Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Kifaru Gun Bearer Reveiws.

I had the same problem until Mr. Smith adjusted it for me. He lowered the cradle that hangs off the waist belt and holds the butt, and no more problems, that brought the barrel back alongside instead of in the front of my face.

Now I don't like toting a rifle any other way.

Upon viewing these on kifaru's website and not owning a kifaru pack, I see they offer a universal gun-bearer.

Has anyone tried this and if so would the short or long be the way to go?

I have both gun bearers, the built in one on a Late Season & the Universal gun bearer. I have a sling in my pack but have not used it in years. The universal gun bearer works just as well, you just have to experiment a bit to select which location around the waist belt works better.

My mate had the Ebrestock Just one with the rear scabboard. Saw me with the gun bearer & got one as well & turfed the pack as well.

Gmoney, I'd get both the long & short straps for the universal gun bearer. The long one is for if you have a wide waist strap & the short is for when you have just webbing as a waist strap.

I'm sold on the gun bearer. Best system our there IMHO.

Also one thing people focus on is how quick you can get it into action. But sometimes people forget to look at the design of their pack shoulder straps. If you have those packs with really thick shoulder straps its hard to get a good gun mount so speed of release is useless IMHO. You have to take the pack off first, so look for packs where you can shoot with the shoulder pads in place.

Regards
JohnT

The rest of the guys have pretty much described my experience with the GunBearer. It takes some getting used to and the setup takes a bit to perfect (especially when swapping it from different packs) but its the best thing I have used. I have used it for two years and 3 sheep hunts and wont go without it. I did wipe out last year and broke the upper strap and had Kifaru send me 2 new ones so I have an extra. When hunting with a pack and climbing tough terrain its simply a must having a place out of your hands to stow your rifle, but as in my case where I have bumped into grizzlies in tight quarters more than once sheep hunting I like having it right there should I need it. Plus I use 2 trakking poles in the bad stuff and I dont have to worry about my rifle with the Gun Bearer. FWIW my sheep hunting partner used the Gun Slinger version last year and it looked to work well also.

Shag, I put quite a few miles on a Gun Bearer last year.

Unless I'm in an area where I need the rifle in quick fashion I'd just soon have the rifle connected to the backpack for the hike in and going out.

I tired of the rifle and scope placement under my right arm. While hunting it works great, while packing in it sucked.

I also broke the Gun Bearer from a fall off a mountain bike while riding downhill at 11:00 on a moonless night.

6 months later my shoulder finally recovered.

Gun Bearer replaced the broken part no questions asked.

My first experience with the "GB" was on a sheep hunt. I didn't like it. It was constantly in the way of the steep climbing, threw me off balance and presented the rifle to be hit by rocks and debri.
Maybe in a more level environment it would be ok. But I sent it back and was done with it. I use the "African Carry" for everything now..... just kidding.
Since going to an Eberlestock backpack 3 years ago, I put the rifle in its scabbard and its out of the way and out of harms way. I have shot two elk after drawing my Kimber from the scabbard. The third elk I shot when I got into an "elky" area and already had the Kimber in my hands. Just my two pennies.

And good pennies at that.

mod7rem - sounds interesting...do you have any pics of what you done? I'd like to see what ya rigged up and how it works. Thanks.

JBR- if you can give me an email address I will send a couple of pics for you.

I'd like some pics too if you don't mind sir...

GregWilliamswlifeyahoo.com...

Thanks...

Is it possible to adjust a gun-bearer so that you can carry the butt a little more forward, and the barrel behind your arm? Maybe bringing the part of the sling that holds the butt forward, and the top strap over your head and behind you to your pack frame?

Anybody ever played with one like that?

I'm using a bullpac and where I don't mind carrying a sling over my shoulder it constantly slides off. I have the extension on the bullpac frame, I'm wondering if just putting a hook on the frame shoulder height wouldn't do the trick. Run my sling over my shoulder, but also through a hook on the frame to keep it from sliding off.

FWIW, I really, really like Kifaru products, but my experience with the Gun Bearer is exactly like that of bigwhoop and SU 35. I am happier so far with the Eberelstock scabbard.

Problem with the Scabbard is it's attached to their pack.

I'm gonna give the gunslinger a try. Will order one and have it on the pack and training with it asap. I let you know how it goes.

Shag,

Interested in your thoughts after you try the Gunslinger. Like I said previously, I love mine.

Barkoff, sounds like the Gunslinger might be the answer you are looking for too.

Maybe, I'm going to study the set-ip next time I get some time, I'm just wondering if at some point too many straps across the chest won't become a PIA. Pack chest strap, the Gunslinger strap, then bino straps.

Barkoff,

I slide the holster forward and carry the forearm behind my shoulder using the top side straps to hold the forearm sometimes. When It deploys quickly from that position too. I carry it in the forward position when I'm actually hunting an area. The thing is very versatile. I can't imagine not being able to make it work.

Good luck,

TBP

There's a couple video's you can watch on that gunslinger site.

Mod7rem - PM sent with email address. Thanks

I don't go on a rifle hunt without one. It does take a bit of practice to get the adjustments down, but now that I've got that figured it's great. I only use the shoulder strap when actually hunting and mount it on the side of the pack (as shown above on the horseback sheep hunt) when just covering ground.

One thing I do like about the barrel being near your face is that it makes a pretty hand support for using your bino's 'offhand'.