I first came across the Vorn QRR products in 2014 and was so intrigued by the concept of a backpack with an inbuilt, quick release, rifle scabbard that I purchased a Vorn Lynx, a 15 litre day pack (expandable to 20 litres via zippers) which has since been superseded by the EV30.
I have hunted with that backpack exclusively for the last 10 years. It carries all I need (first aid kit, ELB, water, rations, butchering gear and game bags) but I do carry venison externally in game bags on a game sling (ie: not inside the pack as it does not have the necessary capacity). If you wish to carry game meat inside the pack for retrieval, then the EV45 or the EV30 are the solution (45 litre and 30 litre capacity respectively).
What is the Vorn SR10 hip pack with shooting rest?
In early 2025 I was further intrigued by a new Vorn product – the SR10 hip pack. Kind of like a bum bag on a molle webbing belt the SR10 (Stabilised Rest, 10 litre capacity) has an inbuilt frame and flat padded rest on the top for resting your elbow and stabilising what would otherwise be an offhand shot. I describe it as a product that sits between off hand (no rest) and carrying shooting sticks with the advantage of light weight and speed to get on target (much faster than setting up shooting sticks). Trials indicate a 50% improvement over off hand shots at any given range.
How did Premium Hunting Products start?
After failing to get any of the European retailers to send an SR10 to me in Australia I contacted Morten Jacobsen of Vorn in Norway to see if he could assist. Morten told me that Vorn had been in Australia from 2014 to Covid and wanted to get back into the market again and asked if I knew anyone who might be interested. My response was ‘yes – me’ and Premium Hunting Products was born!
What makes a Vorn QRR rifle backpack different?
The Vorn QRR backpacks (EV45, EV30 and the 12 litre capacity Light – LT12) provide a market unique capability in the form of an in-built rifle scabbard with a quick release pull handle incorporated into the shoulder harness. The QRR concept has the following functional advantages:
- Complete hands free movement for the use of binoculars, rangefinders, dogs, shooting sticks and traversing steep or close terrain,
- Protection of the firearm from adverse weather, terrain & vegetation,
- The ability to quickly bring the firearm to the shoulder for any unexpected shot opportunity,
- The ability to quietly release the firearm and bring it the shoulder for a planned shot or to carry in a ready position when moving through close country,
- The ability to quickly and easily re-stow the firearm in the scabbard without completely removing the pack, and
- Safe and secure carriage, protection and speed of access to the firearm when in the field whether on foot or mounted (I have used my QRR pack extensively on quad bikes and it is a far superior solution to a slung rifle).
EV45 vs EV30 vs LT12: which QRR backpack should you choose?
The fundamental distinction between the packs is that the EV45 and EV30 have an inbuilt rigid frame to create the scabbard compartment and maintain ease of access to the firearm, the LT12 does not. The capacity, bulk and weight of items within the backpack drives the necessity for the frame. The rigid frame enables the larger load carrying capacity of the EV45/30 which is unnecessary for the LT12 as it is designed for fast and light movement. In all cases the QRR mechanism, the scabbard compartment impact protection and the butt stock length adjustment are the same.
| Feature | EV45 | EV30 | LT12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quick Rifle Release (QRR) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Rigid frame | Yes | Yes | No |
| Height adjustable harness | Yes (approx. 160-200 cm) | Yes (approx. 160-200 cm) | No |
| Capacity | 45 litres | 30 litres | 12 litres |
I should point out at this juncture that I hunt almost exclusively with a combination gun or double rifle, both fitted with scopes and attachments for a thermal clip-on and although my old Lynx backpack, like the LT12 is frameless, I have never had any issue retrieving either firearm from the scabbard.
How do you release a rifle from a QRR backpack?
Using the QRR takes a bit of practice to develop muscle memory but once you are there it becomes second nature, much like operating the bolt on a rifle, and you can get your firearm out of the scabbard and onto your shoulder in around 2 seconds or about the same time as bringing a slung firearm to the shoulder for a shot.
There are three basic methods of releasing the firearm from the scabbard:
- By the barrel – good for firearms with longer barrels or moderators,
- By the sling – my preferred method as it replicates the normal movements of a slung firearm to the shoulder and requires less shoulder mobility to retrieve the firearm, and
- By the butt stock – good for those with limited shoulder mobility or shorter weapons where the barrels are hard to reach over your shoulder
What are the best QRR backpack set-up tips?
After using the Vorn QRR product extensively for 10 years I have developed a list of useful tips and hints. They are:
- All packs have a hydration bladder compartment fitted internally. The LT12 and EV30 have a port for the hydration hose to run to the shoulder harness on the top left side of the pack. It is over sewn to prevent water ingress so look carefully for it. The EV45 has a top opening, so the hose just runs under the top closure
- The EV45 and EV30 packs have height adjustable shoulder harnesses allowing for people of heights from approximately 160cm to 200cm. When adjusting the EV45/30 for height look for the orange retaining pin at the bottom of the frame. Ensure once height is adjusted the pin is moved to a position to take up any slack and bear the weight against the frame
- The LT12 has no frame nor ability to adjust the shoulder pad relative to the hip pads. It will fit the majority of people though and is designed to be a light day pack that incorporates the QRR functionality. It has a removable hip belt for lighter, faster use with it removed or more stability in rough terrain when fitted. An additional molle belt can be bought as an accessory and 2 x 2 litre pouches can be added to this belt to increase overall pack capacity to 16 litres if desired
All packs have a Velcro adjustable butt stock holder. The trick here is to adjust the butt stock holder so that the butt is flush in the holder and the scope (or any other sight accessory (eg: thermal clip on) is below the top of the scabbard by 10-20mm. This ensures the scope does not catch the top of the scabbard on release and that the butt stock does not sit so low as to hit the back of your legs or snag on a rock or log when seated and wearing the pack. Bipods (if fitted) should sit clear above the top of the scabbard when adjusted correctly
Considerations for firearms fitted with a sling:
- I hunted for years with my sling inside the two retaining clips on the scabbard and had no issues with QRR by the barrel technique (ie: sling never caught on the retaining clips)
- Now that I’m a bit older its harder to reach behind my back to grab the barrel (combo gun or DR in use, so short barrels and short overall length of firearm) so I now have the sling outside the retaining clips and over my right shoulder and use the sling method of QRR
- Bottom line is its personal preference for how to stow the sling and what method of QRR to use
- All Vorn products, product descriptions and instructional ‘how to use’ videos are available on the Vorn website at https://vorn-equipment.com
Where can you buy Vorn QRR packs in Australia?
Premium Hunting Products was born of a personal frustration at lack of availability to the Australian hunter of high quality European kit. In re-introducing the Vorn QRR product line to the Australian market I hope to go some way to correcting that and I will endeavour to stock more premium hunting gear as the business grows.
Please check out the online shop at www.premiumhuntingproducts.com and do not forget our 5 year manufacturer warranty for spare parts. If at any time a part should fail please contact me and I will send a replacement component within 24 hrs. If you are an ADA ACT and Snowy Mountains Branch member, I am happy to arrange collection or drop off in the Canberra region at no charge and assist you with fitting the QRR backpack to both you and your firearm.
I wish you all safe, happy and memorable hunting.
Yours aye,
Dirk.
