What sling to use?

[dcmdon]

Hi all.
I've got both a turner saddlery sling and the USGI nylon web sling from the appleseed site.

Is there any point in bringing the turner sling?

I'll be shooting a DCM AR15 A2

Don

 

[Twigg]

Depends on your personal preferences.

Which sling is more effective for you.

Bring the one which works best.

 

[Jose]

Do not use a USGI nylon sling. They suck completely.

Either get a USGI M1 cotton web sling or go with the Turner M1907.

 

[Nickle]

Jose, the sling he's referring to is the same as the old cotton USGI sling, but nylon, not cotton, and slighly longer. Same as the original (1960's) M16A1 sling, complete with the adjuster clip and all.

That one is good.

The M16A2 version nylon sling (also known as a silent sling) is a piece of crap. No snap on clips, no quick adjuster, just a strip of cheesy nylon and two figure 8 pieces to loop the sling back on itself.

 

[enbloc]

.

.

 

[Jose]

Jose, the sling he's referring to is the same as the old cotton USGI sling, but nylon, not cotton, and slighly longer. Same as the original (1960's) M16A1 sling, complete with the adjuster clip and all.

That one is good.

I stand corrected. However, the previous incarnation in canvas web grips like the fist of God and I doubt nylon can equal it.

 

[Chris]

The cotton one was showing signs of fraying after just ONE Appleseed.

My Nylon versions have been to 3 now and still look and hold great. They really are a quality piece.

 

[Jose]

The cotton one was showing signs of fraying after just ONE Appleseed.

Then it was dry rotted.

I got some noticeable amount of edge fraying after an entire season of Highpower rifle, which is a hell of a lot more use than a couple of Appleseeds.

In the end, I bought an M1907 from Leslie Tam and never looked back.

 

[DJMc]

FYI, at the Appleseed, they will probably show you how to use the sling a few different ways, known as: the hasty sling; the hasty hasty sling, and the loop sling. Nickle knows far better than I, but I have been to a few Appleseeds. For an example on how to use the loop sling, see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRPfj-6bRZM&feature=related

In the first picture posted by Nickle above, the loop would be in the middle of the buckle that's on the far right of the picture and 2/3 of the way toward the bottom. You really want a sling capable of being used in this way. Quick detachments from the rifle are also nice, as it lets you detach the sling from the rifle, instead of take it off your arm. If you can, you will and will walk around when not firing the rifle with the sling hanging from your arm.

 

[Gadsden]

I have this one on my appleseed rifle and my AR, it has yet to fail me and the price is right:

http://www.appleseedstore.flyingcart.com/?p=detail&pid=10&cat_id=0

 

[Stratocaster1422]

I have this one on my appleseed rifle and my AR, it has yet to fail me and the price is right:

http://www.appleseedstore.flyingcart.com/?p=detail&pid=10&cat_id=0

Ditto. Mine has been through an Appleseed during a hurricane and in blistering heat. It's nice and worn in now and holding up FANTASTIC!

 

[Coyote33]

FYI:
NRA Super Sling 2

Just figured I'd throw this one out there. Anyone have one? Any good?

 

[Jose]

FYI:
NRA Super Sling 2

Just figured I'd throw this one out there. Anyone have one? Any good?

Useless for position shooting. It is just a carrying strap.

 

[P-14]

How about a Vicker's sling?

http://www.blueforcegear.com/product.cfm?type=cat&cat_id=5&prod_id=79

I have one on each AR and the WASR-10.

 

[Jose]

Appleseed rifle training is about marksmanship fundamentals. Use a sling expressly designed as a shooting aid, such as the USGI M1907 or M1 slings.

Once you understand the principles behind the use of a sling as a shooting aid, then you can experiment with using more practical slings such as the Viking VTAC or the Blue Force Gear Vickers in a rifle support role.

If you go to an Appleseed with a sling not expressly designed to serve as a shooting sling, you will not get the most out of the training. Simple as that.

 

[Gadsden]

Appleseed rifle training is about marksmanship fundamentals. Use a sling expressly designed as a shooting aid, such as the USGI M1907 or M1 slings.

Once you understand the principles behind the use of a sling as a shooting aid, then you can experiment with using more practical slings such as the Viking VTAC or the Blue Force Gear Vickers in a rifle support role.

If you go to an Appleseed with a sling not expressly designed to serve as a shooting sling, you will not get the most out of the training. Simple as that.

+1. A friend of mine came to an Appleseed with a sling designed for carry only, it did him no good. I gave him the carry-strap off of my shooter's mat and it worked like a charm for him.
It just goes to show, just because you paid extra for something that looks cool does not mean it will be more useful than something that costs $1.

 

[MetalgodZ]

Useless for position shooting. It is just a carrying strap.

Yep, figured that out after purchasing two...back they go.

