Topic: The Best Shooting Gloves of 2023 (Read 36 times)
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Key Features
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Magpul seems to always hit a home run with their products. The amount of research and testing that goes into their gear has a big impact on their success, and their Technical Glove 2.0 is no different. The key feature I look for in a shooting glove is dexterity. I want the same feel for the trigger, and I also want to establish the same grip as I would without gloves. The Technical Glove 2.0’s is designed for dexterity, as nearly 50 percent of the glove is stretchy corded nylon. This allows the glove to mold to your hand and act as a second skin. Also, thanks to the neoprene, the top side of the glove is breathable. The palm, which is the side that will be taking most of the impact, is a synthetic suede, which has held up well to hard use on the range.
I’m different from most shooters in that I usually only wear one glove at a time (on my support hand). The support hand is the one taking most of the abrasion and impact, as it’s gripping the handguard on a rifle or bracing against tough materials. As you can see in the photo above, I’m a righty, so my left glove takes most of the abuse.
These Technical 2.0’s are my go-to glove so they’ve seen a lot of range time. The stitching on the index finger has been ripped open, and the neoprene cuff has seen better days, but I also spend more time at the range than most casual shooters—usually 6 to 8 days a month is normal for me. The neoprene cuff makes the glove a bit hard to put on, and the opening is tight to get your hand inside. This makes pulling on the cuff more difficult, which leads to more wear and tear on the cuff over time. But that’s the price to pay for that second-skin feel. Fortunately, if you manage to run through these, they’re not too expensive ($30) for a replacement pair. Once you put these gloves on, they’ll likely turn into your favorite range glove like they did for me. —T.D.
Key Features
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I despise wearing gloves while shooting ducks or upland birds in cold weather. I’d honestly rather have cold hands than fumble around with my safety through bulky gloves when a rooster flushes at my feet. Happily, in Sitka’s Gunner, I’ve found a wingsooting glove that I don’t hate.
I tested these gloves during a high-volume dove and pigeon shoot in Argentina and was pleasantly surprised to find that I was able to smoothly load and shoot my shotgun while wearing them. Even though it wasn’t a cold-weather hunt, the gloves did have their benefits. They kept my loading thumb from getting shredded and my hands from getting burned on my barrel. We fired thousands of rounds at a rapid pace for hours on end. One of my co*rades on the trip refused to wear gloves while shooting and got an impressive burn on his left hand because of it. After a few days of very hard shooting, the Gunner gloves showed hardly any wear and tear.
They are nicely padded and insulated. There’s a circular pad sewn into the thumb in the spot you use to push a shotgun shell into the magazine. Clever. You won’t feel the same dexterity with these gloves as you will with other thinner gloves in this roundup, but the tradeoff is warmth and protection. These gloves will keep your hands warm in a late-season duck blind or frigid pheasant field. The lighter gloves in this list offer more dexterity out of the gate, but eventually your fingers will go numb in winter conditions. That makes it hard to shoot, too. If you’re going to invest in a pair of these gloves, know that they run small. —A.R.
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Key Features
Pros
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Mechanix has a good grip on how to make a glove. From gardening gloves to impact-resistant work gloves to welding gloves, they seem to have a quality product for every trade and activity. Luckily, they make a few different gloves for shooters, too. The Recon gloves balance dexterity and durability, with goatskin leather taking most of the impact in the palm and fingers while spandex lines the inner edge of each finger and back of the hand. These gloves are easy to use with handguns and rifles as they don’t have much material bunching up in places it shouldn’t. The goatskin leather also allows for touchscreen usage, but I wouldn’t count on being able to type an essay in them. The leather doesn’t wrap entirely around the front of the finger, making it more difficult to hit those smaller digital keys.
But you’ll have no problem hitting targets down range with these gloves, as they allow for a great feel for the trigger and grip without sacrificing durability. The knuckles are split to allow bending without resistance, and the spandex on the inner fingers as well as the back, allow for stretch. I use these in the fall and winter months mostly, and they would make for a fine choice for a mild-weather hunting glove. At $50, they are on the expensive side for a shooting glove, but that’s probably because of the goat leather material. —T.D.
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Key Features
Pros
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These were the most co*fortable and dexterous gloves I tested. They didn’t have that spandex-tight fit that some shooting gloves do, which I appreciated. I could get a great grip on my guns while wearing them. Like the Sitka gloves, I wore the Mechanix Specialty 0.5MM gloves while wingshooting in Argentina and loved them. Perhaps I loved them a little too much, because I quickly wore a hole into the thumb of my loading hand and also wore down the material severely on the left hand.
To be fair, these gloves were not designed for high-volume wingshooting. Under average hunting and casual shooting conditions, it might take you a couple years to wear through these gloves. I did it in a couple days. So if you’re looking for a very thin, co*fortable, and dexterous glove, you can’t go wrong with the Mechanix Specialty. You might just want to order two pairs, which at $36 each isn’t a bad investment. —A.R.
Key Features
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If you want more protection in a shooting glove, the 5.11 co*petition is a good option. This glove has more padding and structure than other gloves in this roundup (besides the Sitka glove), but you give up some dexterity. I wore a pair during an elk hunt in Utah, and they did a good job of protecting my hands from jagged rocks and thorns and also kept my hands warm during chilly mornings while glassing. I felt like I had a good grip and control of my bolt-action rifle while wearing the gloves, but they don’t have that second-skin feel like the Mechanix 0.5mm gloves or the PIGs or Magpul gloves.
I consider this a solid all-around glove that works for shooting, hunting, or light work around the house or farm. —A.R.
Mechanix makes a wide variety of shooting gloves and a ton of gloves for a variety of other purposes. However there are some other great glove makers out there too, like PIG and Magpul.
You’ll notice that most pro clays shooters don’t wear gloves. That’s because they want direct contact with the gun for their grip. But if you get sweaty or cold hands, wearing gloves isn’t a bad idea for trap or skeet. The thinner gloves in this list would work well. Some shooters also wear golf-style gloves.
The PIG and Magpul gloves are both great options for pistol shooting.
I only wear a shooting glove when I have to. During casual shooting or hunting, I wear no gloves. I don’t want anything getting between me and my gun. But other times, you really do need shooting gloves. If it’s freezing cold, your gun barrel is burning-hot, or you’re tromping through nasty terrain, a shooting glove will protect your hands and help with more effective shooting. The best shooting gloves provide protection while also allowing you to get a proper grip on your gun and execute a good trigger squeeze. Use our guide to decide which style of glove makes the most sense for your style of shooting and then make sure you do plenty of practice with whichever model you select.
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