AR-15 Slings: Junk the Single Point, Get Yourself a Two-Point Sling!

Authors Clay Martin Gunfight Science

Editor’s note: In the NSFW video above, Clay discusses why he prefers a two-point sling to a one-point sling for his battle rifle.  

While he gives numerous reasons, many backed by his firsthand experience soldiering in the War on Terror, perhaps the most convincing is with a single point sling one is more likely to whack themselves in the nards.  That’s never fun.  Never.

You can pick up a two-point sling like the one Clay uses from Viking Tactical.   VTAC has various options, starting at around $40.  

SEE ALSO: VTAC Brokos Belt–What’s under your bed when the Revolution starts?

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  • Rob5157 July 27, 2018, 11:23 am

    Completely agree Clay. Ive done extensive training with the quick adjust 2 point sling, both in the military and federal law enforcement. It is the most versatile sling I’ve used for cqb, extended range shooting and especially anything hands on. Well done brother

  • Frank February 7, 2018, 9:36 pm

    Clay, it’s called a Cup – always wear the cup, then gloves and personal choice of padding, knees and elbows take a beating.
    And what ever keeps the battle rattle attached

  • Inidaho? November 3, 2017, 3:17 pm

    Thanks for the video and all the reviews!! Flip flops? Next tme you do some training, we could have a fashion show! Lol!!!! For the commenters, these guys that do the reviews most are vets, and if you read Clays blog, he has seen some serious combat…read the part about his shoulder. My thanks to our Vets, and the videos! Keep them comming!

  • Auggie Will September 24, 2017, 3:04 am

    He made some good points in the video which I would go along with.
    Myself I don’t use the same sling for each firearm I own.
    For my 21 Inch Fn Fal I use what most would call an old fashion sling ” Two point with an adjustment for opening and closing it” from back in the day 60’s-70’s
    If I need to climb I open it up so I can throw it over my back, or close it up a little so I can carry it on my shoulder.
    I have never seen the sling, Mr. Martin used in the video before until I watched it and to me, it is an updated sling from what I have been using which is faster to use.
    I would like to thank him for his service & the video on the new two-point sling!
    As an old 11B2P, I can appreciate the improvements in the newer sling and when I’m ready for a new one I’m going to follow Mr Martin lead.

  • Jonny5 December 19, 2016, 2:44 pm

    Clay, great video as always, technical but good humoured as well. However, you need to stop the planes flying over and feed the neighbours dog before you start. Basic lesson planning. 😉

    Jonny5

  • Will Drider December 3, 2016, 7:34 am

    Vid looks like a infomercial where the user of X gizmo makes it look ridiculously hard and burdensome to use and then they show Z gizmo used correctly and it makes life wonderful, for four Easy payments of $19.99. I kept wondering when he woud say “But wait, there’s more!”

    Theres pros and cons on slings. These also vary with what your connecting them to, size matters right? He also lost me when he did the sloppy sling wrap in a shooting position. I’m not talking about the tension but the wrap. Maybe its a brand X method or some tacticool school thing but its far from the more stable wrap.

  • Billybob December 3, 2016, 1:30 am

    What no back pack ? Try flipping your 2 point sling over a BACK PACK ! Try adjusting you single point sling length !
    Try the BUNGEE single point ! When I go to war I ware a vest and plates ! , ! When I go to war , I carry a 11.5\” or 14 \” barrel car with the STOCK retracted under my arm pit ! NOT ONE WITH THE STOCK ALL THE WAY OUT AND a 20\” LONG BARREL !

    • Techcop September 15, 2017, 9:33 am

      so true Billybob,
      There is a major difference in the sling needed between a urban entry rifle, and a country musket rifle.

  • Korochio December 2, 2016, 9:14 pm

    Single points serve one purpose, they prevent someone from taking your rifle in close quarters combat. They don’t help you shoot.

  • Kurt December 2, 2016, 12:44 pm

    Clay
    Again a well done video with lots of useful information, I’m probably going to receive a lot of flack on this comment but can you tone your language down ? I know that I’m from a different generation and use the same language at times.but would like to share this information with my wife and grandchildren who I’m sure have heard all these words before..But it still makes me a little uncomfortable with women and children present.
    I though your video on zeroing was the best that I have ever seen and the one on shooting and cranking your head around was spot on .except for “which d”k to suck first”.{Grand son sitting off to the side wondering what grandpa is listing to}
    God Bless and keep up the good work
    Kurt

    • Peter December 2, 2016, 2:33 pm

      I agree, Kurt. If your table saw blade eats your hand or hot coffee spills in your lap, great, we’re probably going to cuss like mad. There doesn’t seem to be many calls for cussing in making a controlled video. But, I’m only a consumer and what do I know?

