Shooting gloves for semi-cold weather

[LSP972]

It really doesn't get THAT cold here (south Louisiana), and in fact may be balmy the first week of December when I plan to take another Givens class. But you never know... so I'm thinking ahead.

I've still got my old nomex flight gloves I used on SWAT, but they are pretty well gone... as are the golf gloves I use for shooting trap, but those won't give thermal protection anyway.

I know Beretta used to offer some shooting gloves that were about perfect for the temperatures (high 30s, low 40s-50s) I'm envisioning, that gave good tactile feed back; IOW, they are rather thin.

But I suspect there have been improvements in this area since I last looked into it.

Any and all suggestions appreciated... I'll do a "search", but am looking for experienced feedback.

.

[GJM]

I have always used my nomex flight gloves until these came out:

http://www.holsterops.com/rogers-shooting-gloves

[Sparks2112]

I have always used my nomex flight gloves until these came out:

http://www.holsterops.com/rogers-shooting-gloves

I've no experience with the Rogers, but I'm a HUGE fan of these http://www.skdtac.com/PIG-Full-Dexterity-Tactical-FDT-Alpha-Glove-p/pig.700.htm

On a side note, GJM, I keep meaning to call you, and keep getting sidetracked.

[TumblinDown]

Anyone have any experience with these?

http://www.skdtac.com/Outdoor-Research-Ironsight-Gloves-p/orx.111.htm

I've seen some favorable reviews.

[JHC]

When I trained with Ken Hackathorn in Dec '11 it was in the 20's and he said the best he'd found (and was using) were cold weather golfing gloves. He said he found them in golf pro shops. FWIW.

[VolGrad]

When I trained with Ken Hackathorn in Dec '11 it was in the 20's and he said the best he'd found (and was using) were cold weather golfing gloves. He said he found them in golf pro shops. FWIW.

I very rarely wear gloves but gold weather golf gloves have worked for me as well. The reason I turned to them was I was having trouble finding shooting gloves that fit my hands. Specifically, I have short fingers and most of the shooting gloves I found were too long. It's extremely difficult to find something that fits when ordering online unless you are willing to buy a half dozen, then send 5 back.

[BoppaBear]

Check out SKD Tactical for the PIG gloves.

I just picked up a pair I'll be running in a course this month. They feel nice, allow plenty of dexterity, are inexpensive when compared to other name brands, and are marketed as being somewhat perishable, i.e. For the price, and being as thin as they are, SKD realized that they will break down quicker than other, more expensive gloves.

[HopetonBrown]

I wrote the Outdoor Research Ironsight gloves during a 2 day class with Rob Haught. The rubber on the fingers began to peel off during day 1 and the elastic wristband came unsewn. OR have been great to deal with and I have upgraded to the Overlord glove. They retail for $160 but can be found on eBay for as little as $50.

[Tamara]

The reason I turned to them was I was having trouble finding shooting gloves that fit my hands. Specifically, I have short fingers and most of the shooting gloves I found were too long. It's extremely difficult to find something that fits when ordering online unless you are willing to buy a half dozen, then send 5 back.

I am firmly convinced that tactical gloves use the same kind of "vanity sizing" as designer-label women's fashions.

When I first stocked... I can't remember if it was 5.11 or ¡BLACKHAWK!... gloves, I was amused to note at the time that the sizes seemed to only run from M to XL. Apparently tactical guys didn't have small hands? :D

[LSP972]

Specifically, I have short fingers and most of the shooting gloves I found were too long. It's extremely difficult to find something that fits when ordering online unless you are willing to buy a half dozen, then send 5 back.

This... this IN SPADES. Its darned aggravating, too.

Cold weather golf gloves, eh? Sounds simple enough; and easily checked.

.

[TGS]

If it's only semi-cold weather, I just wouldn't wear gloves.

Even down into the 20s, BaiHu and I have found it more effective and productive to just pocket our hands in-between strings of fire.

