My nephew, the soon to be new deer hunter, asked if there were any slings that had a feature for clipping a carabiner to. The subject came up when we were talking about the intricacies of tying a rope to the unloaded gun to hoist it up, into the blind.
Hoisting the rifle separately serves at least three purposes:
- It gives the hunter the use of both hands while climbing into or down from the stand, reducing the risk of falling
- It reduces the risk of "muzzling" other hunters.
- It reduces the risk of dropping the weapon and damaging it.
He expressed the opinion that he was confident that he could tie a knot to a carabiner that would not come loose but wasn't so sure he could do the same on a cold, wet morning...and then be able to untie it after he had it hoisted into the blind.
For those who never experienced moving a firearm into an elevated blind, the first order of business is to unload the weapon and make sure the chamber is cleared. Then to tie the weapon to the hoist rope and NOT drop the muzzle into the mud or snow. Then climb the ladder. Then lift the weapon without smashing the scope against the tree or ladder or legs of the stand. Then to untie the weapon without dropping it. Finally, to reload the weapon.
The idea of a carabiner on the end of the rope reduces the chances of the muzzle falling into the snow-or-mud and vastly reduces the risk of the weapon slipping out of the knot.
Can any of my readers suggest a commercially available sling with a ring or other feature that a carabiner can be positively clipped to? I suppose he could clip it to the sling but then the weapon can shift from muzzle-down to muzzle-up in transit. A simple, synthetic material without padding is preferred.
I would have a rope already attached to the stand hanging down at a height that kept the rifle above the ground. A clip that fit through the rear sling swivel hung the rifle until I got it up. Easier to unclip then fooling with a knot when it was 9f degrees and dark
ReplyDeleteBasic rope fieldcraft, to free the lad from commercial solutions to bush problems:
ReplyDeletehttps://scoutpioneering.com/site-map/pioneering-knots/
Finger cot over the muzzle, keeps water and dirt out, no problem shooting through it.
ReplyDeleteSome slings have thumb loops to provide a gripping point to help ensure that the rifle doesn't shift when being carried. Go to Bass/Cabelas (or other outdoor/gun shop) and look through their stock...
ReplyDeleteWe have very few blinds up that high, a floor exceeding 10 feet in height. I lift the bolt to render the rifle unoperable, use a 2nd 550 cord sling to secure it tightly in front across chest and climb up with no issues. The majority of our blinds have a floor level only a step or two above grade before we reach up and place rifle inside box.
ReplyDeleteThose tree stand platforms with seat pressed up against trunk aren't present here. We don't have straight trunked trees like that - mesquite grows out, rarely straight up.