      • anthony December 2, 2016, 7:15 pm

        +1 peter

      • Steve in Detroit September 15, 2017, 7:32 am

        So he “Cussed” and you are upset? the F word is one of the most versatile words in English language. It is a noun, a pro noun, a verb, ad verb, adjective. The most versatile word, yet he did not use that. I guess you have never been screamed into face that you are ‘lower than whale shit on bottom of ocean and are a useless fuck” during any kind of basic training . I could make a gentle snowflake comment, but the world is a fucked up place, the sooner you accept it the better off you will be. LAMF.

  • TJ Reeder December 2, 2016, 11:48 am

    For Sale, one like new single point sling, used once.
    Ok, I bought one because it looked Tacticool, it sucks, everything about it was wrong for my use.
    Thanks Clay!

  • Joshua December 2, 2016, 9:35 am

    Thank you Clay for doing a comparison on this subject. I was first introduced to the two-point (V-Tac) sling about ten years ago at a school. At that time I was all about the three point (I know, young and ignorant). In that school, I saw the light and have been using it ever since. The main thing that sold me was the ability to retain the rifle when going hands on, flexi-cuffing, etc. I’m not a “gear guy” but I appreciate equipment that is well thought out and works. Someday I’ll be back home in Idaho…

  • Alan December 2, 2016, 9:20 am

    Damn it Clay, why didn’t you tell me a week sooner?!?
    I just ordered all that single point shit Bro!!!!!!
    LOL!!!
    Thanx , Man.
    Funny and to the point as usual.

  • Christian December 2, 2016, 9:17 am

    Back on point. If the gear works for your application, then it’s the right gear. Opinions from High-Speed, Low-Drag combat veterans to slope-brow, basement dwelling mall ninjas don’t mean squat, if you can’t work your gear.

    Whether it’s the latest from Vickers or a shoe-string tied around your neck, go out and practice, practice, practice!

  • Beerhunter December 2, 2016, 9:14 am

    Adjust the single point correctly and some of your gripes will go away. It shouldn’t be hanging so low that it smacks you in the balls or the calves.

  • elnonio December 2, 2016, 8:58 am

    Flip flops. That’s what separates pros from amateurs 😉

    • Jonny5 December 19, 2016, 2:38 pm

      Yeah, but is it the amateurs or the pros that wear the flip flops?

  • joebob December 2, 2016, 8:53 am

    @Richard Grow up. I doubt you’d talk to any of us like that in person.

    @Tar Heel Get over yourself. Just because you were a government employee for 22 years and now living off of my hard work doesn’t mean you get special treatment.

    • Tar Heel Realist December 2, 2016, 11:47 am

      @joebob…does Mommy know you’re using her computer? A “Government Employee”, wow, never heard that one before. As far as “living off” your hard work goes, I’m pretty sure you don’t know the meaning of work…besides, I earned my retirement.

      As far as special treatment goes, I don’t think my post alluded to that, but I guess when you quit school in the 5th Grade, reading comprehension wouldn’t be your strong suit.

      But hey, I served so “couch commandos” such as yourself get to “play army” with all your other unemployed friends…have a nice day.

      Semper Fi.

    • 51-59 December 2, 2016, 1:52 pm

      joebob, say what you will about the a single point sling versus a two point sling that is the purpose of this forum.
      Your choice to use this forum to denigrate Mr. Tar Heel by writing “Get over yourself Just because you were a government employee for 22 years and now living off of my hard work doesn’t mean you get special treatment”.
      Like Mr. Tar Heel, I served 28 years so people like you can say and write what you want from the safety of your parents basement where you and so many like you are still in shock trying to understand how your savior Hillary Clinton lost to President-Elect Donald Trump.
      Mr. Tar Heel gave 22 years of his life to protect yours. While you long for a Monday to Friday 8:00am to 5:00pm job with weekends and Holidays off, Mr. Tar Heel and many others like us went to work when we were told, did what we were told and went home when our job was done. If the job took 8 hours, 8 days, 8 weeks, 8 months or 8 years we went home when it was done.
      In regards to Mr. Tar Heel and many others like us “living off of your hard work”, I say to your mother that you need another box of tissue paper to wipe your sniveling nose. Our Retirement Benefits were earned, every month a portion of our wages went into our Retirement Fund which we hoped we lived long enough to receive.
      So joebob, say what you want about issues related to articles in this forum, BUT DON’T YOU EVER SAY THAT MR. TAR HEEL AND MANY OTHERS LIKE US OWE YOU A SINGLE RED PENNY FOR THE BENEFITS WE EARNED AND PAID FOR.

