Slings are, in many ways, a great crutch to have. I don’t mean that as a degradation, either. Slings are a must-have for long guns, and the modern market has created a ton of high-quality slings. What we will address here is what to do after you purchase your sling. How do you set your rifle sling up to get the most out it?
A Good Sling is Mandatory
Step one to getting the most out of a rifle sling is having one you can get the most out of. For your modern carbine or rifle, that means you should be looking at a modern tactical 2-point. Slings like this Blue Force Gear Vickers sling are the way to go. Other models from Arbor Arms, Magpul, and VTAC are worth looking into as well.
In some situations, a single point might be your sling of choice, and in a very limited niche, they do work. However, for 99% of users, the modern tactical point is a much better option. It’s supportive, easy to adjust, and works with modern weapon handling techniques. These slings have become the standard across the United States military and police forces for a good reason.
If you look at any serious shooter or firearms instructor, you’ll see an abundance of tactical 2-points. These slings work. With that in mind, it’s an important item. Sure, the $14 Chinese copy on “Wish” looks like the real thing, but under pressure, it won’t perform. If you can’t depend on it, don’t purchase it. Get the real, Made-in-America thing.
Now that we have the right sling, we can go over how to correctly mount one.
Mount-It Correctly
The front of the sling mounts to the front of the gun, and the rear mounts to the rear. What’s so complicated? While that is the gist, a little finesse and forethought go a long way. Let’s start at the front and work away back.
The front portion of your sling would be mounted on the weak-hand side of the rifle. You can mount it on the receiver or very near your receiver if you have slots that allow it. Mounting it close to the receiver can put it out of the way when working in vehicles, but that often places the quick pull adjustment device in an awkward position.
The best palace to mount your sling is behind where you grip the rifle. You don’t want it in the way, but you are likely reaching midway down the rail or so. Position the sling near but behind your support hand. This places it in the right area to use the quick adjustment tab but out of the way for manipulations.
The next question you have to ask is whether you want to attach the second point on the endplate or stock. Mounting to the endplate is nice when working with barriers a lot and in and out of vehicles. It also makes swapping shoulders super easy and clean.
However, I do find mounting the sling to the stock to be the more supportive place arrangement. It also positions the sling right under my shoulder pocket for quick and intuitive snaps from low ready to ready.
If mounted to the stock, mount the sling to the dominant side. This will give you a little extra movement and keeps the sling from strangling you when you swap shoulders. Once mounted, it’s time to size things up.
Size the Sling Up
When sizing your sling, you need to factor in the presence or lack of a plate carrier. If you are shooting a 3-Gun, then you likely won’t be wearing one, but for a duty gun, it’s a must-have. You also might need to readjust to accommodate warming layers as the seasons shift, so keep that in mind.
Start by taking the quick adjustment and running it as loose as possible. It will remain in the loose configuration for as long as we adjust the sling. With everything loose, toss it on over your plate carrier or warming layers. Observe how it fits.
Your end goal is to have the stock sitting right over the nipple area on your dominant side, right under the shoulder pocket. If it’s higher than that, it needs to be loosened. If it’s lower than that, it needs to be tightened.
At this point, you are still leaving the quick adjustment device alone. You want to adjust the triglides first. Adjust the rear triglides before you adjust any front-mounted triglides. Try and leave as much space as possible for the quick adjustment device to move.
The Importance of Size
Adjust it a bit, then try it on, and adjust again if necessary. You want it sized right for a few reasons. You want to be able to use sling tension to help stabilize your shot, and the sling should be tight enough that you can do that with the quick adjustment device fully loosened.
Another benefit of a proper fit becomes apparent when you need to go hands-free. If you don’t have the sling properly tightened for shooting, it won’t be properly tightened for hands-free work, either. When you run the adjustment device tight, the sling should secure the gun to your body in a tight manner. It shouldn’t swing or come loose. The last thing you want to do when going hands-free is worry about your weapon.
During a training op, I was a mock casualty, and our Corpsman ran up to treat me. He went hands-free with an improperly fitted sling. It wasn’t tight enough. The muzzle popped me right in the jaw as he leaned over to treat my notional wound.
If the sling sits too tight, you’ll have issues getting into your shoulder pocket comfortably and rapidly. You won’t have any maneuverability. Speaking of, someone is bound to ask about maneuverability. With the sling a little tighter than average, you might feel constricted. If you need more, just swim out of the sling and wear it like a necklace. This way, you can short-stock or do any of those other fancy moves in CQB.
Slinging It
Once your sling is properly set up, it goes from a nice way to hold your rifle to an effective tool that can make you more efficient as a shooter. Treat your sling with a degree of seriousness, and you’ll be surprised what it can do for you.
