Hunting Washington Forum
Equipment & Gear => Guns and Ammo => Topic started by: jackelope on July 18, 2017, 04:51:54 PM
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Anyone use one of these? Looking for pro's and con's for an upcoming backpack hunt in the goat country.
I don't have a Kifaru pack so I'll have to go with the universal one I guess.
https://store.kifaru.net/universal-gun-bearers-p197.aspx
Thank you in advance.
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Yes. Have one on both of my backcountry packs (neither a Kifaru). Love them. Excellent for getting the rifle weight on your hips. And easy to release quickly if needed.
Not really sure of a con.
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Love mine. Have it on a kuiu icon pack. Very fast access. No more weight on my shoulder with the sling.
Only con for me is say is set up. It's not hard by any means. But there dfeinitally is a "sweet spot" for positioning the gun in the bearer.
After it's adjusted to your comfort level and ease of use it's amazing.
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If you get on YouTube Randy Newberg swears by them. He uses them on all his packs.
Sent from my LG-K425 using Tapatalk
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Highly recommended, especially in goat country. Allows me to operate with trekking poles or hands-free to climb steep terrain without worry of my rifle slipping off my shoulder. And you can carry a heavy rifle A LOT easier if needed.
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If you have a secure way to attach the rifle to your pack I would stay with what you have. The gun bearer will put all your weight on that one side and when you are putting miles on in goat goat country you will notice the difference.
If it were me I would strap my rifle to the pack and go... goat hunting you won't need a rifle at the ready because you will be glassing and sitting and studying every goat until you find the one for a stalk. I would also stay away from it because going through boulder fields or up and down chutes that rifle will get in the way.
The gun bearer has its place for sure, just not sure it on a goat hunt.
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:yeah: I went to a eberlestock for a day pack. and I love it. the rifle scabbard is pretty sweet.
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I absolutely love mine, can't imagine hiking with a gun any other way. I'm running it on a kifaru reckoning but I'd imagine any pack will be the same.
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Yes. Have one on both of my backcountry packs (neither a Kifaru). Love them. Excellent for getting the rifle weight on your hips. And easy to release quickly if needed.
Not really sure of a con.
:yeah:
I like mine, works great. they sell an extension, but unless you are well over 6' tall it is probably unnecessary.
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How do they work when you try the glass? Does the muzzle get in the way?
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Good question. You can adjust the tension on the strap to keep the barrel up or down more. When i am hiking in behind someone i keep it tight so that the barrel isn't pointing anywhere near the person in front of me when climbing hills. Yes the barrel can get in the way in the smallest amount. It more makes your bino's fuzzy for a small area. All you have to do is rotate your body and its fine. It wasn't a big deal at all. Only down fall i had, was that when i was hiking in with 50-60 lbs in the pack and an extra 10 on either side it made the pressure on my belt uneven. After 3-4 miles i could feel the difference. I would just take it out and carry it for a while. Or take it out and switch sides on the pack. Its a really nice set up.
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Its the best option I've found for climbing avalanche chutes choked with vine maple. Having a rifle strapped to your pack puts the barrel too far overhead and it's always getting snagged on something. With the gun bearer carry you can use your hands to move branches as needed if you get hung up while swinging Tarzan style through a chute of vine maple and devils club (trust me...I know). The only downside, which is manageable, is that the front buckle can mar your gun or scope if you don't pay attention to how it's fastened. Tuck the tag end behind the buckle or put a piece of moleskin on it to help pad. Or treat your gun like the tool it is and don't care if it get's dinged up.
One alternative is simply to carry your gun in a traditional shoulder sling carry but fasten your pack sternum strap over the top of the rifle sling. This helps secure your rifle and keeps it from slipping off your shoulder. A sheep guide showed me this simple trick and it works great.
