Hunters invest a lot of time, money, and energy in finding the perfect firearm, scope, rangefinder, binoculars, and many other hunting tools. Far down the list are slings—one item that is, or should be, used every time a firearm is picked up. Is the mundane nature of the sling the reason so little thought goes into finding the perfect accessory?

Tip 1: A Long History.
The “sling” goes back thousands of years, long before firearms were invented. It started out as a weapon—a piece of cord or rope with a pouch in the center—used to throw a projectile with considerable force. In modern use, a sling is something (strap, rope, cable) that is used to raise, lower, suspend, or carry something such as a broken arm, a crane loading cargo in a ship, or your rifle. Please don’t get smart and ask why rifles get slings while binoculars get straps. English is not a linear language.

Tip 2: An Obvious Solution.
Looking for information on the invention of the sling is an exercise in running down internet rabbit holes—interesting, but unsatisfying. I was looking for something like “Franklin Sling attached a rope to his musket in 1624 so he could move faster during a retreat after the battle of This General is Crazy.” But that’s not how a lot of history works. My theory: an anonymous infantryman was issued a firearm, which was new at the time, and thought, “How the heck am I going to carry this thing on long, forced marches?” He tied a hunk of rope to it and slung it over his shoulder (see what I did there), and his buddies then scavenged every piece of rope they could find to fashion their own slings, leading to the supply sergeant locking up all the company rope so it would be there when needed.

Tip 3: The “Perfect” Sling.
Like the perfect gloves or knife, I’m always on the lookout for the “perfect” sling. It will never happen. I’ve found slings perfect for a particular hunt, but then the next hunt reveals different problems or weaknesses, so I’ve given up on perfect and now shoot for favorite—until I find something better. One of my favorite slings was also one of the cheapest. An hour into the drive, I realized I left my sling at home and stopped at a (now defunct) big box outdoor store. I headed for the rack of slings and bought the cheapest one there, and within 30 steps into the woods I knew I had a winner. It was just nylon with a rough leather “gripper” surface that held the rifle in place on my blaze orange coat. It was supple, long enough to use as a brace when shooting, and performed better than slings that cost much more.

Tip 4: How to Decide.
The variety of styles, materials, designs, and costs make deciding what to get an almost impossible task. Nearly any sling will work if your stand is close to your truck and you shoot from a support. If you hoof it miles into the woods with a lot of gear, your sling is a tool that needs to be highly functional for the way you travel. Do you hike with your rifle on one shoulder, do you constantly switch shoulders, or do you need to have a long sling to get over your backpack? Nylon slings are lightweight, leather is much heavier, and canvas absorbs rain and is slow to dry out. What is most important to you?

Tip 5: The Better Mousetrap.
A lot of hunting and fishing gear has been invented by people in their garages, looking for a better way to do something. The variety of slings is dizzying: long, short, thick, thin, woven, leather, synthetic, dull, bright, silent, and even a few that are surprisingly noisy (don’t buy those). If you are looking for leather, I’ve found that companies that make holsters (like Galco, Versacarry, and Falco) make great ones. The Falco sling at the top of the photo is made with leather, canvas and nylon web, and neoprene on the back side. The one made of woven paracord is surprisingly comfortable and stable, and the military one at the bottom was introduced in 1907 and is still completely functional.