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Old September 1, 2014, 09:11 AM   #26
natman
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You are right but lost art or not, it's still not as good as a solid rest like a tripod.
A sling may not be as good as a tripod, but it's still very good and a lot easier to carry around. By the same token a tripod isn't as good as a concrete bench rest, but it's a lot easier to carry around.

There may be some circumstances where a tripod makes sense, but if one learns how to use a sling properly there will be few when it's worth the trouble.
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Old September 1, 2014, 09:19 AM   #27
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What is the proper technique to use the sling?
Using a hasty sling is actually quite easy.

Hold the rifle by its wrist in your right hand.

Insert your left arm between the sling and forearm past the elbow.

Pull your left arm back so that the sling is taut against your upper arm just above the elbow.

Reach forward and grasp the forearm forward of the sling swivel with your left hand.

Slide your left hand back over the sling until the sling is comfortably tight.

Using a sling in a sitting position with your left elbow resting on the inside of your left knee results in a very solid position.
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Old September 1, 2014, 09:31 AM   #28
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A sling may not be as good as a tripod, but it's still very good and a lot easier to carry around. By the same token a tripod isn't as good as a concrete bench rest, but it's a lot easier to carry around.

There may be some circumstances where a tripod makes sense, but if one learns how to use a sling properly there will be few when it's worth the trouble.
And by the same token, if you learned to shoot offhand properly without a sling, then you won't need it either.

Everything works by degrees and there are tradeoffs for each.
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Old September 1, 2014, 05:03 PM   #29
Brian Pfleuger
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Originally Posted by natman View Post
Could you provide a link to this ultra light tripod? I looked on Midway and the lightest I could find was in the 2-2.5 lb area.



http://www.midwayusa.com/product/179659



http://www.midwayusa.com/product/623795



At any rate even a half a pound / 2 feet long item in my pack has to be something I just can't do without. As long as I have a 4 oz sling already on my rifle that's always ready to use a tripod isn't going to make the cut.



I'm amazed that the use of a shooting sling is now considered something of a lost art. I learned about it in Boy Scouts and IIRC it was covered in the merit badge book. Perhaps it has something to do with the military's conversion to full auto weapons.

2.5lbs is the shipping weight. The tripod weighs 8oz. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00BD5..._1409608841677



Complaining about 8oz is just trying to make a point. A hunter is carrying anywhere from 10-50lbs on every trip. Some guns weigh 10lbs, some scope weigh almost 2. An 8oz tripod is irrelevant.

There might be other reasons not to carry one, such as they're not very useful, but 8oz of weight isn't a legitimate reason.
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Old September 1, 2014, 07:21 PM   #30
Doyle
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If I'm going to be hunting on the ground, my Cabela's collapsable shooting sticks will always be strapped to my pack. They collapse down to about 18" or extend out far enough to use standing up (taller hunters will be hunched over but they still work). I use them mostly for ground blind work.
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Old September 2, 2014, 10:07 AM   #31
natman
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And by the same token, if you learned to shoot offhand properly without a sling, then you won't need it either.

Everything works by degrees and there are tradeoffs for each.
The point is that using a sling has virtually no tradeoffs, adds no weight (you need a sling to carry the rifle anyway) and is very fast.

I don't care how good someone is, they can't shoot anywhere nearly as well from offhand as they can sitting with a sling.

A tripod will work well but I get the impression that some people seem to think it's essential. Learn to use a sling and you won't want to lug the thing around.
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Old September 2, 2014, 10:48 AM   #32
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Complaining about 8oz is just trying to make a point. A hunter is carrying anywhere from 10-50lbs on every trip. Some guns weigh 10lbs, some scope weigh almost 2. An 8oz tripod is irrelevant.

There might be other reasons not to carry one, such as they're not very useful, but 8oz of weight isn't a legitimate reason.
Please reread what I said:

Quote:
At any rate even a half a pound / 2 feet long item in my pack has to be something I just can't do without. As long as I have a 4 oz sling already on my rifle that's always ready to use a tripod isn't going to make the cut.
It's not the 8 oz per se, although not worrying about 8 oz is how a small 10 lb pack becomes a big 50 lb pack.

It's the length and the fiddle factor that really turns me off. Now under the right circumstances, such a hunting from a blind or stand it might be worth the trouble. But out in the field moving around I'll be sitting down, slung up, firing and exchanging high fives while somebody else is still twiddling knobs on their tripod.

Last edited by natman; September 2, 2014 at 11:32 AM.
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Old September 2, 2014, 06:12 PM   #33
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The point is that using a sling has virtually no tradeoffs, adds no weight (you need a sling to carry the rifle anyway) and is very fast.
Sure there are tradeoffs. You just don't think they matter. As noted, a sling isn't as good as a tripod. That is an obvious tradeoff and you listed it. Never mind all the extra training and practice necessary to get good with a sling. Not everybody has the time or inclination to do that.

And no, you don't need a sling to carry your rifle anyway. Some folks use slings and some do not.
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Old September 3, 2014, 08:06 AM   #34
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Slings are great especially if you have a cuff for it. One can’t go wrong with a quick cuff on their rifle but even that takes time to get set. Is the sling the only tool a person needs if you say yes I would say you are fool and I will same that same it anyone that says a tri-pod or bi-pod is the only tool you need. I see all of these as tools. Can you do a lot with a sling, sure. Will it get the job done, sure. However an adjustable box end wrench will work for most jobs and get it done but is it always the best tool for the immediate task at hand? I can come up with and have been in situations where one is better to use over the other. Quick closer in shots slings are great, long shots some other tool could be much better.

As far as weight, well that is each person’s preference. I am driven by a philosophy of; if it is too heavy you are too weak. This is what motivates me during my workouts to stay in top shape for hunting all year long. As a result I am not afraid nor slowed by carrying a 7lbs tripod in my pack.
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Old September 3, 2014, 09:30 AM   #35
natman
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Never mind all the extra training and practice necessary to get good with a sling. Not everybody has the time or inclination to do that.
I'm all for doing whatever is necessary to shoot well. If you can't shoot well from a sitting position with a sling, then by all means use a tripod or whatever means you need to shoot accurately. However, it's not that hard to learn how to shoot very well indeed from sitting with a sling.

Quote:
And no, you don't need a sling to carry your rifle anyway. Some folks use slings and some do not.
If you don't have a sling at all, you will be amazed at how convenient it is not having to put your rifle down every time you need both hands for something. As an added bonus it's a light, handy aid to shooting.

If I were offered the choice between going hunting with just a sling or no sling and a tripod it would be a very easy choice. YMMV.

I think the dead horse has been sufficiently beaten. Let's leave it as a matter of personal preference.
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Old September 3, 2014, 10:07 AM   #36
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I returned the Primos Trigger Stix to the store, which I bought one time.

Got it home, and even in "locked" position, just pushing down on it with about 2-3 times the force of the weight of a rifle would cause it to slip all the way down. Good concept though - when it actually locks into place, I'd buy one.
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Old September 16, 2014, 07:21 AM   #37
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I killed my first deer two years ago shooting off of two wooden dowels with a chunk of rubber tubing around them - I didn't hear any complaints from the deer
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