Adding a tactical sling to your rifle or shotgun is a smart way to increase its versatility and ease of use. Unlike a hunting-style sling that you drape over your shoulder much like you would a purse, a tactical sling is typically worn all the way around your body—one shoulder goes through and the sling goes behind your head so the gun can hang safely in front of or behind you hands-free.
It might sound simple, and really, it is, but the first time you use a sling like this, you’ll encounter a bit of a learning curve. It takes a few uses to remember what arm goes where, and believe it or not, getting into and out of the sling safely does require a specific technique. What you absolutely don’t want to do is accidentally muzzle yourself or someone else while you’re struggling to get the gun properly slung. How do you do this?
First, you want the gun pointed muzzle-down. If it’s sitting in a neutral (laying down) or muzzle-down position, grab the gun around the grip with your strong-side hand, using all of your fingers—this is not the time to have your index finger straight out along the receiver. If it’s wrapped around the grip with your other fingers, it can’t possibly get near the trigger. If the gun is on a rack with the muzzle pointed up, you will need to keep it pointed in a safe direction while you rotate it to be muzzle-down.
Be sure there’s plenty of room in the sling, and holding the gun in your strong hand, grab the sling a couple of feet out from the buttstock end with your off-side hand. Lift both hands to loop the sling over your head and slide your off-side hand into it, exactly the way you put on a crossbody purse. The big difference is that you must maintain muzzle control at all times so the gun remains pointed at the ground in front of you.
Once you’re in it, adjust the length and shift the gun a few inches until you can comfortably keep your strong-side hand on the grip in case you decide to use a low carry or low ready position. You can then safely let the gun dangle hands-free, and it should naturally be pointed at the ground just off your off-side foot, with the buttstock near your strong-side shoulder. You might find the gun carries more securely if you rotate it so that the action/bolt is tucked against your body instead of facing outward.
Safely getting out of a tactical sling is the same, in reverse—grasp the gun by the grip using all of your fingers. Lift it vertically, muzzle pointing down, and lift over your head, sliding your off-side arm out.
Watch this video from Gunsite Academy to see Brad Gilpin of Blue Force Gear demonstrate getting into Blue Force’s Vickers Sling.
