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Shooting Loop Sling |
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Irish Blonde 
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Joined: December 27 2024 Location: IL Status: Offline Points: 92 |
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 Topic: Shooting Loop SlingPosted: February 11 2026 at 3:35am |
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Gonna shoot my No4MK2 in vintage rifle competition starting this Spring. I busted out my 30yr old recollection on the USMC loop sling shooting. LOL
SO, is that front sling swivel/band gonna hold up to torquing in the prone with a loop sling? Gonna be a lot of pull on that point. Just don't want to screw it up.
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britrifles
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Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Georgia, USA Status: Offline Points: 8404 |
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Posted: February 11 2026 at 4:32am |
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Is this the cotton web sling or 1903 leather sling? Make sure the band fits well, and not loose. On my primary No. 4 I use for the VMR matches I’ve probably shot close to 8,000 rounds over the last 10 years with the 1903 sling with no issues. I adjust the sling to give about the same pull back into the shoulder as I would using a firm grip/pull with the shooting hand. With the sling, the rifle butt should sit comfortably in the shoulder with just the support hand under the fore-end and shooting hand off the rifle. |
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Irish Blonde
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Posted: February 11 2026 at 5:00am |
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It's a cotton sling. Just attaches to the front band, and then on top of arm/bicep. I think I do have a 1903 leather sling. But I need to install anther swivel at the trigger guard?
In the Corps I remember wearing a glove on the support hand and a 1/2 twist so the sling lays flat on the back of the hand. They told us don't worry about numb fingers because we shouldn't be trying to grip anything anyway. LOL
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britrifles
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Posted: February 11 2026 at 5:23am |
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You can use either the cotton loop sling (as used with the M1 rifle) or the 1903 sling for VMR matches.
The 1903 sling is by far the most common in CMP service rifle matches, easy to adjust and quick to get into. I have the ones made of biothane from Turner Saddlery. You don’t need a swivel at the front trigger guard screw for either of these slings, the second attachment is at the loop at the back of the butt stock. I started out with the cotton sling, but quickly went to the 1903 sling. Almost everyone will wear a shooting glove and a shooting coat. Your firing position should be completely relaxed and fingers not going numb. Best thing to do is go watch one of the GSM Matches and look at what gear the shooters are using. You can get by on just the basics: rifle, sling, ammo, ear/eye protection, mat, coat, glove and empty chamber indicator (EIC). For the No. 4, you will need two chargers for the rapid stage. Your Mk 2 should have the machined Mk I aperture sight, which is exactly what you want for these matches, 1 MOA click elevation adjustments. |
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britrifles
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Joined: February 03 2018 Location: Georgia, USA Status: Offline Points: 8404 |
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Posted: February 11 2026 at 5:43am |
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Here is how I rig the 1903 slings. Frog hooks pointing down. Unclip the lower hook and pull the sling forward to form a small loop around the butt swivel and re-clip the hook. Rotate the sling 1/2 turn and put arm thru the lower loop between the D ring and keepers. Close the two keepers on the bicep.
Many shooters rig these slings with hooks pointing up and work the upper hook down to the bicep to close the loop. It’s a PITA, I did it for a while then went back to the much simpler way I described above.  |
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Irish Blonde
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Posted: February 11 2026 at 6:20am |
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I take it 1903 and 1907 slings similar?
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britrifles
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Posted: February 11 2026 at 6:36am |
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I found a photo from last year of me slung up shooting prone in a 3x600 yard match. This is my 7.62 conversion. Shows how the sling upper frog hooks are rigged and how the sling lays around the forearm.
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Irish Blonde
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Posted: February 11 2026 at 6:43am |
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That looks good! Aperture sights!? I'll be running my standard ladder sight with the NM front sight blades. I gotta see what the rules are for this place too.
It's also reduced targets at 200. So thinking I'll run my 150 Sierra Pro Hunters that drill. If shooting farther I'd try the 174 Matchkings.
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britrifles
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Posted: February 11 2026 at 9:14am |
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I’ve got this rifle configured as a “Match Rifle” for the prone 600 yard match, called the “3 x 600”. It’s three strings of 20 shots each at 600 yards. The rifle has a PH 5C rear sight and AJ Parker “Matchmaker” front sight.