Will this one do it? Looks like it will, but not as easy to return if it doesn't.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...tType=&indexId=cat20776&hasJS=true&hasJS=true

 

[KMM696]

Yep, figured that out after purchasing two...back they go.

Will this one do it? Looks like it will, but not as easy to return if it doesn't.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...tType=&indexId=cat20776&hasJS=true&hasJS=true

I have a Triple K sling like that one - it's not bad for the price, I guess. The one I got was very stiff when new, and there were issues on some of my rifles fitting the brass hooks and rivets through the sling swivels - they were pretty bulky. I found that I didn't like that sling much - so my LTRs are both running the USGI nylon or cotton slings. (No, not the 'silent carry' M16 junk sling.) One one of them I replaced the sling hook with a 1-1/4" sling swivel - I like that much better on rifles with swivel studs instead of the M1 style loop. We'll see if my stitching holds up.

I have a nice version of that sling from Brownells - better than that TripleK in every way except price.

I would recommend one of the Appleseed USGI Slings, as well. It's a bit less grippy than the cotton/canvas version, but a good sling. 2 of the cotton webbing ones I've bought without being able to handle first have turned out to be dry rotted, and didn't hold up at all. Their replacements that I got to pick out of a box have been excellent.

More and more of my rifles are ending up with the USGI style slings - if you get one and you decide you don't like it, I'll buy it from you.

 

[Jose]

Will this one do it? Looks like it will, but not as easy to return if it doesn't.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...tType=&indexId=cat20776&hasJS=true&hasJS=true

Nope. Nowhere even close to the strength necessary for the stress it will be under.

If you are going to use a leather sling, use this:
http://www.creedmoorsports.com/store/product.php?productid=889424&cat=484&page=1

If you don't want to pay the $ of a quality leather sling, get a cotton canvas USGI M1 sling and call it a deal.

There are really no other practical options. I've come to that conclusion after a decade of seeing what works and what doesn't in rifle competition.

 

[BossHarley]

Yep, figured that out after purchasing two...back they go.

Will this one do it? Looks like it will, but not as easy to return if it doesn't.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...tType=&indexId=cat20776&hasJS=true&hasJS=true

I looks pretty strong to me. I have 3 service rifle slings (turners) and the brass fittings/studs look similar to the one pictured. If you can't buy the top of the line slings, this one would probably do fine. I imagine it is going to be stiff to start, you might want to get it early and soften it up some.

 

[Sprocket]

I use a VTAC sling I picked up down in the classifieds a while back - it's not the standard but it works - any carrying strap that can steady your hold is better than no sling.

 

[AndyL]

Gents,

If you are thinking of leather....Don't forget my offerings! (see sale in the dealer section!).

Andy the leather sling guy

 

[Sprocket]

Andy does make great leather products and has a repeat customer based on his customer service with me.

 

[MetalgodZ]

I looks pretty strong to me. I have 3 service rifle slings (turners) and the brass fittings/studs look similar to the one pictured. If you can't buy the top of the line slings, this one would probably do fine. I imagine it is going to be stiff to start, you might want to get it early and soften it up some.

I was in the middle of a buying spree to acquire everything needed to put together the LTR about 2 weeks before the November 13th weekend HSC Appleseed, and was attempting to get as many things shipped in one box as possible.

I took Jose's advice and went with new manufacture cotton slings, and was very happy with them overall - probably more so than I would have been with the leather sling because the cotton ones are infinitely adjustable, and with my luck I'd have ended up between two adjustments and trying to poke extra holes in the leather during the training.

One thing I'd suggest to anyone who's looking at the slings is to either wear sleeves long enough to generously cover your wrist, pick up some sort of wrap, or tape your wrist. When it gets wet, the cotton web can really tear up your wrist. Between the torrential rain that weekend, the cotton web, and an unfortunate application of hot woodstove door to wrist on the evening after the 1st day, by the end of the 2nd day it was bleeding a little and hurt enough to seriously distract from shooting. A leather sling might be better, but I'd REALLY recommend a pad or wrap of some sort.

 

[BossHarley]

Wearing a glove on the left hand is recommended when using a sling. (at least for position/service rifle shooting.....)
Not sure the rules for appleseed, as I will be attending my first this spring. A leather gauntlet style workglove (covers wrist a little) should work just fine if you have one....

J

 

[ChevyGuy91]

I wouldn't worry about a glove, never bothered me enough to need one.

 

[chippinder]

Anyone ever try the Safari Ching Sling for an Appleseed? I was going to create a new thread, but it seems to work in here. I also come with the understanding that it looks like the USGI Slings and the Safari Ching Sling accomplish the same goal and 1/6th the price, or so I think.

 

[ChevyGuy91]

the idea behind using the GI sling is that it can be un-clipped off the butt and used for a loop sling. any 2 point sling can be used as a hasty sling.