      • trump Fan September 3, 2017, 11:01 am

        He never protected me from shiat. The US military has done squat for the last quarter century other than run up the deficit and protect the interests of oil companies across the globe.
        Oh yeah, and create lots of Jihadis when they kill so many non-combatants while “liberating” them. Some of us who served in real wars are not fooled by these corporate bodyguards playing pretend.

  • Cyrus December 2, 2016, 7:36 am

    Good video! Great job explaining your personal opinion on the differences and why you prefer 2-point over 1-point.

  • Richard Robinett December 1, 2016, 6:10 pm

    You are doing nothing but splitting hairs between the two if you adjust a single correctly all that nonsense you are spewing doesn’t happen the way you are demonstrating. My rifle NEVER hits me in the balls. Improvise, adapt, overcome. Who wants to be adjusting, loosening, tightening or just plain constantly fucking around wasting time, effort and loss of awareness in dangerous situations jacking around with that two-pointer? BTW hit the gym fat body, because in your condition you aren’t going to be running or climbing shit. No wonder you slings are a pain, trying to maneuver around all that beer belly.

    • Nicks87 December 2, 2016, 4:25 am

      Wow, why get so butt hurt over a youtube video? A sling is a sling, I think it has more to do with personal preference than anything. I don’t like single point slings because you have less control over the weapon when doing things that require two hands. In the military we ditched single point slings in 2004 because they worked fine in some situations but didn’t work that well in real world ops like convoy security, guard duty, etc. If they work for you that’s fine but no need to resort to childish name calling to get your point across.

      • Mike Watkins February 7, 2018, 1:44 pm

        Nicks87, what you say about the problems with a single point sling is EXACTLY what a Special Forces nephew told me several years ago. It made sense to me, still does. When you have to take both hands off the weapon to do some other task, that weapon HAS TO BE exactly where your hands expect to find it, if your primary task changes in a hurry. You don’t have that with a single point.

        Btw, Nephew was a true snake eater and my respect for him knows no bounds.

    • BOHio December 2, 2016, 5:07 am

      “splitting hairs”? Sounds you’re more than a little b*tchy, maybe because your razor stubble is irritating your thong line. Next time spring for a wax instead of using your crusty Gillette Venus. (Fellow readers, this also addresses why the other poster isn’t whacked in the nuts…)

      And stop you (sic) deplorable body-shaming of Clay. Sure, you spend hours on waist training, the Bar Method, and spin class, but I bet you hired (possibly illegal) workers to install your patio, and only climbed the ladder in your own backyard so they could get a peek up your skirt (sorry, Utili-kilt, if you prefer).

      Clay, your perimeter security team looked happy. Give them a pat for the peanut gallery.

    • Tar Heel Realist December 2, 2016, 6:59 am

      Wow, another Youtube Commando has spoken. As a Marine (ret. 22 years), I can tell you that the human body gets beat up w/all the training and actual “work” the .mil does. Like anything else, over time shize begins to break down and doesn’t heal like the body used to.

      So before you go calling Vets “fat body” or whatever juvenile remarks you use to make yourself feel “hard” or “bad ass”, do some research and see how a career in the .mil wears down the body. Until then, just STFU and go back to playing Battlefield in Mommy’s basement.

    • Jeff Hunter December 2, 2016, 12:30 pm

      Dude, you are a big mouth wanna be. This guy spent time trying to teach people a few things of which I appreciated. We all have the ability to filter and use our brains to make our own decisions and don’t need guys like you representing anyone. Obviously all your brain is good for is to whine and disparage others. I’m sure I speak for most that we enjoy getting a few ideas from this website until some asshole like you pipes in to show how many times he got his ass kicked growing up. Get a life punk!

    • clay martin December 4, 2016, 9:43 pm

      sounds like Richard was paying attention to Dat Ass, not the point of the video. sorry bud, I like chicks. but if you need a Bear, just look for the rainbow flag at a bar dock workers frequent. thats the one you want.

    • Jonny5 December 19, 2016, 2:47 pm

      Richard,

      There’s a reason why your weapon never hits you in the balls…. Xx

      Jonny5

      • CaptRon July 19, 2019, 8:46 am

        Jonny5 –

        Amazingly accurate, and funny as hell………

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