Anyone carry their rifle in hand while hunting in the mountains?

[Rich M]

I dont hunt out west much, gun/ML/ bow in hand when hunting. Sling is for walking in and out in the dark. Most of my deer have been at 20-60 yds, standing there looking at me. Not a time to fiddle w straps and such.

 

[Loper]

For those of you who carry your rifles most of the time, how heavy is your rifle/scope package?

 

[Caseknife]

In the hand 100% of the time until I am packing a head out and then it is on a Boonie Packer sling. Used a Kifaru gun bearer on an elk hunt in Wyoming when I had a torn meniscus and had to use trekking poles. Think the heaviest rifle I have hunted with is about 9 lbs. Now they are usually under 7.5 lbs.

 

[TaperPin]

Glassing a lot is often more important than having a rifle in hand - when I hunt with a partner that caries a lot they don’t glass as much and often with one hand. If I’m not using a sling there is always one on the gun to hold it while glassing.

 

[Te Hopo]

Rifle is in hands until I've dropped whatever I'm hunting, then it tends to be slung on the carry out

 

[TaperPin]

What kinda terrain are you hunting?

What kinda terrain are you hunting?

 

[MTHokie]

I use trekking poles, and I will try almost any stupid-freaky, jerry-rigged mass of straps, velcro, 550 cord, rubber bungy thingys, slings, etc. to carry my rifle on my back/pack for as long as possible before I have to carry it in my hand. I am currently running the Stone Glacier attachment which works pretty well. Although, a guy named Jason Neilson (sp?) used to sell a "Secondary Rifle Sling" for $25. Youtube videos of it are still up, I believe. A pretty simple doodad. I liked it the best, and my son still uses his. Unfortunately, I lost mine somewhere in the midst of transferring it between my sons' rifles and mine.

 

[LIWolverine]

In my hands, but I did just start to get a sling installed for those longer walks...

“Wisten to the whythmic whythm of the woodwinds as it wowws awound and awound…and it comes out here!” — Elmer Fudd

literally just watched that with my kids and nephew an hour ago on YouTube. Classic all-time favorite.


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[OrangeMan73]

Nope. In a slik sling. Otherwise on lots of my hunt I'd be looking for somewhere to set it so I can glass every few minutes. Lots of my hunts are more of mobile glassing point... looking into pockets as they become available.etc...

Ditto. Slik sling is legit.

 

[rcook10]

Most of the areas i hunt I could run into game at any point the minute i start walking. I also like to still humt. I very rarely sling my rifle and am always cradle carrying.

 

[JohnJohnson]

If I'm moving it's strapped to my pack via the Stone Glacier straps. I have no interest in offhand shots and am unlikely to get an opportunity for one anyway.

 

[Newtosavage]

How many of you carry your rifle in your hand, from the moment you leave the truck and head into the mountains, until your tag is filled?

Have you always done it, did you get frustrated with slings/carrying apparatuses, or did you miss an opportunity on an animal because it took you too long to deploy the rifle and decided to carry it from that moment forward?

I've done this for years. I use the weight of my rifle as a way to balance on uneven terrain and I feel I can better protect it if it's in my hand vs. slung over my shoulder. And of course, it saves time if I were to just suddenly round a corner and walk up on something. But that's not the main reason. The only sling I use is either a black strip of webbing or a paracord sling. Usually just a black strip of nylon webbing on Uncle Mike's quick release adapters. Weighs about an ounce or so.

I see guys carrying massive slings and I don't get it but if that's what they are comfortable with then good for them. I just do what works for me. I'd say 95% of the time, my rifle is in my hand though.

As for glassing, I cradle the stock in my elbow, grab the grip of the stock with my left hand (which is where it is anyway if I'm cradling the rifle), tip the barrel down and stock up and rest my bins on the recoil pad with my right hand. Stabilizes the whole situation quite nicely and is quick and easy. Much better than freehand glassing. Folks should try it sometime.

 

[Loper]

.
As for glassing, I cradle the stock in my elbow, grab the grip of the stock with my left hand (which is where it is anyway if I'm cradling the rifle), tip the barrel down and stock up and rest my bins on the recoil pad with my right hand. Stabilizes the whole situation quite nicely and is quick and easy. Much better than freehand glassing. Folks should try it sometime.

I’m going to have to try this.

 

[Caseknife]

I've done this for years. I use the weight of my rifle as a way to balance on uneven terrain and I feel I can better protect it if it's in my hand vs. slung over my shoulder. And of course, it saves time if I were to just suddenly round a corner and walk up on something. But that's not the main reason. The only sling I use is either a black strip of webbing or a paracord sling. Usually just a black strip of nylon webbing on Uncle Mike's quick release adapters. Weighs about an ounce or so.

I see guys carrying massive slings and I don't get it but if that's what they are comfortable with then good for them. I just do what works for me. I'd say 95% of the time, my rifle is in my hand though.

As for glassing, I cradle the stock in my elbow, grab the grip of the stock with my left hand (which is where it is anyway if I'm cradling the rifle), tip the barrel down and stock up and rest my bins on the recoil pad with my right hand. Stabilizes the whole situation quite nicely and is quick and easy. Much better than freehand glassing. Folks should try it sometime.

Need a pic of you or someone doing this, am interested, but can't quite visualize.

 

[Newtosavage]

Need a pic of you or someone doing this, am interested, but can't quite visualize.

Just imagine the phone is a pair of binoculars. Makes for a great rest and is super quick. After doing this for years, I don't like freehanding bins anymore.

 

[Newtosavage]

For those of you who carry your rifles most of the time, how heavy is your rifle/scope package?

Never more than 7 lbs.

 

[khart_6882]

Those rifle slings have saved the lives of more animals than PETA. Gotta have the rifle in hand.


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