Slings and rough weather

Renard

Member
I opted to go for a synthetic stocked rifle as I wanted to venture out in rough conditions and not worry too much about damage. I was very lucky and picked up a virtually new Blaser Outback second hand which came with a Butler Creek black nylon webbing and neoprene sling which visually complements the rifle. However the webbing and neoprene seem to soak up the rain like a sponge and take an age to dry (days). So far I've got around this by leaving the stock with the sling in a dry place and locking barrel and telescope away in the gun cabinet, bolt is obviously locked away in a separate safe. Can't say I'm happy about leaving the stock out of the cabinet for a day or two until the sling dries so I'm looking for a solution.

Can anyone recomend a more waterproof sling, preferably black or is there such a thing as quick release swivels/buckles so I can remove the sling for drying?
 
Renard

I have used neoprene slings on my synthetic stocked Sako for the last 5 years. Neoprene is great from a comfort perspective but you can't stop it getting wet - coatings simply don't work. I'm not sure there's any such thing as a truly waterproof sling.

Therefore I went with the quick release swivels on my sling/stock and that works fine. When I get back from stalking on a wet day I take the sling off and hang it over a radiator to dry - I have a spare sling and swivels that I can put on if I'm going to go out again that day.

Wish I could do the same for my Swaro bino's!

willie_gunn
 
What you need to be careful of Renard is that the Blaser studs for the sling swivels are of a smaller size to the more common US size and so many swivels will not fit into them as they are too big.

I had the same problem as you and in the end went for a Westley Richards canvas sling. It is a lovely job and although it will get wet this makes it stick to the shoulder better so it is nearly a positive thing.

I got quick release swivels from Alan Rhone that are just perfect and are a lovely bit of engineering. Of course they were on the expensive side for a swivel (about £37 I think) but now that I've been using them for a while I think they were worth it.

Here are some photos, if you want more then let me know:

qd.jpg


WestleyRichardssling.jpg
 
Thank-you all for the replies. I think I will go for quick release swivels as I am otherwise happy with the sling. Looks like a bit of careful measuring will be required to make sure I match the Blaser studs.
 
I believe that this one got it's start with Tactical gear. http://cgi.ebay.com/QUAKE-BROWN-RIF...544?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item27af4ca1f8 I became acquainted with it when I bought a crossbow from a friend. It came with on on it. As advertised they are very moisture proof, comfortable and do the job. I haven't transferred it to my carbine yet as the one I have on it is a favorite, a wider older military style, leather one. Over the years, I found that regular treatment with a product known as Snow Seal keeps it quite water resistant plus I have the advantage of quick adjustability and arm looping the sling for offhand shots.
 
I like my Niggeloh backpack style sling. With quick release swivels it just gets swapped between rifles....It really gets the rifle out of the way when you need two hands free to carry or do anything else and seems quite well proofed against the weather.

Cheers + ATVB

Philip
 
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