A long walk in the woods while hunting can provide a demanding and exhilarating getaway for your next long weekend, as long as your gear is ready to meet the task. As such, you have to ensure that you have the basic camping gear, a good utility knife, and a well-oiled sidearm to complement your rifle.
After such a significant investment of both time and money, it’s time to figure out the best way to carry everything and to use it efficiently. Long loaded marches are not kind on the back, but nothing can mess up one’s aim as an overly-tired deltoid. If you need to ensure your aiming muscles stay true while still keeping your guns ready for deployment, you are going to need an efficient rifle sling.
At its most basic, a sling is simply a strap that lets you carry a rifle around; however, even a little bit of extra ingenuity can make a huge difference in performance. Ensuring the right combination of materials, belts, and design tweaks can change the experience completely.
Listed below are the top 10 rifle slings currently available on the market.
D3 Sling by Haley Strategic
The Haley D3 Sling was specifically created to enable long marches with minimum discomfort or delayed soreness. Designed by a former Recon Marine during his own deployment, this strong sling option can act as a reliable accessory that adapts to its wearer’s need rather than forcing you to adapt your posture to its kinks.
The Haley D3 sling can switch quickly from a single-point sling to a double-point carry, and it can transition from one into the other in a matter of seconds without the need to stop and unpack everything. This is accomplished by a set of positive-locking QD swivels, expertly woven into the tactical fabric of the sling itself. The low-profile pad keeps it discreet, but it still provides some relief from the extra weight. As it is made from a five-layer synthetic fabric, it will resist a fair deal of stress. It’s available in black, grey, coyote, and cam.
For more cool gun accessories, check out our selection of the best guitar gun cases.
Magpul MS4
This budget-friendly single-point sling only appears simple, as it is very cleverly made. A combination of wide fabric with resilient composite materials have resulted in a light, yet sturdy sling that offers minimal discomfort for hunters and extreme trekkers.
First, this sling is 1.25 inches wide, which provides plenty of room for minor tears and scrapes to have no immediate effect, allowing you to get back to base to repair it without losing track of your prey. Additionally, the very discreet padding will prevent chafing and silences any sliding motions or changes of position. The buckles can be easily adjusted and quickly disconnected, and with some ingenuity, you can even make it into a two-point sling during an emergency. If you do this, you may find that the final length to be a bit shorter than average, but it will work great for anyone who wants to keep a smaller sidearm very close to their hands.
Take a look at the top AR-15 folding stock adapters on the market, too, and find the right one.
Lahne Tactical Sling
Most tactical gear designers prefer function over form and rarely bother to devote extra resources to their products’ looks at all. This is what makes the Lahne Tactical Sling special: it is as elegant as it is practical. Aside from that, it also includes several minor tweaks that allow you to customize it at will.
The first tweak is in the middle of its pitch-black nylon webbing. Aside from being durable and comfy, it is also equipped with a sliding shoulder pad that can help you adjust the weight point exactly where you need it. Next, the paracord around the slings can be taken out effortlessly if you ever need an emergency side strap or just an extra piece of rope, which is always handy in survival situations.
The main clip does not open smoothly, but it offers a secure clasp. Also, it can be slid and adjusted to expand the full length of the sling, allowing it to fit most rifle sizes. Finally, it offers 360-degree rotation, so you can put the rifle away without actually needing to open the clip.
Be sure to read our guide to the best-rated AR-15 flashlights for more amazing accessories like this.
Specter Three Point Sling
“Specter” is a promising name, especially when applied to a three-point sling. After all, this is something mostly used for extended comfort rather than for stealth, so it seems like a contradictory promise at first. Fortunately, the Specter has proved us wrong. This surprisingly comfortable tool offers silent and seamless adjustments that serve both close-quarter operations as much as long and careful aiming.
The sling itself is made from a proprietary nylon composite, reinforced with a double-stitched row of #69 thread that adds extra resilience at all the key points. The clasps are made from polycarbonate, which helps make them extra silent even when opening them or closing them in a rush. This sling also offers six carry options, and it is completely ambidextrous, thanks to the smart placement of the clasps, coupled with some extra sliders.
For the most precise optics, check out these reliable AR-15 scopes and sights.
Butler Creek
The Butler Creek rifle sling is made with dependable materials, and it offers highly-structured positioning options. The neoprene used for the main belt has non-slip grippers and a mild stretching ability that is not too much to cause anything to fall off, just enough to ensure everything fits snugly around your shoulders even when walking rapidly.
