sling tension hurting accuracy? (marlin 1894c)

I

idek

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A while back on this forum, I had asked a question about shooting handloaded ammo out of my Marlin 1894c. I had mentioned I was shooting using cuff and/or hasty sling techniques, and someone mentioned that putting sling tension on some guns actually makes them less accurate (I suppose if it makes them flex).

Can anyone tell me if they know this to be an issue with the Marlin 1894c? I did a google search but didn't come up with anything.
 
not flex, tension transmission

I was speaking to a competitive high power shooter about sling tension in standing position b/c he was not using his sling (it's standard). He said he felt small movements and muscle trembles translated through the string for him so he didn't use it. He was an older guy though so maybe he was shaky.
 
I have heard of that too. I believe that's why shooting jackets have padding around the upper arm...to minimize the minor movements of blood pulsing and muscle tremors.

I don't think that's a major concern for me right now though. I feel steadier with the sling than without, and I'm not good enough to worry about how blood coursing through my veins might throw me off by a small fraction of an inch.
 
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Since leverguns are hunting, and not target, rifles, it would be counterintuitive to use target shooting/competitive equipment and/or methods when shooting them.

They seem to respond best off a bench when held as they would be in the field.



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Since leverguns are hunting, and not target, rifles, it would be counterintuitive to use target shooting/competitive equipment and/or methods when shooting them.

They seem to respond best off a bench when held as they would be in the field.
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I agree that using a cuff sling and getting into prone when hunting wouldn't be practical for a short range gun like the 1894, but a person can get into hasty sling position (which some people do recommend for hunting) in less than two seconds, so I feel the question could still be relevant.

...I may just have to experiment a bit more and see what works best
 
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I regularly shoot across the course, mid range, small bore prone all with a tight sling. Shot a mid range this weekend. Except for M1a’s and Garands, all of my target rifles have free floating barrels. Whenever you pull on the barrel the groups move, and move inconsistently.

I also have lever actions, specifically a M1894 Marlin. My sling attachment is on the loading tube. It is for carry purposes only though I have shot it with a hasty sling. I have found that pulling or pushing on the upper handgun moves the point of impact. This rifle has a lot of things hanging off the barrel and changing the tension up there will change the point of impact.

At fifty yards you are probably better off in a hasty sling as it will steady your aim. At 100 yards you would have to see just how much it might move the group.
 
sling tension hurting accuracy? (marlin 1894c)
A while back on this forum, I had asked a question about shooting handloaded ammo out of my Marlin 1894c. I had mentioned I was shooting using cuff and/or hasty sling techniques, and someone mentioned that putting sling tension on some guns actually makes them less accurate (I suppose if it makes them flex).

Can anyone tell me if they know this to be an issue with the Marlin 1894c? I did a google search but didn't come up with anything.
Click to expand...
When using slings on target rifles, the shooter will have to adjust his sights to compensate for a shift in bullet impact. On an M1 Garand in Service Rifle Matches the shooter will have noted the "clicks" that he has to adjust the rear sight for the position he is going to fire. Kneeling with sling well requre a different sight setting than prone (without sling). Nevertheless, you are talking about a lever action deer rifle that I am assuming you are using for hunting. I suspect that it would not make a whole lot of difference in regard to deer hunting and change in bullet impact if you used the sling or not. Nethertheless, it would be easy to find out. Shoot a five shot group at a target at 100 yards off-hand and note the center of the group. Then shoot a five-shot group standing, using the sling, and note the center of the group. The difference between the centers of the two groups would indicate how much deflection is being caused by using your sling. Then you can decide if that amount of deflection is enough to be of concern. Note: a sling will not make a rifle "less accurate", it just shifts the point of impact.
 
Using a sling while shooting does NOT hurt the accuracy of the gun. But it can hurt the accuracy of the gun/shooter combination. And it is well known that a tight sling WILL change the point of impact.

IT is up to the shooter to ensure that they place the same amount of pressure or tension on the rifle every shot. When you don't do that, accuracy suffers.

Using the common carry strap as a shooting sling works fine, IF you sight in that way, AND you can be consistent about how you hold, and how
tight" the sling is. A change of just a few ounces of tension (and slings have been known to stretch) can result in bullets landing well outside the desired group.
 
Cookie, and others, it's not any barrel bending by the sling that makes their use cause bullet not to strike where they're aimed. Yes, slings do bend the barrels of M1 and M14 rifles an extremely tiny bit (can be seen through a scope with an optical collimator in the muzzle); they are anchored to the stock's fore end very close to where the lower band hard fixed to the barrel hooks onto the stock ferrule. That's where the bending of the stock fore end moves the barrel with it.

The main reason a sling changes zeros if not repeatable in its use is the rifle moves different for each shot while the bullet's going down the barrel. The angle and force of the sling axis plus the position and force of the sling arm against the body or ground all add up to making shots go wild if everything's not exactly repeatable from shot to shot.

Therefore, slinging up a tube gun (semiauto or bolt action) does the same thing as slinging up on a wood stocked rifle. Both types have totally free floating barrels screwed tight into the receiver. The reciever is hard fixed to the stock and that's where the force angles and amounts the sling use moves the bore.

This is all grade school physics, folks, just think about it. . . . . . .
 
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Odds are, in a hunting situation, with a hasty sling, you will not put enough tension on any rifle sling to flex a barrel. Happy hunting
 
Most folks are very suprised how little side pressure on a sporter barrel it takes to move the muzzle axis 1/4 MOA. Put an optical collimator in the muzzle then zero your scope on it. While aiming through the scope, move the barrel against something with slight pressure and see how much it bends.
 
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