Slings

[littlebang556]

What are the pros and cons of a single point sling?

Is it easy to adapt oneself to use a single point?

What types are out there and are ther some prefered brands?

Also is it advisable to have a hand stop and why.

Answers to the above will help me make a few decissions as well as be a great source of knowledge for newbies.

Regards

Rob Alman

[Peter Hulett]

Hi,

Maybe I can start this off. I began shooting with a double-point sling and after 20 odd years I switched to a single point that I have used for the last 6 years. The changeover took me a couple of months to be certain but it was not difficult after the first two weeks.

Double-points (once fitted properly) give you a stable position but can induce cant, depending on the position of the sling swivels. The position is easily upset when you move from range to range as the angles change and are hard to get right. They are more stable in buffet (especially for lighter shooters). I shot very well with a double-point sling.

Single-point slings are much easier to set up and if you buy one with a fine screw adjustment for length then you can easily make adjustments to suit various angles at different ranges. I shoot very well with a single-point sling.

Handstops are optional, I don't have one and my wife has. If you have any difficulty in placing your hand in the same position on the stock and holding it there then use a handstop but don't push your hand hard onto the stop as you may affect the recoil.

I am not experienced enough with single-point slings to suggest particular brands. I use a SwissTop Bleiker/Truttmann which is very expensive but you only ever buy one. I suggest you contact James Corbett at TripleJ imports as I think he now has one of similar quality but at a much reduced price.

The other point to consider is how the rifles are weighed for TR. SSRs state that the weight is without sling but with any attachments that remain after the sling is removed (not quite those words but that is the intention) and so more is left on the rifle with a double point sling.

All in all, a matter of personal choice but I find a single-point sling is less clumsy in use.

Cheers

Peter Hulett

[pjifl]

Peter Hulett wrote an excellent summary which parallels my experience.

I found that moving to a single point sling from a double at first seemed like a move backwards because it was apparently less stable. But experience (which matched the advice I had) was that it shot as well and was less constraining to the shooter.

Now that I find sling shooting quite an effort (shoulders plus older and less supple body), I do not think I could use a double point sling - but can usually manage a single point sling.

People shooting outside the Commonwealth have to use single point - nothing else is allowed and the rest of the world does not know about double.

Most experts suggest double point is more prone to recoil errors. But it does resist extreme buffeting better.

On handstops, to reemphasize what Peter Hulett said - it is more a guide and if your hand is really hard up to it the whole sling adjustment should be reconsidered. Some suggest that a 'sticky' glove and no handstop is better. Personally I dont use a glove at all which is heresy to some.

Peter Smith.

[Woody_rod]

Slings and handstops, is almost a whole physics semester in itself....

I have recently gone through a big change in my position to try and develop one that was lower, straighter and had less strain on my left wrist (I am right handed). Previous to this time, I had used a generic sling connection - a small aluminium knurled nut with a square bolt head on the back to fit into the rifle accessory rail. I had not used this item as a handstop. Have used an Anschutz heavy glove since starting out.

I read some books such as: "International Rifle Marksmanship Manual" by the The US Army Training Unit, "Successful Shooting" by Bill Pullum and Frank T. Hanenkrat (NRA - US) and Competitive Shooting by A. A. Yur'yev (English version, Edited by Gary L. Anderson, NRA - US). The last one being a real eye opener.

I never used a two point sling, so have not had to go through a transition. Well, I have, but tooling around with a SMLE for a laugh doesn't really count.

Anyway, what I have found in a nutshell is the following:

Most advice I got was apppreciated, but was 95% outdated by probably 40 years.

Things like; "the handstop or sling position should be the same distance in front of the grip, as the butt is behind it." In other words, the front of the grip should be the mid point between butt and hanstop. This is just rubbish. Mine now looks nothing like this, and many other peoples' actual handstop position looks nothing like it.

Another observation here is I believe a lot of people shoot with a pull length (length of butt behind the grip to where it touches shoulder) that is too long. This is can be the subject for another post.

The variables for the "equal distance theory" are so large, that such a theory could only be used to place a handstop on the rifle, the first time it is used. Probably not much use otherwise.

Anyway, the sling itself has a number of issues that can be inherent in the design, or also as part of the physical aspects of the shooter, for example: If the shoooter has thick arms (like me - not very smart, but can lift heavy things....), a sling with a smaller loop at the top can be a real problem, and cause grief with pulse and fitting.

I found that slings made of leather stretch during each detail I am shooting - making my natural point of aim probably 6 minutes of angle lower by the end of the string of fire. I use a fairly hefty sling pressure though - a personal thing. I tried backing this off, but I just cant get a good group with less pressure.

There are so many things going on with angles, I doubt I know half of them at this point, with regard to changing sling length. People that say: "get less pressure by making sling longer", don't really understand what is going on. The sling length is determined by things like: position height, arm length, hand size, sling design, mound angles, butt pressure (this is more of a handstop position), position angle, left elbow position etc etc etc.

NOTE: "Butt pressure" means the rifle being forced into your shoulder by the sling tension / handstop length.

Using simple logic, longer sling = straighter position angle, shorter is opposite. Shorter handstop position gives less butt pressure, longer more.

If you lengthen your sling while in position, and you do not move your position straighter, you are muscling the rifle with your front hand/arm. If you move your handstop towards the butt, and still have the same butt pressure, you are pulling the rifle back with front hand.

There should no pressure (or very little) backwards onto your front hand by the handstop. The butt pressure should cancel out any sling pressure, making your front hand a vertical support only - which brings me to the last point:

My main issue, after so much reading and annoying people on what I needed to do, was really very simple: I had to move my left elbow further forward, as far forward as was comfortable. This single thing made such a huge difference to my position, I find it hard to believe still.

This changed the following position items: My left leg moved further left, now in line with side, and parallel with spine (so much more comfortable), took most weight off my left hip, brought my left elbow in line with side, and slightly inside the "relaxed position", increased butt pressure thereby tooking all strain off my left wrist/hand.

The sling is critical in all of this. I am now on my 4th unit, and am happy with the one I have now. Is a synthetic Gehmann with adjuster in the middle, but otherwise very simple.

This is what I think it terms of slings, other people I talk to stick to the old ways, which is fine by me.