Introduction

The VTAC 2-point sling family is truly ubiquitous in cool guy pics; whether it’s a Viking Tactics original, a 5.11 licensed version, or a popular analogue made by the likes of LBT.

Of the VTAC variants, the sling most often exhibited is probably the Mk2 – the padded version. However, Viking Tactics makes a number of different slings which are all based on the same seminal design.

The VTAC Mk1 is the sling that started the adjustable 2-point revolution. It remains a design classic not least because it – and its many variants – do a couple of very useful things that no other 2-point adjustable sling does. This is why – despite its age – it’s still current.

The VTAC’s unique features are best articulated by the its originator, Kyle Lamb of Viking Tactics; quoted here speaking to The Loadout Room:

I don’t feel we have any real competitors. There are other adjustable 2-point slings, but they require removing the weight of the weapon from the sling to adjust and limit adjustment. Our sling can be cinched tighter and tighter and done with one hand, no matter the weight of the weapon.

These features and more are demonstrated in the following video which, while dated, is really worth a look if you’re unfamiliar with the VTAC – or simply assume it’s just like all the other 2-points:

Click through to YouTube if the video doesn’t render above.

Why Consider The VTAC Bungee Sling? Two Reasons

1. VTAC Slings Are Unique

I’ve been using a VTAC padded sling since 2013. Other slings have come and gone, but the VTAC prevails.

What I most like about it is exactly what Kyle Lamb asserts in the quotation above. I don’t have to take the weight off the weapon to adjust the sling’s length on the fly; plus, I can cinch it tighter and tighter so the weapon doesn’t move when I need to go hands free – regardless of whether I’m wearing a chest rig, PC, or just belt kit.

No other sling does this, because of the way they are adjusted and because of their ‘captive’ adjustment systems. More about that, later, because with the VTAC’s capabilities there is a perceived trade off – for some.

2. Dynamic, Even When Braced

Specific to the Bungee Sling, the elasticated segment gives the opportunity for the user to adjust the sling to brace tightness, but still change position dynamically.

Regular readers will be well used to my stories of aches and pains, but in all my gear choices I try to limit or spread musculoskeletal impacts.

Shooting in the brace position – where the sling is tightened around the user to support and steady – takes some of the weapon’s weight off the arms and shoulders, and distributes it more evenly. It’s a really useful technique, but with a conventional sling the shooter’s reflexive movements can be limited. However, the elasticated bungee gives the shooter that additional flexibility and wiggle room to react – while still keeping the brace structure taut.

The best possible demonstration of this feature is in Kyle Lamb’s video on the subject:

Click through to YouTube if the video doesn’t render above.

Review

The specific VTAC sling reviewed here is the Viking Tactics Two Point Bungee Sling, in Coyote Tan (VTAC-BGS-CT). It’s also available in black.

The most obvious feature is the sling’s bungee section.

As the name suggests, this is a heavy duty elasticated segment which runs just a bit longer than a VTAC Mk2’s shoulder pad.

In terms of comfort, it’s somewhere between the Mk2 padded VTAC sling and the unpadded Mk1 version.

It’s covered by soft 1” tubular webbing which looks and feels really high quality. That said, tubular webbing tends to become foxed quite quickly with wear and this example is no different.

The tubular webbing extends to the aft of the sling and here I’ve installed a 1” ITW CLASH Hook.

VTAC doubles up on plastic tri-glides at each end of the sling, but includes no attachment hardware – which is user’s choice. At the front I’ve utilised a BFG 1” Sling Swivel.

As opposed to the tubular webbing which comprises the majority of the sling, the front end uses standard 1” webbing. This is coarse, but doesn’t put up too much of a fight against the sling’s all important adjustment buckle – the mechanism which allows the sling to be lengthened and shortened.

But what a different buckle we have here…

Instead of VTAC’s familiar metal ITW adjustment buckle (also used by Ferro), the Bungee Sling utilises a lightweight plastic buckle which isn’t as awful as it looks. In fact, it’s almost as good as the usual metal buckle in terms of adjustment. What’s better about it, however, is that it’s lighter and it doesn’t hang up so easily on PC or chest rig.

The downside is I cannot fit Ferro’s excellent adjustment tab, but the usual paracord is present – though rudimentary in comparison.

The paracord is used to lengthen the sling. To shorten the sling, on the other hand, is the free running end. This scares some people, because they imagine it to be a high probability snagging hazard (I’ve not found this myself).

In fact, the VTAC’s free running end can be held captive without losing any of the sling’s benefits whatsoever; the benefits being the ability to cinch the sling tighter and tighter, and without requiring the weapon to be unweighted – as mentioned earlier.

Conclusion

This sling is an absolute wildcard, but I love it. Even with my L119A2 clone’s stock almost fully extended, when cinched tight the weapon doesn’t feel as long and cumbersome as it should – the bungee keeping it conformal for hands free tasks, when retained to the front or back.

Sure, bungee is synonymous with single point slings circa 2005, but it works so much better in this implementation and to my knowledge there’s no other sling like it.

True, versus the VTAC Mk2 and other wide pad slings such as the Ferro Slingster and BFG VCAS, the Bungee Sling isn’t quite as comfortable on the shoulder. But its capabilities – as explained in the review – far outweigh the slight drop in pad comfort. Personally I prefer a sling which occupies the channel between my neck and my PC’s shoulder pad, rather than a wide pad which sits half way up my neck or pushes the PC’s shoulder pad wide.

As for availability, I’d recommend looking at Norgestar on eBay for your VTAC sling needs.