The Vintage Military Match, which is part of the CMP Games Match Program, is usually shot on the US NRA Short Range (SR) target at 200 yards. There is a reduced version of this target, the SR-1, for shooting at 100 yards. I’ve not heard of a NM front sight blade for the No. 4. But, blades up to 0.01 inches wide are allowed by the rules for all GSM - Garand, Springfield and Vintage Military Matches. |
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Irish Blonde
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Posted: February 11 2026 at 9:33am |
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So the 1907 sling I got is a junk flimsy reproduction.
Sad thing is I had a nice Turner Saddlery biothane sling and leather. Years ago. I don’t know why I didn’t keep them. Some guys say the cotton web works. Might start with that, then upgrade later. Gotta find a glove & jacket. Creedmoor sports or any better place?
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britrifles
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Posted: February 11 2026 at 10:38am |
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Creedmoor has a good selection. Might not be the cheapest. They do make very good shooting coat in the Anniston store/wearhouse. They also make their ammunition there too.
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Rick
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Joined: April 24 2025 Location: NW MT/SE BC Status: Offline Points: 83 |
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Posted: February 12 2026 at 9:42am |
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Do they permit substituting the 800 yard rear sight produced for the #5 rifle? I used that - liked THOSE clicks mo' better  The fellow over in NZ, the ex-pat American from LA, who wrote the book on accurizing the Lee Enfield, seems to have started developing a Lee Enfield websight. Or it may have been there awhile and I just stumbled over it. Anyways, a lot of the links I clicked this morning just ended in a blank page. But there is a very nice page up with lots of info and pictures of the various match sights that were sold for Lee Enfield rifles. https://www.leeenfieldresource.com/aperture-sights I wonder if an enterprising machinist or tool and die maker could make a profit on re-creating a select few of the A.J. Parker and Parker Hale vernier sights? The last time I saw on being offered for sale, the current high bid was $600; that ended thoughts of finding one to have as a back up...    |
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Rick
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Posted: February 12 2026 at 10:08am |
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The No. 4 rifles such as you described, other than the Savage with just two apertures, all have graduated aperture sights. May be too early in the morning but I'm foggy on what NM stands for in the Lee Enfield world, versus "National Match" here in the USA. If you need to go shopping for the earlier click adjustable versus graduated slide rear sights, try to find one that has a minimum amount of backlash and play. It can be very disheartening to sit down with a good set of vernier calipers and measure the change in elevation on such a sight with each click. Never mind checking for backlash that you can compensate for by going past your graduation and then coming back... I asked a friend who I taught to flyfish to work his tool and die maker magic on a click adjustable rear I bought apart. He tore it apart, did his thing at the shop where he works, and now that sight's click adjustments are about as uniform as I could hope for. He said doing that was child's play; I guess that means any hobby machinist or machine shop could do the same if you're going to get serious about competing with the issue rear sight. Tolerances on some things got sloppy (or less critical) during the war. Precise adjustments per click on those sights were one of them. While working with issued No. 4 rifles on annual qualification ranges and rifle training for new recruits, I discovered that it isn't rare for the aperture of the battle sight not to properly index with the adjustable vernier sight. And not a little bit off... a lot.
Why not find what bullet groups best at whatever long distances you expect to be shooting at, then zero your rear aperture sight at the 200 yard setting so POA=POI at 200 yards? Or a better choice: zero at 300 yards and then click down to 200 yards - for many reloads there will be negligible difference between the two distances as far as your trajectory compared to sight settings will be. Then whatever the difference between the sight setting and the actual POI at that range and that sight setting, correct with the clicks in your rear sight. Just add that as a note with your rifle's comeups for that range. I found the difference in trajectory when using a 174 grain handload and zeroed at 300 yards to have very little deviation from the sight settings on the rear sight out as far as 500 yards. The variations between clicks within the issue sight contributed more to variations from POA=POI than the differing ballistic trajectory did. Or in my opinion that was true.
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britrifles wrote: