Have hunted in Germany and Austria quite a bit and the way they utilize a sling makes for a very safe event. On a typical drive hunt, there will be a dozen or more guns and as many as twice that number of beaters. Unlike much driven bird shooting in England, the hunts are held in true farming country, often with a mixture of fields, brush, and forest. Safe gun handling is extremely important. The shotgun or drilling is kept open and slung, muzzles forward, under the off shoulder. The hand on the off side is kept on the barrels. The gun is removed from the shoulder and loaded on signal (once beaters are in place)- usually a horn is blown as a signal. A second signal is blown to end the drive, and guns are immediately unloaded and placed safely back under the shoulder. A typical drive hunt always includes a lot of European Hare, and the need for full chokes is immediately apparent when you first see one of these kangaroo-sized speeders hit the afterburners at 40 yards.
