So today, I wanted to talk about carrying one's rifle, slings, and the use of slings.

Let's go back to my island in the sun.
At the rifle range in USMC boot camp at my beloved island, Paris Island, our Primary Marksmanship Instructor (PMI) made a point of pulling out two maggots (recruits) from the platoon. One was a gym rat with well-defined muscles. The other was a bean pole, thin as a rail.

Our PMI had the gym rat hold his M16A2 Service Rifle before him by the barrel, one-handed, straight out in front of him. The bean pole, holding his M16A2 Service Rifle, at a very relaxed half-at-ease and port-arms stance.

After about 7 or 8 minutes, the gym rat's arm was shaking. The strain of keeping his rifle at arm level was too much.
The bean pole was just fine.

The point was that using one's skeleton to support a rifle rather than muscle was more efficient and less taxing. We applied the same concept in marksmanship.

One of the things I have noticed is the trend of the low, tactical carry.

You have seen it. In the Hollywood action movies, our physically fit hero is carrying an M16/M4/AR-whatever at the low, tactical carry as he/she scans for the bad guys/aliens to take a mind-boggling expert shot to the brain housing group without so much as a hiccup.

Have you ever actually carried an M16/M4/AR-whatever at the low, tactical carry for more than a few minutes? I have. Doing so will demonstrate the importance of having a sling.