maybe my price was out of line I thought. You tell me. Or maybe we can trade something although I don't have a clue what you have as you're probably like me. Have to give that one some thought.