A few months ago our team was patrolling through a moderately wooded area for two subjects. I was originally deployed with another sniper and tasked with over watch of a tree line. After a short period of time the two of us were called into the woods and started a bounding over watch to assist the main searching element. Hours later when the operation ended my biceps, shoulders and forearms were toasted from patrolling with the rifle at a low to high ready. This was nothing new to me, I felt it before but like the many times before I began thinking there must be a better way to utilize the a sniper rifle. I had thought of just going to a Vickers VCAS sling and being done with it but there is too strong of a need for a loop sling.
For the past few years I have used a TAB Elite Sling on my precision rifles. If you are not familiar with a the TAB series of slings they are unique. The TAB slings are simple, rugged and allow the shooter to utilize a loop sling fast. The draw back to the original TAB slings and other types of precision rifle slings was their inability to adjust the sling length for various carry modes in a timely manner. In the past I have found myself needing a sling that can be cross body slung in front of me or on my back but with the ability to utilize a loop sling. I also want wide webbing to help distribute the weight of a precision rifle. So every month or so I call Tony Burkes at TAB Gear and whine about needing a quick adjustment TAB sling. The past few months he assured me he had something and I would see it at Shot Show 2011.
Well I got my hands on two of them at Shot and smuggled them back to the frozen Ohio Tundra. Since I got back from Shot I have logged about 12 hours of range and dry practice with the new TAB QA (Quick Adjust)Sling. The sling is built with the same 1.5 inch webbing and hardware as the standard TAB sling but with a robust adjustment similar to the ones found on ALICE packs and VTAC sling but the adjustment on the TAB sling is a 1.5 inch adjustment.
I have both assaulter and sniper backgrounds, with that in mind I like to adopt the mindset of knowing how to run a precision rifle like a carbine and a carbine like a precision rifle if need be. I am not saying that these weapon systems should play dual roles, I am saying a good assaulter can push a carbine to the point of being precision rifle-esque and likewise a good sniper or DM should have the ability to be run a precision rifle like a carbine in certain instances. For the precision rifle to work in the manner I described above the sling needs to play a broader role than just a over the shoulder carry strap and loop sling. I constantly find the need to cross body sling a precision rifle in order to perform other tasks but the standard precision rifle sling today leave the rifle flopping on your back or chest and makes the carry uncomfortable.
With the TAB sling the shooter can carry the rifle cross body slung like a carbine and still utilize the loop sling. The shooter can also adjust the sling quickly to move the rifle cross body muzzle up or down and snug the sling so that the rifle is held as tight to the body as necessary. The TAB QA also allows the shooter to quickly transition to a handgun.
Standby for further....
For the past few years I have used a TAB Elite Sling on my precision rifles. If you are not familiar with a the TAB series of slings they are unique. The TAB slings are simple, rugged and allow the shooter to utilize a loop sling fast. The draw back to the original TAB slings and other types of precision rifle slings was their inability to adjust the sling length for various carry modes in a timely manner. In the past I have found myself needing a sling that can be cross body slung in front of me or on my back but with the ability to utilize a loop sling. I also want wide webbing to help distribute the weight of a precision rifle. So every month or so I call Tony Burkes at TAB Gear and whine about needing a quick adjustment TAB sling. The past few months he assured me he had something and I would see it at Shot Show 2011.
Well I got my hands on two of them at Shot and smuggled them back to the frozen Ohio Tundra. Since I got back from Shot I have logged about 12 hours of range and dry practice with the new TAB QA (Quick Adjust)Sling. The sling is built with the same 1.5 inch webbing and hardware as the standard TAB sling but with a robust adjustment similar to the ones found on ALICE packs and VTAC sling but the adjustment on the TAB sling is a 1.5 inch adjustment.
I have both assaulter and sniper backgrounds, with that in mind I like to adopt the mindset of knowing how to run a precision rifle like a carbine and a carbine like a precision rifle if need be. I am not saying that these weapon systems should play dual roles, I am saying a good assaulter can push a carbine to the point of being precision rifle-esque and likewise a good sniper or DM should have the ability to be run a precision rifle like a carbine in certain instances. For the precision rifle to work in the manner I described above the sling needs to play a broader role than just a over the shoulder carry strap and loop sling. I constantly find the need to cross body sling a precision rifle in order to perform other tasks but the standard precision rifle sling today leave the rifle flopping on your back or chest and makes the carry uncomfortable.
With the TAB sling the shooter can carry the rifle cross body slung like a carbine and still utilize the loop sling. The shooter can also adjust the sling quickly to move the rifle cross body muzzle up or down and snug the sling so that the rifle is held as tight to the body as necessary. The TAB QA also allows the shooter to quickly transition to a handgun.
Standby for further....
