Sling it...AR style?

[Coop]

What is your best/favorite sling for a hunting AR, and why?

[Wellbornpapa]

It depends whether one prefers a single point attachment to double point attachment.

[js8588]

Single point attachment tends to endanger the family jewels. On a lightweight rifle, I recommend the Proctor sling. On something a little heavier, I like a padded sling. This is going to be my next sling purchase https://rykerusa.com/products/ryker-sling-2-0

[imaguy3]

all my ar's get one... I haven't found one I liked better in 15 years. https://www.blueforcegear.com/padded-vickers-sling

[Bonas]

I've been through a bunch of AR slings. The only one I buy now is the Viking Tactics (or VTac) padded sling: https://www.vikingtactics.com/product-p/vtac-mk2.htm

Edit: The upgraded model is better, per the post below: https://www.vikingtactics.com/product-p/vtac-mk2-ug.htm

Why? The length adjustment is fast, easy, and well positioned. The padding makes it comfortable to carry in front at low ready or on your back for walking. They transition quickly and easily between front and back carry. On your back, the rifle can be quickly drawn tight if you need to work on something, scramble, bust through heavy brush, etc. and then loosened again for transitions. I still hunt (meaning walking through the woods) with an AR. I also sling them for extended periods at matches. The padding makes extended carry comfortable. The VTacs have keepers at both ends, so any extra webbing can be folded under the keepers, making the adjustment tab the only "dangly" item.

I also recommend a QD detachment on the front. (Buy a good QD and a good socket.) This makes it easy to attach the rifle to something for hoisting up into a tree stand or securing it to the stand itself, if you need to do that. It also allows you to switch uppers easily or to easily remove the upper for cleaning and maintenance with no fuss.

After years of screwing around with this or that, I finally just put Vtacs with front QDs on all the ARs that get used regularly. It's one of those "I should have just bitten the bullet and done this a long time ago" things.

[imaguy3]

In case you're wondering... the one I linked is similar as Bonas just the the adjustment "handle" is a big piece of fabric vs just a string.. I have both styles. The one Bonas linked does adjust "easier" than the blue force gear version...

[imaguy3]

and you definitely want the padded one.

[Bonas]

I should have linked this VTac, the "upgraded" model: https://www.vikingtactics.com/product-p/vtac-mk2-ug.htm

I have both standard and upgrade. The upgrade is worth the extra $10. It replaces the string with a tab, similar to the Vickers. It's also the one with the keepers to loop the extra webbing into. As Imaguy3 pointed out, the Vickers and VTac are quite similar.

[biodsl]

I've been very happy with my VTac wide, padded.

[65Carcano]

I like just the basic Magpul MS1 sling with QD attachments. Incredibly durable, lightweight, no frills, cheap, made in the USA.

[LRRPF52]

I have:

VTAC
VTAC Padded x many
Blue Force Gear Vicker’s 2-point quick adjust
Ares Armor 2-point quick-adjust

For hunting, try to keep the metal hardware to a minimum or none at all, unless you’ll be in some extreme cold and are worried about thin plastic hardware from failing.

For a more quiet option than QD sling swivels, you can girth hitch 550 loops through the sling ends. Last thing you want is to be rattling around with metal-on-metal or metal-on-plastic.

[Sinclair]

I saw an interview of a SAS veteran that had just came back after 8 months on the front lines in the Ukraine. His contention was that single point slings were too limiting. His argument was that a conventional two point sling allowed one to sling the rifle across his/her back leaving their hands free for other tasks, such as digging cat holes, etc. Hmm, I never thought of that but, I remember many times that I did need both hands to open a gate or repair a damaged fence. Another argument against the one point slings was that the rifle would bang against one's body very annoyingly while walking, especially across broken ground where it was necessary to use one or both hands to assist in maneuvering on or around obstacles.