The overall construction is well-balanced, and it distributes weight evenly, thus preventing any sore spots or cramps after a long day. Also, this sling offers extra room to attach up to four shells to the side, which is very handy for extended training sessions. The swivel is a little bit too small, which could feel like it’s limiting your range of motion, but it’s easy to get used to it.
To protect and secure your firearms, be sure to invest in some of these quality handgun and pistol cases.
DoCooler Military Tactical Sling
DoCooler has earned itself a good reputation for clever and savvy designs that aim to make the outdoors as comfortable as possible, or at the very least, to save yourself a little extra effort here and there so that you can get the best possible value from your outing.
Despite keeping the price point firmly in the “affordable” category, this military tactical sling offers good security for those who enjoy keeping their gun at their hip. It also uses a basic two-point layout, but with a couple of improvements meant to prevent frequent adjustments. Additionally, the extra holding clip has been strategically placed to keep everything going for as long as possible, even if the other one falls apart or breaks. Lastly, this sling is available in dark green, earth, and black.
You may be interested in some of the top ammo reloading kits from our list. Take a moment to check them out.
Viking Tactics VTAC Wide Padded Sling
The VTAC Wide Padded sling by Viking Tactics is, at first glance, just a mild improvement over the standard model from last year. However, this should not be overestimated because there’s a reason Viking Tactics has managed to raise the hype surrounding their brand, and their slings are a major part of this.
This sling was designed with heavy or bulky firearms in mind, though it is flexible enough to fit a wide variety of sizes. This was accomplished by placing extra reinforcements on the forward part of the sling, which makes it easier to adjust. Plus, the extra layer of padding ensures pain-free comfort.
This sling is also made from military-grade nylon fabric, and it is one inch wide close to the attaching ends. Near the center, it widens to two inches for better stability. Finally, the metal slider is easy to maneuver.
If you are looking for the right tactical rifle case, take a look at our selection of the best ones on the market.
Mossy Oak Mason Creek Leather Sling
Mossy Oak’s latest creation has an odd vintage appeal as well as numerous practical advantages. This rifle sling is made from finely-tanned top grain cowhide, and it follows a simple “one strap” layout. Plus, it is very easy to adjust to a variety of shoulder sizes and carrying styles, thanks to its neatly reinforced holes and the extra length of its main cord.
If you are fond of tradition or prefer a Wild West look, you may find this to be the best looking sling in the list. It is also surprisingly balanced, which was achieved with some small tweaks in the overall width of its main strap, allowing it to be fitted for large weapons easily, without looking clunky or hindering deployment. What it doesn’t have in extra padding, synthetic paracords, or other gizmos, it gives it back in its price. It is considerably much more affordable than one would expect leather to be.
Our guide to the best magazine speed loaders offers more useful products like this. Check them out.
Ace Two Tactical
The Ace Two Tactical Sling manages to offer two wilderness essentials at a surprisingly low weight. It is both a sling as it is an adjustable paracord, so if you need to set up camp and continue on your way for several days, and therefore need to make the most out of every gram you are carrying, then this may be the sling for you. After all, it only weighs four ounces, and yet it can act as a tourniquet, climbing rope, and fishing line whenever you are not using your weapon.
When used as a standard two-point sling, you will find that the knotted paracord offers a tad bit of cushioning and a large amount of adaptability, even if you may find some lines against your skin later on. The hooks are easy to maneuver, and it stays locked even when handled roughly. The main slider will also let you turn this 44-inch-snake into a much tidier 33-inch one. Lastly, it’s available in six different color combinations.
Take a moment to check out our selection of the best-rated AR-15 stocks.
Blue Force Gear Vickers Sling
Blue Force Gear is well known for its ability to produce highly-ranked military gear, mods, and attachments. This brand has earned its reputation by serving actual soldiers and by enlisting former ones to assess and test all their designs. For this model, they did not only enlisted SFOD – Delta member Larry Vickers, but they also gave him enough creative freedom to be able to name the sling after him.
In the case of the Vickers Sling, the results show that it was worth the investment. This model was designed for endurance rather than for casual sports, which is why they chose to forego the “quick release” clip in favor of a molded acetal adjuster and tri-glide slider. As a result, it offers a lot more safety than a standard loop lock, and it will ensure that everything rests exactly where you need it to, even as you jump and duck on the field. If you need to ensure your semi-automatic can go from “at rest” to “combat ready” in a split second, this should be the sling you choose.