Rifle sleeve for rocky ground ?

ion

Well-Known Member
I recently had a day at goats in County Clare. Crawling across the limestone pavement, and on the rocky hill side I came to the conclusion that I needed to keep the rifle in a sleeve that was fit to be dragged across rock. In addition in some of the scrub a sleeve would have been a disadvantage. So the question is does any one have any experience of a sleeve that will stand up to abuse but is relatively easy to carry when not in use ? The rifle has a moderator, and I think that a bipod would have been an advantage in this case , although I have little experience of them.

Thanks

Ion
 
Ion

You could try one of the loden sleeves from Lodel Friedl. They go over the rifle and button up, using the rifle's own sling.

They are made to measure, so you can specify them for moderator and bipod if you wish. This is a picture of mine. It is shown against my .308, but it was measured to allow for a bipod and moderator as well.

IMG_4133_zps40d87831.jpg


willie_gunn
 
Have you looked at the Napier Razorback Stalker Ion?



I too wanted a decent slip that would be waterproof, robust and comfortable to use when needing to carry over distance (one of my permissions has a public footpath I need to use when transiting between areas of ground). Researching the options, the Razorback Stalker appeared the best to me on paper and I ordered one. It arrived this morning and on first glance/use fit the bill perfectly and includes a 5-year warranty. I will however reserve full judgement until used in anger, probably the week before Easter. The cheapest price I could find was via eBay (I had the last green one):

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130789789...eName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

I hope this is of some help and best wishes with your search/decision.

Tim
 
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Thanks for the info. Quick question - do the drag bags fold down to something that can be carried comfortably at the same time as the rifle ?
Willie Gunn - I suspect that a loden slip might get flittered by the blackthorns, but I like the idea.
Ion
 
View attachment 39451
i got of these a simple elastic weatherproof silent cover fits over rifle uses own sling. Very cheap from bushwear saves my guns from scratches, mud and heavy rain takes seconds to remove and folds into a small fist sized bag.
 
I use a sleeve like this Napier 5734 Protector 4 Rifle Slip Green : napier 5734 protector 4 rifle slip green
When I decide to take the rifle out of the sleeve, I can fold the sleeve up and strap it onto my rucksack. I've dragged a sleeve like this 5-600yds across a wet moor and I don't think the 'ruck sacks' listed above are any good for manoeuvres like that. Ideally the sleeve should have nothing that can catch on heather or rocks. I tape all the metal bits up so they don't rattle.

Regards

JCS
 
Thanks for the info. Quick question - do the drag bags fold down to something that can be carried comfortably at the same time as the rifle ?

Unfortunately not as such although I do at times carry my rifle on its sling and my dragbag on its ruck-sack straps and it's fine.
 
Carrying a sleeve may be complicated as I should have mentioned that I am I an habitual rucksack user. I just put it on the scales - 13 lbs - but that does include a spotting scope and some duplicating/triplicating of kit as I was taking out friends of the landowner . I have a nice Brady type sleeve which I used hind stalking in Scotland, but in this case although it wasn't the abrasive granite of Wicklow the limestone pavement has a lot of sharp edges. Its hard on body and kit ! My next outing probably wont be till autumn so I'll try to handle some kit over the summer.
 
Ion

I took the requirement to be able to fold the sleeve down as the main criteria, hence the loden. It's remarkably resilient, but Irish blackthorn might well prove too testing!

For Scotland I use an Aim drag bag, which you carry rucksack style. It is bombproof, but there's simply no way you could fold it down.

I also have a couple of leather and canvas rifle slips that sound like what you already have.

One has a full length zip; it only folds into thirds because it is fleece lined.

The other, though, has a zip just at the top end with a covering flap; it folds down quite small as there's no lining.



As you can see, it doesn't have a strap at the moment, though one could easily be fitted. I was going to get rid of it, as you can only have so many rifle cases ;) If you'd like it you'd be welcome to it for just the postage cost. It is second or third hand at best, but if you are just looking for something to protect the rifle on the occasional foray into limestone country that may not matter to you.

Drop me a PM if you'd like it.

willie_gunn
 
I can not imagine dragging my rifle anywhere!
what are you guys doing with them!?!?!?

even crawling king snake style across a nice soft peat bog I wouldn't consider dragging the rifle
if crawling under trees the rifle is on my back muzzle down or in hand being fed through as I am on elbows/forearms

this isn't Helmand stalking you are doing is it?
 
I use a Beretta double shotgun sleeve with the internal divider cut out. Nice and roomy for my 10 bore or a great padded rifle sleeve. My rifles fit even with a Harris bipod.
 
Bewsher
Go to your nearest shopping centre / paved plaza.
Take a kango hammer and rip up about 20% of the paving slabs and leave the debris scattered at random. This represents a general view of the burren limestone pavement.
Take a can of green spray paint and spray random lines and zig zag shapes on the remaining paved area. This represents the ankle breaking , boot tearing sharp edged and often bottomless cracks in same burren. It is not a good idea to walk on the cracks between slabs- (it takes about half a day to reacquaint yourself with this dictum)
Now take the rifle and scope you would buy if money was no object- and crawl across this lunar landscape avoiding the cracks. You can have my 16 1/2 stone to put pressure on your elbows. Take the occasional breather resting on sharp rocks while you pull blackthorns from a 3'' high 50 year old bonsai blackthorn out of the palms of your hand.
If there are any punters left in the shopping centre at this stage you can treat them as goats. One would be as wired as the other at this stage !
Do let us know whether it was the men in the white coats or the armed response unit that got there first!


Seriously, I know its mostly cosmetic, but my Mauser / Zeiss combo is already scraped and scratched by wicklow granite and now I have this opening in co clare with the potential for more scrapes. If I could wean myself off the rucksack, which my friends tease me about but regularly half inch the contents of, I would find good reason to use a heavy duty sleeve (aka drag bag?). Judging by your address you have probably had the experience of crawling through heather while sliding the rifle along in its sleeve. I've done it too, but I would maintain that there is a higher pain threshold required in the burren.

Thanks to all for the suggestions- the possibilties seem to be widening rather than narrowing.
Ion
 
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