Safely Carrying a Shotgun or Rifle: Sling Carry, Ready Carry and More

There are many ways to carry a rifle or shotgun in the field, each of which offers unique benefits with respect to how quickly you can shoulder the gun, acquire the target and fire, with respect to comfort, and more. 

Here are our notes, covering everything from shotgun and rifle sling carry to shoulder carry and more.

Safely Carrying: General Observations 

First things first, it is critical to keep firearm safety in mind when you are carrying in the field. 

• Unless you are actively hunting and pushing a field, keep the chamber empty when you are carrying. 
• Treat every firearm as if it is loaded and be mindful of your muzzle. Never muzzle anything you are unwilling to destroy. 
• Be mindful of your partners in the field. 
• Keep your finger off of and away from the trigger until you are ready to fire on a target that you have positively identified. 
• Be sure of what is beyond your target. 

Now that we have covered some general notes for safety, here are some popular and practical ways to carry a shotgun or rifle in the field.

Ready Carry

In ready carry, your shooting hand is on the grip of the rifle or shotgun with your support hand on the forend. There are two basic ready carry positions: high-ready and low-ready. In the high-ready position, the muzzle is pointed up towards the sky and off towards the dominant side. In the low-ready position, the muzzle is pointed towards the ground and off to the non-dominant side. 

Shotguns loaded with birdshot can generally be carried in the high-ready position because it keeps the muzzle away from brush when pushing a field, and also for the fact that the range of a shotgun loaded with birdshot is limited. If carrying a rifle or a shotgun loaded with buckshot or a slug, it is best to low carry as it keeps the muzzle safely pointed at the ground. 

Cradle Carry

For a right-handed user practicing cradle carry, the muzzle will be pointed off to the right side and over the shoulder, with the dominant hand supporting the grip of the rifle. The forend and barrel of the rifle or shotgun rest along the forearm, upper arm and shoulder, supporting most of the weight of the gun. This makes cradle carry exceptionally comfortable for long walks. 

Africa Carry 

In Africa carry, the gun is carried with the barrel over the shoulder and pointing in front of the carrier, with the forend or stock resting on the dominant shoulder. This supports the weight of the gun and gives the person carrying immediate visual confirmation over where the muzzle is pointed. It is a surprisingly comfortable way to carry a large, long, heavy gun and can be very safe as long as the user is conscious of where the muzzle is pointed. 

Shoulder Carry

In shoulder carry, the rifle or shotgun’s forend is rested against the shoulder, with the barrel pointed over the back of that same shoulder and towards the sky. The hand supporting the gun is on the end of the buttstock and supports its weight. This, like cradle carry, is a relatively comfortable way to carry a gun a long distance and since it keeps the gun in a vertical orientation, is more practical when traveling through thick brush than cradle carry is.

Trail Carry

Trail carry is a one-handed carry discipline in which one hand grabs the gun by the forend around or slightly behind the center of the gun’s gravity, so that the barrel can be pointed forward and slightly downward, towards the ground. This is practical carry method when traversing open terrain wherein there is not a lot of low-growing cover that would snag the gun. It is also practical if you need the other hand to carry some other field gear, or simply to give yourself a break or a rest from another carry method. 

Elbow Carry 

In elbow carry, the stock of the gun is passed through the crooked arm, and the forend of the gun, or the barrel, rests on the inside of the forearm. The arm is then hooked underneath the gun to support its weight. It is a very compact method of carry and comfortable with a heavy gun, especially when you need to transfer some of the weight of the gun off of your shoulder. 

Sling Carry

There’s more than one way to carry a long gun with a shotgun or rifle sling, but we will cover one of the most basic. With the shotgun or rifle sling attached to the two mounts, typically at the front of the forend or under the stock, you can pass the sling over your dominant shoulder so that the muzzle of the gun is pointed straight up at the sky, then grip the base of the rifle sling with your dominant thumb, applying tension to lock the shotgun or rifle in place on your shoulder. There is often a thumb loop on one or both sides of the sling for this very purpose. Carrying a gun with a shotgun or rifle sling can be very safe (since the muzzle is pointed up at the sky), is very comfortable, making it ideal for carrying the gun longer distances, and can effectively enable you to carry the gun hands-free so you can carry other gear. 

Here for a New Rifle Sling?

Hopefully you found this short guide detailing some of the ways you can carry a shotgun or rifle in the field to be helpful. If you landed here looking for a shotgun or rifle sling, check out our collection and get in touch with us if you have any questions before you buy. We would be more than happy to help.