Jack O’Connor’s Whelen Rifle Sling

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Jack O’Connor’s Whelen Rifle Sling

With the Whalen sling there is enough leather to do what the sling is designed to do: be something light enough to assist in carrying the rifle and be stead enough to be used as a support for someone trained in it’s use while shooting. The hook goes through the butt swivel, the other end is laced to form a loop for use in the “hasty sling adjustment” for off-hand, sitting or prone positions.

On another forum, NavyChief wrote:  I did some research and eventually went back to Jack O’Connor’s “The Hunting Rifle” (top 5 mandatory reading for all rifle cranks, in my humble opinion) and he flatly stated that the “Whelen sling is, for my money, neater, lighter, and more practical for a hunting rifle than any two-piece sling”, p. 255.   I had no experience with a Whelen sling and my experience with the military slings left me wanting for something a little less cumbersome and with fewer parts that always seem to gouge and scratch up nice stocks. I had settled on a Claw sling for most rifles but it does little to help steady a rifle and I really like my leather Murray sling but it cost more than 100 bucks and is designated for a beautiful high dollar Model 70 and again, while a great carry strap, it does little to help get a rifle locked up tight for longer shots.   Finally found a Whelen sling, did a little more research, and couldn’t be happier. It gets every rifle I have put it on locked up tight as a drum and I can hold steady at 300 yards across the field at a french drain cap from the sitting, standing or prone position.   I have been practicing taking it from carry to shooting and I am locked up tight in less than 5 seconds. Where has this thing been my whole life!!!!!!   Does anyone else have any experience with the Whelen?   Best things about it, one brass clasp on the outside so no ripped up AAA stocks, one continuous strip of leather, easy to adjust, and cost less than 30$ for a 100% leather sling with brass hardware. O’connor had it right back then and probably has it right today. I rarely shoot over 300 yards from a climber so it works great for me.  Why doesn’t this sling get more attention? Is there something I don’t know that will appear once I begin to use it in the field or is it just a good product that fell out of favor because it lost its shine to all the “New” materials and designs?

And, Jack O’Connor wrote in Desert Game in the Southwest:

It replaced this cowboy sling, which was far prettier and better leather, but less practical:

By |October 4th, 2018|Categories: Hunting|Comments Off on Jack O’Connor’s Whelen Rifle Sling

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