What shoulder do you sling your rifle?

[Grendel]

For the hunters, or those who go afield with a long gun and a sidearm. When I tramp the fields and woods on my acreage in search of Odocoileus virginianus dacotensis, I tussle with the positioning of my rifle for easy access without obscuring my sidearm.

I am left handed, and left eye dominant. My pistol (G20), is on my belt. My rifle has a standard 2 point sling. Should I carry my rifle slung crossbody over my right shoulder or left shoulder? Should I just carry it on my left or right shoulder? In either case, muzzle up, or muzzle down?

What say you all?

[cntrydawwwg]

I’m right handed. Usually rifle is slung over right shoulder. Barrel up when in taller brush. Barrel down in low hanging trees. Side arm sits in a chest holster, so it’s always pretty accessible. YMMV

[david s]

I'm a lefty also but don't normally use a sling. Rifle rest over my right shoulder muzzle forward with my right hand holding the muzzle end of the barrel. Left hand stays in my vest pocket staying warm.

[cracker57]

right handed, right shoulder, muzzle up. I sewed a big button on the top of the right shoulder of my jacket to hold the sling from slipping down.

[Riddid]

Right handed, muzzle up and my side arm stays in a chest holster and it is always available

[Grendel]

Thank you for all your replies. I have no chest holster, nor am I going to buy one since I only hunt in deer season at the moment - hence my dilemma about keeping my sidearm available while slinging my rifle.

[Earl Keese]

Being right handed, I've always slung on my right shoulder muzzle up. I've tried carrying a sidearm in a(rt side) thigh rig while hunting and after a couple miles my thigh was rubbed pretty raw. That was coyote hunting though, moving between sets every half hour or so. Walking in to a stand for deer hunting wouldn't be as bad I don't think. If I was stalking deer, on a drive, etc. Anything involving a lot of movement, I think I'd want a chest rig.

[M1A4ME]

Never even have a sling on a deer rifle.  Sling is in my jacket/coat/cargo pants pocket until the deer is on the ground, bled out, nutted, gutted and I need to move it.  Then the sling comes out and attaches to the rifle for carry while dragging the deer.

Hard to get a shot on a deer with the rifle behind your back hanging off a sling.

Having said all that I've never taken a shot at a deer while I was walking to the spot I was going to sit for the morning/afternoon of "hunting."  I was never sneaky enough to sneak up on them like some of the old guys who took me deer hunting - but none of them believed in having a deer rifle sling on till they were ready to drag it.

All my deer hunting was in the WV mountains, not the treeless plains of the west.

[Grendel]

Thanks, but none of that is relevant to the question I asked. I appreciate the time you took to type it all out though.

[crosstimbers]

I dont know if this helps or not, but if there is any possibility I might need to take a quick shot I sling the rifle barrel up on my left shoulder (I am right handed) but with the rifle in front and the sling behind my shoulder. Its hard to explain, but this permits a very speedy means of bringing the rifle up into play, and prevents fatigue from carry rifle at the ready. It probably shouldnt me attempted in rough terrain, but for still hunting (stalking slowly) in normal ground, it works well.

I only carry a handgun when bow hunting, loaded with snake shot.

[Grendel]

Thanks, that's something I may try.

[AMM]

I sling my rifle on my dominant shoulder, muzzle up (right handed, so on right shoulder). I carry my Ruger Blackhawk when hunting cross draw in a full flap field holster.  By carrying cross draw I avoid interference between the two, and preserve the ability to shoot prone when needed, which I find uncomfortable using a chest holster. Cross draw is also  beneficial for a clean draw if I am in a tree stand. If I am walking on a steep grade and want both hands free, I simply loosen the sling enough to lift it over my head so the sling is across my chest; rifle bore up above my left shoulder and butt of the stock below my right. Using a quick adjust sling (such as a Montana Sling) makes the adjustments very fast, also easing use of the sling to stabilize the rifle while shooting.

Cheers

[Grendel]

Thank you! That makes a lot of sense.

[mrcabinet]

I second the cross draw holster. I'm right handed so I always carry muzzle up on my right shoulder with a .357 in a cross draw on the left. Nothing special needed - just moved my RH holster to the left. This worked well for a few decades of hiking the hills in Eastern Oregon. It's very natural for me to slide the rifle down and at the same time wrap the sling around my left as I bring it up, Makes for a rock solid mount. I tried an under-arm (left side) chest rig one year with a Ruger P-85, and it was very uncomfortable. My wife called it my "gun bra", lol.

[mszvetecz]

Not speaking from experience fwiw, but . . . why not have long gun on weak side muzzle down, esp when sidearm is on strong side hip?  Seems very easy to swing very quickly into firing position w/sling bracing.  I can see worry re muzzle down in mud, but w/rifle balance muzzle seems to project forward where fairly easily controlled during movement by weak side hand.

at 1:10:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34zAEVixMWQ