Do You Use a Bow Sling?

I’ve toted a compound bow–often awkwardly–for many miles over the years. It’s been a while since then, and an injury prevents me from using one these days, but I clearly recall how aggravating that bow could be.

I would often rotate between carrying it by the riser handle with the string down (with no arrow on the string) and holding it upright by the riser handle while propping the lower pulley in the left pocket of a GI fatigue shirt, something I could do with an arrow on the string. Neither of these were ideal, nor could I sustain either for very long.

If I had tried a bow sling, things may have been easier. I was reminded of that when I recently saw a press release for a new sling from Hunter’s Specialties (HS). They call it the Speed Sling, and it looks pretty simple. I do like simple things that work well.

This is not the same as the wrist strap that is also sometimes called a bow sling. It’s a strap for carrying the bow’s weight on one’s shoulder. It has a neoprene non-slip shoulder pad with straps that have quick-release quiet buckles at each end, and it has a suggested retail price of $12.99.

Some bow slings cover the string and hook onto the ends of each limb; these don’t look as if they’d allow fast shooting of the bow, but if I let my bow dangle from my shoulder, I’m not sure I’d want an arrow on the string anyhow due to the risk of injury if I slipped or fell. Hmmm.

Do you use a bow sling? If so, what works best for you?

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.