Moroka.30’s Stalker Sling has cleverly solved the problem of keeping your rifle securely on your shoulder, hands-free, while also being immediately ready to swing up into a shooting position for a quick shot at game.
And as you’d expect from Moroka.30, it’s been thoroughly thought through and very well made, created by people who have made a business out of their passion for hunting sambar in the Victorian High Country.
Rob Fickling and Dan Horkings put months worth of contemplation and testing into this sling, which is designed to keep your rifle in front of you, pointed down range, while you thread your way through the bush.
The obvious advantage is that the rifle is always ready to raise and shoot if you come face-to-face with game, reducing the risk of missing the chance if the animal bolts. However, there’s more to it than speed.
You wear the Stalker across your body and over your off-side shoulder, so the rifle stays slung while you use both hands for other tasks like glassing or pushing through thick bush.
It’s a comfortable way to carry the rifle, which hangs from a soft shoulder pad and can be adjusted to be more or less horizontal according to your preference, and it has enough latitude to hang low or be cinched up high. I’ve often tweaked it on the move (the webbing straps are easily adjusted) depending on the terrain I’m tackling at the time.
It’s a bit like carrying your rifle at the port but having two more arms to part the foliage as you go. You can’t avoid the need to sometimes keep some control of where the rifle is pointing as you move — threading it past branches etc — but usually it only requires a light touch from one hand to do it.
The key part of the Stalker Sling’s design is the large rear loop which attaches to the sling swivel under the butt and then wraps around above the stock.
The loop is large enough to slide back over the butt and fall away below it, exactly what you need to happen when you lift the rifle to a shooting position.
The secret to the loop’s effectiveness is that it’s stiff, which ensures that when you lift the rifle, and your shooting arm’s elbow moves back and out, the loop doesn’t tangle or snag but gets pushed back over the butt.
With a bit of practice and experience, you don’t even notice the sling’s presence when you’re shooting.
The front loop attaches to the front sling swivel but doesn’t tip off, remaining draped lightly over the barrel when shooting. With low-mounted open sights or a shotgun bead, it will get in the way. With higher iron sights you can get away with it but I’d advise sticking with a scoped rifle, even if it’s a non-magnifying red dot. With a scope, the front webbing never blocks the view.
The shock-absorbing ‘spring’ in the rear webbing is a smart addition that increases comfort by reducing jolting of your shoulder, and the shoulder pad helps, too. Over a long hunt, the Stalker is more comfortable than a regular sling.
At a pinch, you can use the Stalker like a regular sling, too, which is handy at times.
Moroka.30 has used clips that are compatible with its high-quality packs so that instead of having to awkwardly deal with a cross-shoulder sling while lugging a backpack, you can clip the rifle to the pack system. It’s quick-release, too. I wasn’t able to try this, though.
By reversing the shoulder pad, the Stalker can be used right- or left-handed.
Lots of other people have tried to solve the many shortcomings of standard rifle slings but few have really made much of an impression. Moroka.30 has created something that’s vastly superior and very practical. I bought one on spec and now use it constantly.
What surprises me most is that this sling is very well made from high quality, durable components and has all those clips, springs, loops and pads, and yet costs just $70. I think it’s the best 70 bucks I’ve spent in a long time.
Find out more on the Moroka.30 website.
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