Thread: Using a shooting sling.

Originally Posted by Dama dama

Awesome @redrover thank you.

Where did you buy all the parts?

It’s been some years since I last bought any bits and pieces for making slings, and most of my suppliers from that time have now disappeared. About the only one left is a shop in Porirua called Dwights, who I most recently bought some Ladder Locks and Tri-Glides from. I mentioned in my previous posting the sorts of shops that might sell such things, and you could add to this saddlery and equestrian suppliers, and canvas good makers and repairers.

‘Fastex’is probably the best known brand of fittings and is - I think - made in NZ. When I went through my box of bits today I found some fittings I bought from Spotlight (a drapery shop) which were made by an Australian company called Birch. I think Spotlight is a nation-wide chain.

The best webbing I found was in a local hardware shop which is now gone - swallowed up by Mitre 10 Mega. Apart from maybe Dwights, the only local shop I can think of which might have suitable webbing is a place called Pete’s Emporium, a sort of ‘bits of everything’ outfit. Not sure about Bunnings and Mitre 10 Mega. I could have a look next time I am in Porirua. There are places in Wellington City and the Hutt Valley which may have it, but I don’t go there very often. You really need to see the stuff for yourself and measure the thickness of it with calipers to be sure it is suitable - someone on the other end of the phone measuring it with a ruler is not going to be very helpful!

If you are in a location where getting to possible suppliers is impossible for you, drop me a P M and I’ll see what I can locate, but I cannot promise instant service.

Thanks for the reply. I'll have a hunt around locally.

Yes Dwights, Spotlight and Petes Emporium are good places to look.
Try Bivouac which will have climbing tape and the lower grades sometimes are OK for rifle slings. Don't get tubular as its too fat (but extra strong).
You might have luck in a marine supplies shop like Barton Marine.
Perhaps a sewing shop like Bernina would have tape and buckles.
I made a good sling recently from a synthetic tape belt and it came with a solid metal slider.

It has been a bit of a chase-around trying to locate the right thickness webbing. I was lucky in that I got all that I needed before the Mitre 10 shop at Paremata closed up.

I have finally found that Dwights Canvas in Upper Hutt has some at 1.5mm thick, which is very slightly thinner than what I have used, but it should still do the job. I’ll call in and have a look at it next time I am over that way, but that could be a few weeks off. I should have realized earlier that the lower sling in the photo I posted was the first one I made of this pattern and the webbing is only just over 1.4mm thick, but it works OK.

The only thing to be aware of with 1.5mm thickness webbing is that it will require Tri-glides with slots no more than 4.5mm wide, preferably a few tenths less. I have a few like that which I think I may have bought from a Dwights Outdoors shop (same family - different business name) some years ago. Anything much wider will not grip the webbing tightly enough. In this category is the ITW FASTEX brand Triglide, which has slots about 5.3mm wide.

I wish I had tried Dwights Canvas earlier, as it would have saved me a lot of internet time and phone calls. Spotlight, The Canvas Company, Kolorful Canvas, Dwights Outdoors, and Barton Marine only had 1.0mm thick stuff, while Bivouac had nothing - only tubular, which is good for the sort of slings rock and ice climbers use, but no use at all for rifle slings. Petes Emporium in Porirua had a large collection of webbings, but nothing of use for rifle slings - unless you like orange, pale green, or white cotton webbing! An internet search for ‘Polyester webbing’ and ‘Polypropylene webbing’ produces lots of links, but mainly to wholesalers who will only sell whole rolls - 50m and more.

Contact Details:
Ross Dwight
Dwights Canvas
802 Fergusson Drive
Upper Hutt 8245
Tel: (040 528-8245
Email: ross@dwights.co.nz He seems to me to be both friendly and helpful.