Best way to tote a rifle

[WyoElk]

Hey fellas,

I see that pretty much all of the premium MFG's now offer a way to carry your rifle attached to your pack. I hear a lot of good about the kifaru gun bearer and am wondering if its the way to go, should I look at another option, or build my own? My only hesitation is that I will be carrying a 26" barrel .257 WBY Mag with it and I hear the gun bearer may struggle with the long barrel length.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Absolutely...watch their video. I carry my bow it in as well. Fastest way to access your gun and get on target.

 

[MuleyFever]

I like the gun bearer but you do notice the gun pulling on the shoulder strap. Also, the gun wants to flip and ride upside down. Still a good way to carry.

 

[COlineman78]

Luke also uses a pretty sweet setup using a Gunslinger. It kinda depends on how you want to use it. Do you want to carry from spot to spot and not have it available for jump shots or do you want to forward carry? Also kinda depends on what pack.

Here is a thread from before: http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?30054-Rifle-carrier

 

[MattB]

I like the gun bearer but you do notice the gun pulling on the shoulder strap. Also, the gun wants to flip and ride upside down. Still a good way to carry.

I have used the gun bearer on one 5-day hunt, but I didn't experience either symptom.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

If I'm not using the gun bearer I usually use a medium pocket for the stock and a compression strap at the top.

 

[tenth1]

Used several, including the SG one. Kifaru Gunbearer will remain on my Sky 7400. 26" inch barrel or not, it will take some getting used to.

Never will I strap a gun where I can't get to it quick like a Eberlestock.

 

[RCA Dog]

I am using the SG version, and I like it. It's only holding up a 22" barrel though, so a 26 might have the barrel end poking up a bit high over your head.

 

[JG358]

My only hesitation is that I will be carrying a 26" barrel .257 WBY Mag with it and I hear the gun bearer may struggle with the long barrel length.
.

I use mine to carry a 27" 6.5 with out issue.

 

[204guy]

I used the gun bearer exclusively for about 5 years. It takes some getting used to but works well enough.

This year I've been using the Stone Glacier upper strap with the gun bearer bottom on the belt. I also still leave the upper gun bearer strap on the shoulder strap.

Pros; I really like the way the SG system carries the rifle. Keeps it out my line of sight, out of the way when glassing, and there's no rifle barrel to come around and smack me in the face. Yet the rifle is still readily accessible.

Cons; to the SG are that you have to take the pack off to strap the rifle onto the pack. It's a bit slower and more awkward to get to the rifle than the gun bearer. If the pull strap slips off the shoulder strap it's almost impossible to reach around and get at it, and this happens a fair bit. I thinking of putting a piece of Velcro on the end of the strap and a piece on the shoulder strap to hold it in place.

I'm really liking running the combo of both with very little weight penalty. I much prefer the behind carry of the SG, but if I take the rifle out of the SG strap for whatever reason I can re-secure the rifle with the gun bearer and continue on without having to take the pack off and put it back in.

As to barrel length, I'd not worry about it with the gun bearer, I've carried a 26" barrel with no issues. It's probably better that way, than carrying a shorter barreled rifle, the muzzle waving in your face is un-nerving.

 

[flyinsquirel]

.... Also, the gun wants to flip and ride upside down. Still a good way to carry.

I remedied this by adding a piece of 1/2" webbing from the cradle to the bottom of my bag attached with a laderlock so I can adjust tension. You could also use a piece of whatever chording you have laying around. No more flipping over or having the butt flopping all over.

 

[Mike7]

I love tweaking my gear with DIY projects, but the Kifaru gun bearer is one of the few items that is already perfect to me, and it doesn't cost much. Everyone that I have turned onto the gun bearer, thanks me immensely. I have not had any of the problems of the people above, as it is very adjustable, and just plain works if you use it right it seems.

Not only do I run it on my hunting pack but also run my 28" shotgun in it on my hip pack while chukar hunting without any problems. I haven't tried putting the bow in it, as it is much harder to get a bow through brush than a rifle, but I could see that working in more open country. Using the gun bearer as designed, my rifle snakes right through brush while I either have my hands full with trekking poles, or my hands are full playing twister and crawling to get through alders. If I ever find a trail without alders and blow downs, then I might try attaching the top of my rifle to the pack and keeping the bottom in the gun bearer though.

I think the key to gun bearer is playing around with the shoulder and hip attachments/adjustments until you get it just right. Also, place the hip attachment far back on the hip belt generally. I have tried many different ways to carry a rifle or shotgun on a bicycle as well, and the gun bearer is by far the best with all things considered, especially on rough overgrown roads/trails.

The only minor nuissances that I have found are: It comes out when you sit down on the ground, so it is easier to just take it out if you will sit for a bit. And, the barrel of the rifle/shotgun can put off a little bit of a glare in the headlamp at night, which is annoying at first.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

One other thing, when bow hunting in bear country i use the top strap of the Gunbearer to secure my bear spray, perfect solution to a floppy canister.

 

[WyoElk]

Thanks fellas, lots of good stuff here. How hard is it to attach a gunbearer to a non kifaru pack. I'd be putting it on an EXO

 

[steveo]

I put the gunbearer on my EXO 3500 with no problems. Experiment with the strap positions and you will find the right one for you.

 

[wyodan]

I highly recommend the Gunslinger Corral. The method of carrying with this system keeps the barrel out of your line of sight. I highly prefer this method over the gun bearer. Crooked Horn also makes a new carrier that is very similar that I may be trying next. It also keeps the rifle more securely attached to you, while still allowing quick access.

 

[COlineman78]

Thanks fellas, lots of good stuff here. How hard is it to attach a gunbearer to a non kifaru pack. I'd be putting it on an EXO

If it has PALS webbing on the belt or side of the pack then you can easily attach it. If you need to attach it to a strap or belt (like on a Kuiu), the universal one should work.

 

[Shrek]

I love my Kifaru Gun Bearer ! Lightning fast rifle deployment and glides throught the north Idaho jungles I was just hunting despite the 26" barrel and 15" LOP. Occasionally the rifle will flip over and ride scope down but tightening the top strap seems to cure that. My only real complaint is the barrel reflecting the light of my Zebra lamp on high. It's so easy to take the rifle out and put it back in that the few times it wants to hang an overhanging branch I just pop the top strap and let it drop into my hand while I duck under then secure it back.

 

[COlineman78]

Shrek, you know what the solution to that problem is... Buy a new rifle.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Or use a colored LED...red, blue or green won't blind your hunting buddy.