3HGR Light Harness Rifle Sling

Having carried rifles for most of my adult life, it soon becomes apparent that just slinging it on your shoulder is not ideal, as the damn things keep slipping off or moving at the most inopportune moments! Plus, at times you need both hands free, without the worry of losing or dropping your precious; enter 3HGR from Finland, a people who know a thing or two about shooting.

Six options

I first saw their products at a Viking Arms open day, where 3HGR’s MD was showing a clever carry and support sling system, that seemed to have all the boxes ticked. There are six options in their range to suit most needs, most based around the ability to use a strap (gun rest) to lock the rifle to vertical supports like trees etc. On test, is their Light Harness, which is the simplest of the range, and I hope to borrow more examples as some of them look useful.

It’s made of a chemical-resistant Nylon, in OD green 1” webbing and weighs 170 grams. There’s a wide, rubber shoulder pad with a secondary strap integrated with the top buckle, plus two, sliding QD clip plates. Uncle Mike’s type, 1” QD, locking sling swivels are fitted and it’s rated from -40 to +60º Celsius and includes a 12 month guarantee.

3-way split

The Light Harness fits in the normal way to your rifle’s QD sling studs via the swivels, which gives your standard shoulder or across back/chest carry, length is adjustable to suit. You now have two extra position options, using the two, female QD socket plates on the main strap that turn it into a ‘safety sling’.

The secondary strap, which connects at the top is elasticated and has its own rubber pad textured on the inside and is also lengthadjustable. At the base of this is the male half of the QD plate, which simply presses on to the female to lock and pulls off to release, with no separate catches, just push it on and pull it off. Although an across back carry is more secure, it does not stop the rifle from bouncing around as you walk or slipping if you must negotiate obstacles.

For more security, just unclip the strap and either pass it over your shoulder and click it in position or wrap it around and under your armpit. Both will improve the way the weight is distributed and increase stability and security, be it leaving hands free to negotiate obstacles, or stalking on hands and knees or your belly. Use it and you’ll soon see how clever and more importantly practical it is. Although this model does not incorporate the gun rest, the short strap can be used as an arm bracer or wrapped around a tree and clipped back on for extra stability in the aim.