Basic question about slings

[airgunaut]

Those who have used one, does it help stabilize the gun as you shoot?

I read a photography tip that might or might not be analogous. The tip was to tie a cord around the camera body and hold the end of the cord under a foot while pressing the shutter release, keeping a very light but steady upward pull on the camera to counter any downward movement during the press. This was before digicams and image stabilization became popular.

Is this countering similar to firing a rifle while wearing a sling?

[Blowpipe Sam]

The proper use of a sling is becoming a lost art.  The sling tension helps damp slight inadvertent motions.  Add a snug shooting jacket for more stability.  I only have two rifles with proper “shooting” slings.  The rest are just carry slings.  I rarely have a chance to use a sling for support while hunting.  It’s just too slow to get into position.  I do occasionally adjust a shooting sling for the correct hold but only for target shooting.

[Matchstickshooter]

 I actually have a shooting sling on each of the two Crosman carbines.  They do help stabilize.
  They are home made, and short, enough to get on my forearm. They do act as a brace. 
 (trying to shoot offhand I'm doing the "boxer's stance".....lots of bobbing and weaving!)

 I read about it in an old PB magazine when I was younger.
 I have seen pictures of air gun competitions and those expensive air rifles have slings.
 The Daisy 753-853-953's usually come with some jmho

   

[airgunaut]

Videos on slings abound, mostly focusing on use with AR-style guns, or on how to make DIY slings. I'll browse for basic how-to-use videos that show conventional rifles intended for hunting or target shooting.

[NorCal David]

We had slings on our M1s at the Marine shooting range and used them at all positions. They definitely stabilized the rifles. But as Captain Sam said, they would not be as helpful for Airgun hunting. Maybe if you were in a blind with longer distance shots, but not when walking around and spotting something.

[airgunaut]

The comments are helpful. It sounds like the best use I would have for a sling would be shooting a target small enough relative to distance that the wobble factor needs to be reduced, and I can't do it in normal offhand manner.

[Blowpipe Sam]

CMP and National Match competition rules cover the correct use of a sling for target shooting.  I think that if you search for that you will see the more traditional sling configurations.  They definitely help minimize small movements.  For me a sling is primarily an alternative carry method for when I am hunting.

[c_m_shooter]

A properly adjusted shooting sling definitely helps when prone, seated, or kneeling.  Standing off hand, not so much.

[airgunaut]

Cliff, if it helps when sittingor kneeling, I'll try it. Not like it's an expensive or unwieldy thing to tote.

[KevinJBrown]

Slings are like a lot of things. You get out of it what you put into it. That includes cost, time to install properly, and practice.
IMHO most airguns are not going to hold up to sling use/install. The idea is to have something that gives good support. I prefer a padded Vickers sling.

[Madd Hatter]

https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/how-to-use-a-rifle-sling/

As far as not working very well with airguns I disagree. I used 1 on my rws34 when hunting ground squirrels and it helped tremendously. At least for me.

[Matchstickshooter]

https://www.luckygunner.com/lounge/how-to-use-a-rifle-sling/

As far as not working very well with airguns I disagree. I used 1 on my rws34 when hunting ground squirrels and it helped tremendously. At least for me.

Awesome! This article is very much like I read years ago in a PB magazine! (black and white pictures back "then"!)

[airgunaut]

Thanks for posting that link, Robert. I'm going to move a few more pages of old Daisy threads to the "[temporarily]hidden zone" and relax by watching the video. 🙂