Rifle Carry Question

How does everyone carry their rifle while rucking?

I use a AGC bino harness and I found, recently while out rabbit hunting, that I dislike having to have my rifle strapped to the side of my bag. It was hard to get on and off, I found I had had to take the bag completely off to get my rifle into my hands.

What is everyone using? I am planning on buying a new (to me) hunting bag, either EMG or Kifaru. Are guys just running a quality gun sling? Are you using the gun bearer (does a bino harness get in the way)? Or are you simply using the compression straps on the side of you bag to keep it fixed to your pack?

Thanks everyone!
J

thanks for bringing this up Jamesonm,

I had been using an external frame pack for the past 8 years and removed the top cross bar and just slipped my sling over the frame. Could run my arm through the sling, it worked perfect.

I had tried a gun bearer but hated how the rifle fed up under my arm.

But I just bought a new pack and was looking at one of these

https://www.rokslide.com/creative-ou...-sling-review/

not much to it and it sure wouldn't be hard to make your own

Stone Glacier rifle sling on my Exo. You can run it in rear or forward carry. Similar to the Gun Bearer

When I was sheep hunting and out hiking for the day I just wrapped my puffy jacket around it and put it in my pack barrel up, and cinch the bag around it, not the quickest for access but worked well.

That looks like it would work well !
Arctic Lake

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Originally Posted by Ron.C

thanks for bringing this up Jamesonm,

I had been using an external frame pack for the past 8 years and removed the top cross bar and just slipped my sling over the frame. Could run my arm through the sling, it worked perfect.

I had tried a gun bearer but hated how the rifle fed up under my arm.

But I just bought a new pack and was looking at one of these

https://www.rokslide.com/creative-ou...-sling-review/

not much to it and it sure wouldn't be hard to make your own

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I got really cheap and decided to make my own. Used basically the gun bearer and slik design and combined them and used some strap material. Have a lower saddle for the butt end of the stock to sit in and a quick release magnetic type buckle for the top release.

I found that carrying in the front was more comfortable and quicker to get at. It seems the shoulder carry method left too much sway in the rifle when used with the empty pack on a day hunt type scenario. Can quickly transfer the system to belt mount when going with no pack, small pack and it makes things nicer to transfer the weight to the hip instead of the shoulder.

i run a stone glacier back pack and use their rifle sling. if I'm hiking in I usually put the butt of the stock into the big pockets on the bag on the side and compression strap it in.
all depends though, going through thick stuff i usually have gun in hand or just in the sling. open terrain its usually strapped to my backpack.

I run the stone glacier quick release weapon carrier when I strap the firearm to the side of my pack and I run the Kifaru gun Bearer upper when I wanted in front of me for quick access

I like the kifaru gun bearer. They some to be a love em or hate em system but I have grown to really like it. It takes a bit of getting used to but for me its a great system. I really miss the built in scabbard my eberlestock dragonfly had. I have tried grafting an eberlestock scabbard onto both kuiu and exo packs without any luck.

I use the stone glacier quick release pretty much all the time now.....super quick to get the rifle into action, never had any incidents of it coming loose etc. if its not in the quick release carrier, its in my hands....never even run a sling at all anymore...even pulled off the sling studs and ran a couple set screws in flush. This is for a couple hour morning hunt or a full day jaunt...same either way.

I use a Magpul RLS 1-1/4” sling. https://www.cabelas.ca/product/125941/magpul-rls-sling. It’s light weight, simple and cheap. You can also you it as a shooting aid.https://artoftherifle.com/using-the-...ssential-sling
I mostly carry my rifle in my hand.

Kifaru gun bearer is my go to. Allows for quick access to the rifle while leaving your hands completely free for trekking poles or scrambling up steep stuff. It took a bit of tinkering with the setup until I was content with the position under my arm

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Originally Posted by willyqbc

I use the stone glacier quick release pretty much all the time now.....super quick to get the rifle into action, never had any incidents of it coming loose etc. if its not in the quick release carrier, its in my hands....never even run a sling at all anymore...even pulled off the sling studs and ran a couple set screws in flush. This is for a couple hour morning hunt or a full day jaunt...same either way.

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Love my SG but having to take the pack off to re-attach the gun is more than a pain.

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Originally Posted by huntcoop

Love my SG but having to take the pack off to re-attach the gun is more than a pain.

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Have you guys tried taking the top strap off the SG setup and wrapping it around the loop in your shoulder strap and running the rifle in front carry like the Gun Bearer?

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Originally Posted by whitlers

Have you guys tried taking the top strap off the SG setup and wrapping it around the loop in your shoulder strap and running the rifle in front carry like the Gun Bearer?

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I've run the SG bottom and Kiraru top piece but depending on the type of hunting, open terrain, it's nice not to have the barrel in your face. I've now got the Creative Outdoors rifle sling and it seems to be the best of both worlds.

https://www.creativeoutdoorsmt.com/products/slik-sling

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Originally Posted by huntcoop

I've run the SG bottom and Kiraru top piece but depending on the type of hunting, open terrain, it's nice not to have the barrel in your face. I've now got the Creative Outdoors rifle sling and it seems to be the best of both worlds.

https://www.creativeoutdoorsmt.com/products/slik-sling

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Interesting. I do the same as you did before. I run mine behind the shoulder or infront depending on terrain and distance etc. The barrel never really bothered me much.

That sling is an interesting design

I'm an old infantry soldier...I just carry it in my hands...

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Originally Posted by whitlers

Stone Glacier rifle sling on my Exo. You can run it in rear or forward carry. Similar to the Gun Bearer

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Hey Whit, you wouldn't happen to have a picture of this in both positions on your Exo, really curious as i too have been struggling with this issue.

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Originally Posted by Linksman313

Hey Whit, you wouldn't happen to have a picture of this in both positions on your Exo, really curious as i too have been struggling with this issue.

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Craig,
I am also curious about this set up.

thanks
Chuck

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Originally Posted by 264mag

Craig,
I am also curious about this set up.

thanks
Chuck

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Linksman I'll send you a PM.

Chuck I'll text you a photo. Just waiting to get my rifle back from Reliable.

Kifaru gunbearer for me. No issues with a bino harness. Easy access, barrel isn't sitting high in the pack to get caught on things, hands free, on and off without taking off the pack.

The Kifaru setup is great. Super fast to get the guns to shoulder (faster than slung over your shoulder). It doesn’t stick up and get caught on branches and your scope is protected. I use my barrel (sits up by my face - and no it doesn’t bother me) to steady my hand when I glass. It’s almost perfect. The only negative is when your hiking up steep slopes, you need to be first or you have muzzle control issues.

Kifaru gunbearer. If you're on a dirtbike though, don't reef up on the bars as you cross a water bar on the road, or you'll bust your face open with your barrel.

Or so I've heard.

I like a narrow sling with a bino harness or pack. My favorite is a 1" wide rough leather sling second is this one https://www.cabelas.ca/product/14193...-baktrak-sling it's narrow enough to hook over the strap from the harness or pack. Seems to stay on decent. It's stretchy so I have it set tight so holds on.

Is there a Canadian retailer that sells the kifaru gun bearer?

Precision Optics possibly? Other than that your option is to order directly from Kifaru.

Don’t want to hijack this thread, but has anyone used the Eberlestock Gunslinger?

Never used it no. I ended up getting the EMG carrier and modified it a little bit. Works great!

Depends on where I'm hunting. If back packing, I attached to my pack. If day hiking, shoulder sling