How do you hang your scabbard?

[howdy62]

I've tried butt forward and butt backwards (it's tied in in this pic). But being vertically challenged I can't get my leg into my horse when the barrel is behind the fender. I'm thinking of hanging the scabbard off the pommel this year straight up and down. Any opinions?

[Makwa]

I hang mine butt forward on the left side of the horse. It is the side you usually get on and off of as you well know. If I see game at close range I can turn my horse with his right side towards the game, slide off the left and get my rifle out while using the horse to hide most of my movements and keep the animals attention. Works really well with deer, moose and elk.

I hang butt forward because we ride in a lot of steep country and lots of brush and branches at times...........keeps the butt where I can see it. I have seen at least a dozen guys lose rifles in thick bush over the years with butt to the rear.

I also have the rifle scope up and with a right hand bolt that keeps the bolt pointing out away from the horse.

I had a hunter one time from Utah that carried his rifle on the left and pretty much straight up and down in an old military sort of fashion. Seemed to work good for him except when it was raining or snowing as the scabbard filled, not to mention all of the leaves and twigs that went in as well. He had a boot for it but they are a PITA when you are actually hunting.

Just my 2 cents about how I do it.

[Farmerdoug]

Makwa, that was a really good and informative post. I myself hang my scabbard butt forward, but on the right side of the horse. When attached, I put my stirrup fender over the top of it and ride with it under my leg. Like you mentioned, I feel more comfortable being able to look down and see that the rifle is not moving or slipping out. I keep it on the right because I dont like throwing my leg over it from the front when I am mounting or dismounting. Also, when I mount, my horse turns back into me. I noticed when the horse would turn, the end of the rifle would sometimes poke his flank. One of the first things I did when I bought my last scabbard was to do a little modifying. What I did was get some heavy-duty quick release rein snaps. I preset the lengths of my leather tie straps and attached them to the rein snaps. Now, every time I want to bring my rifle, all I have to do is attach them to the D-rings on the saddle. It makes for an easy on and off. Probably the most important bit of advice is do what is comfortable to you. Whether its a one hour or ten hour ride, if your uncomfortable it makes the whole day suck! Good luck!

[slanttop357]

Hi hear is what the author Jack O,connor of THE BIG-GAME RIFLE carries his saddle scabbard, When the hunter is actually doing his hunting on horseback, the best place to carry the saddle scabbard is on the left side, with the butt to the rear and at an angle of about 45 degrees. since the hunter gets off the horse on the left side, he has only to reach back with his right hand, grab the rifle by the small of the grip and yank it out. Carried this way, the butt pointed up, the rifle will not fall out of the saddle scabbard and the scabbard itself will not fill up with brush and twigs as happens if the open part of the scabbard is pointed forward. Furthermore, the hunter does not have to make a grab for the butt of his rifle by the horse,s head, something which often spooks a jittery horse. In much of the west, where timber is not too thick and the country not too rough, deer are commonly hunted from horseback.

[Makwa]

I have seen rifles lost when carried just like that and if your horse is that spooky he probably should not be getting used in the bush. In really steep terrain that 45 degrees can be horizontal awful fast and you are not going to know if there is a problem until it is too late.

l also hear guys say it interferes with the horses neck and if that is the case then the horse is poorly trained and is bending at the shoulder instead of the poll. But to each his own.............everyone has different ideas about things, mine are from outfitting and riding in the mountains and the north for the last 32 years. I found this was the best of all ways that I have seen or tried and have never seen a rifle lost when carried this way.

Also depends on where you hunt and how 'remote' it is........lots of what some people think is the back country is more like my backyard. In more open areas and on really good trails lots things are not much of an issue. Get into virgin country and have to smash through old burns and over blow downs, scrape through shintangle, lunge your horse through muskeg and scramble up through rocks and shale and you quickly find out what works and what doesn't.

It is no different than packing methods and the size of the horses used. They vary enormously and what works in some places doesn't in others.

Cheers!

[Tinknocker101]

Originally Posted by Makwa

I hang mine butt forward on the left side of the horse. It is the side you usually get on and off of as you well know. If I see game at close range I can turn my horse with his right side towards the game, slide off the left and get my rifle out while using the horse to hide most of my movements and keep the animals attention. Works really well with deer, moose and elk.

I hang butt forward because we ride in a lot of steep country and lots of brush and branches at times...........keeps the butt where I can see it. I have seen at least a dozen guys lose rifles in thick bush over the years with butt to the rear.

I also have the rifle scope up and with a right hand bolt that keeps the bolt pointing out away from the horse.

I had a hunter one time from Utah that carried his rifle on the left and pretty much straight up and down in an old military sort of fashion. Seemed to work good for him except when it was raining or snowing as the scabbard filled, not to mention all of the leaves and twigs that went in as well. He had a boot for it but they are a PITA when you are actually hunting.

Just my 2 cents about how I do it.

I totally concur with your method. Been doing it this way since the early 70's and tried other ways but the left side forward works for me for the reasons mentioned. Good luck.

[Mustang]

I tie my scabbard some times on the left side and some times on the right side, butt faceing back, dosen't matter what side I use. I mount and dismount either right or left, dosen't matter to the horses as thats the way I trained them. This is just my 2 pennys worth and I've been doing it for 50 plus years and no wrecks or mishaps yet with the rifles that I have carried.

[warren nelson]

I carry mine right side butt forward,it don't tangle up my lead rope on that side, its a TrailMax Guardian Rifle Scabbard, for 100 bucks it a great scabbard. I'm not into the fast's guns wins thing because shooting that close to a horse not tied or hobbled could mean a long walk in the making. I dismount and turn the horse toward me and reach down and unhook one side of the hobbles, the hobbles that are already fasten on left front leg ( both sides of hobble are around this leg all the time i'm riding) I then fasten hobble on right front leg. I then unzip the scabbard and pull the gun and chamber a round and then step away from the horse to shoot even if the horse jumps around some at the shot I will still have a ride home. I have carried it on the left side But I'm right hand but I shoot left handed so this wokrs for me it might not work for a guy who does everything righthanded. LOL

[auminer]

Off side/butt forward.

[gundogs]

Left side butt forward, at a fairly high angle.

[Bows on Horses]

Commonly, scabbards are carried butt foward at an acute angle on either side. Hang as high as possible but not above the horn. Make sure the saddle is balanced. Fighting unbalanced saddles is hard on horse and rider. Mountain riding requires you to mount and dismount on the uphill side. Train the horse accordingly.