The hype is real - Blue Force Gear Vickers Combat Applications Padded Sling w/Nylon Adjuster

When I got my first rifle, I balked at buying a sling that cost more than $15. I even hacked together a few of my own from webbing and triglides. After seeing this sling continually recommended by other people, I wanted to give it a try. When Optics Planet had a good sale on these, I decided to pull the trigger to see what the fuss is all about.

I specifically got the padded version to hang an AR-10. At first, I thought the quick-adjustment feature was something more appropriate for the "operators" out there, and something I wouldn't find all that useful. But, with the weight of the .308, I went ahead and got this sling.

First, the build quality and finish are excellent. The webbing is all tubular or flat tape with woven edges. Often, slings use tape-cut webbing which has a sharp edge. The stitching is all quality bar tacks, and several places have redundant tacks. There are no loose threads, or misaligned stitches. I don't know if I'd go so far as to say you could use this sling as an emergency rappelling anchor, but it feels very strong for its intended purpose.

Second, the poly hardware is all very solid. This isn't the kind of hardware you find on a Jansport backpack. This feels more like Magpul rifle furniture.

Third, the padding is not fluffy and bulky like you might expected from traditional hunting slings with quilted construction. This seems more like closed-cell foam encased in tube webbing. It's very dense. This is great for distributing the weight over more area on your shoulder without digging into your clavicle or something. Although, if you know you will only be slinging your rifle while wearing multiple layers of clothing, the benefit of the padding will probably be negligible.

Fourth, the quick-adjustment is actually more useful than I thought. I can actually carry a long-ish rifle under my left arm without it getting in the way of walking or navigating the trail. From there, it takes minimal fuss to adjust it to a shooting length to firm up my support arm. Usually, I expect to sling the longer rifles on my back so I don't have to fiddle with adjustments when I reach my destination. I have no expectations of or needs for "quick drawing" the rifle from a slung position, but this definitely saves time when approaching a few of my favorite remote shooting locations on foot. I would also consider the quick-adjustment feature a benefit if your day involves varying your clothing layers for the conditions. If you have a lot on, letting the sling out a little lets you more easily carry it, and you can tighten it up as you shed layers without having to undo a double-backed triglide.

There are two things I'll say against this sling:

It's very complicated. This is not a GI sling made entirely from two triglides and fat piece of webbing. There's a lot that can go wrong with this thing. That said, my use as a recreational shooter will never push any part of this sling near a point of failure.

The padding that makes it very comfortable to carry also interferes with coiling the sling into a more compact profile for either storage or strapping onto the stock. It also makes wrapping around your support arm a little more difficult since it won't conform as nicely as a plain piece of webbing.

All that said, I can't really compare this sling to other "premium" slings. It's a huge improvement over traditional/simpler rifle slings, and far more comfortable than the cheap ones I've bought or made. It might be interesting to compare it to the non-padded version as well as Magpul's slings in this price range.