Just looking for some feedback from those who use them. Seems like a rifle slung over the right shoulder and a trekking pole held in the right hand can be awkward in some situations.

Seems like having the rifle in front would get in the way of my arms and the trekking poles.

I use the Kifaru gun bearer. I can definitely deploy the rifle much much faster then slung over the shoulder. With the use of trekking poles, my 20" barreled mountain rifle did not get in the way at all. I cannot see myself ever using a shoulder sling again in the mountains. I love it.

I use Browning X-Cellerator slings on all of my rifles and shotguns. I use them as an over the shoulder and an across the chest/back setup. I can't stand a loose sling, so this one fits the bill perfectly for me with its one hand adjustment.

My partners and I often hunt together. I find that when climbing a steep trail, the Gun Bearer points right at the back of my friend in front of me.

So, stick the foreend/scope bell behind yer sternum strap.....

The reason I ask is that this is the first year that I’ve used a trekking pole. Was walking a power line last Friday and got pinned down by an old whitetail doe that was leading a group of four across the line. Didn’t know what was behind her, but if one was a nice buck would have had to drop the pole and unshoulder my gun and it doesn’t seem like there would have been enough time to get off a good shot....

Thanks all.
Are there any across the chest slings designed to work without a pack?

I use a Cabela's Safari sling. It can be used just about anyway you want.

Thanks, that will work.

Been using a Safari Sling for 25 plus years now. The nice thing is it's (mostly) hands free. My only experience with poles is snowshoeing while carrying a rifle with the Safari Sling while coyote hunting. The rifle was my 18.5" bbl M700 223 that is very light and compact. My primary hunting rifles are 22" bbls and sub 7 lbs. A longer "full size" rifle might be different. When hunting with the Safari Sling I usually have a hand resting on the rifle, and when negotiating thick timber I use my left hand to guide the muzzle. A Safari Sling isn't very expensive, you may want to try it with a trekking pole and see if it will work for you.

Nice thing about the Safari Sling it distributes the rifle's weight across your shoulder and back, plus it's a wide sling--it's a whole lot more comfortable. Just as importantly the rifle is always at "port arms" and makes it MUCH faster to deploy than carrying the rifle over your shoulder in a conventional manner, and it's a bit quicker than even carrying it in your hand. At least half the elk I've ever killed were offhand and 100 yds or less. Plus the rifle is always in front of you--you can see where the muzzle is pointed. As a guide, I don't know how many times I've turned around while climbing a hill to see my client bent over while humping it up the slope with his rifle slung over his shoulder and the muzzle pointed at my bazaki........

To try out a Safari sling to see if you like it, it would be easy to jury rig one with some webbing.

safari slings suck with a pack on.....

Why wouldn’t you just use a in pack scabbard?

I don’t need or use a pack, just looking for an alternative to an over the shoulder sling when using a pole.