How to Attach a Shotgun Sling Without Drilling

While most new shotguns nowadays come with sling studs already installed, that was not the case for this old cheap pawn shop Remington 870 I had bought for Dove hunting last year. Because I had only been using this shotgun for dove hunting, I hadn’t gotten around to putting a sling on it. I had no need for a sling when just walking out to and around the dove fields. I had a cart for gear, and the ground was solid and easy to walk on. I knew I would probably go duck hunting this season, so I kept telling myself that I would eventually put a sling on the shotgun but kept putting it off once deer season started. This, of course, bit me in the ass; I had a shotgun with no sling or mounting hardware the night before a 5 am duck hunt. You definitely need a sling as you have to wade through swamps and ponds carrying shells and decoys. Fortunately, I knew how to rig up a shotgun sling to work even without any hardware, so let me show you how.

DIY – Mounting a Shotgun Sling with No Hardware — Always make sure the shotgun is unloaded before starting!

If you are mounting the shotgun sling without any hardware at home, you only need a few things: some paracord, a bit of heavy monofilament, a lighter, a pair of pliers, and a cutting tool. If you are out in the field and your sling hardware gives out, you could get away with just some paracord and a multitool.

The first step is to cut about 7 to 8 inches of paracord to make the front loop for the shotgun sling.

If you have a lighter, melt the ends of the paracord so it stops fraying. Then, tie a couple of overhand knots at the ends of the paracord, as shown below.

Next, take your heavy monofilament line, double it up, and put it through the front of the magazine tube cap, as shown below. If you are doing this out in the field and don’t have monofilament, you can use a couple of the inner strands of paracord instead.

Now, take your piece of knotted paracord and place it inside the loop of monofilament, as shown. Using your pliers, pull the paracord through the magazine tube cap, pulling it all the way through to the knots you tied.

Now that the paracord loop is installed, screw the magazine tube cap back onto the magazine tube, and this part is ready. You can just run the webbing through the loop and double it back as shown below.

Now that the front of the shotgun sling is mounted, we will move to the back. Here, we will start with about a 17-inch piece of paracord. I want to note that shotguns will likely have different stock dimensions, so be aware that these measurements might not work on your exact shotgun. For reference, this is a 1994 production Remington 870. If in doubt, start with a longer paracord and tie it to length for proper fitment. Melt both ends of the paracord again so it doesn’t unravel, and then double the cord up. Then, tie another overhand knot with both ends of the cord, as shown below. This will make a closed loop.

Take your shotgun sling and run the tag end through the paracord, as shown. Finally, wrap the paracord loop under the shotgun stock.

You want the sling’s webbing to go through the loop side and then through the knot side, as shown below.

Take the tag end of the webbing and double it back, wrapping around one cord of the knot side and going back through the loop.

Pull on the webbing, then work the knot of the paracord through the loop to cinch it down. The palm swell of the shotgun stock will keep the paracord in place, so it should not slide around as you carry your shotgun.

And there you go, a relatively easy-to-do DIY mounting system for a shotgun sling on a shotgun without sling studs. Perfect for either a last-minute sling setup for trudging through the swamp for a spur-of-the-moment duck hunt or a quick fix in the field if you have a bit of paracord and a multitool on you.

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Eugene L.

Writer for AllOutdoor.com and OutdoorHub.com Lifelong angler that will fish for anything that swim, firearms enthusiast, and hunter. Instagram - mrfish49