I would "practice like you fight." If you wear gloves, then wear at the range whatever gloves you wear outside normally. They add a significant hindrance, and times rapidly go up along with fumbling. This isn't something people should be gaming by selecting whatever glove is best for shooting, but then wearing a different set of fluffy gloves normally. Recipe for disaster.

[justintime]

When Im hunting in the Mule in cold weather I use mountain biking gloves, as they offer some grip and full function of the weapon as well. Mostly as they are what I have on hand and they work ;)
http://www.rei.com/product/847221/giro-bravo-lf-bike-gloves-mens

[Erik]

I also have somewhat smaller hands and shorter fingers. Mechanix gloves in a medium fit me perfectly and work great. They do make cold weather gloves, if you find their sizing works for you, although I have no personal experience with those gloves. There is also a pretty decent selection of light-weight cold-ish weather gloves at REI. If there's a store near you, it's helpful to be able to try them on before you buy.

[Erik]

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[Chuck Whitlock]

Specifically, I have short fingers and most of the shooting gloves I found were too long. It's extremely difficult to find something that fits when ordering online unless you are willing to buy a half dozen, then send 5 back.

Yeah, my glove size is 6C-7C.


I am firmly convinced that tactical gloves use the same kind of "vanity sizing" as designer-label women's fashions.

When I first stocked... I can't remember if it was 5.11 or ¡BLACKHAWK!... gloves, I was amused to note at the time that the sizes seemed to only run from M to XL. Apparently tactical guys didn't have small hands? :D

It's worse than that. Just in the 5.11 line, I can comfortably fit into a small in their Pratorian winter glove, but can't even force my hand into a Medium in the Taclite version. Add to that, if I find one that fits my finger length, it is usually too shallow in the web of my hand. Or fits my whole hand great, but makes my thumb go numb from blood loss. :mad:

[BoppaBear]

If it's only semi-cold weather, I just wouldn't wear gloves.

Even down into the 20s, BaiHu and I have found it more effective and productive to just pocket our hands in-between strings of fire.

I would "practice like you fight." If you wear gloves, then wear at the range whatever gloves you wear outside normally. They add a significant hindrance, and times rapidly go up along with fumbling. This isn't something people should be gaming by selecting whatever glove is best for shooting, but then wearing a different set of fluffy gloves normally. Recipe for disaster.

Although I have gloves, I too practice the way I will be in real life. I never wear gloves, with the exception of playing in the snow with my dog, or working in the snow. Otherwise, I'm bare-handed 99% of the time, and choose to practice this way.

The only time I have ever warn gloves while shooting was during a rifle course. Somehow, on the first iteration, my baby soft support hand trigger finger contacted the edge of a rail, causing in immediate blister that ended up breaking. After fighting back the tears, I was able to finish the course MJ-style with just one glove 😜.

Our local indoor range is not heated or cooled in the range itself. No air movement other than the fans pumping outside air in. The owner says that the initial reason for him choosing to do this was due to wanting it to be hot and sticky in the summer time, and cold in the winter time, just as it would be out in the "real world". Of course,MIT doesn't hurt the power bills either. Further, in the winter, it's appreciably colder inside due to the cold outside air being pumped in through fans in each lane.

ETA- I have the same hand issue with gloves. The ones that fit tend to be too long in the finger. The SKD gloves I picked up are smalls, and fit great all around, with the exception of being a little tight in the wrist.

[GJM]

Although I have gloves, I too practice the way I will be in real life. I never wear gloves, with the exception of playing in the snow with my dog, or working in the snow. Otherwise, I'm bare-handed 99% of the time, and choose to practice this way.

I can only assume that while you have bear in your name, you aren't an Alaskan bear. Where I live in Alaska, it gets seriously cold. That doesn't stop us doing stuff outside, sometimes for hours at a stretch. It is not a question of whether to wear gloves or not, but what gloves and how will you organize them.

In the past, I wore nomex flight gloves under looser outer gloves, and would ditch the outer gloves to shoot. The new Rogers gloves obsolete nomex flight gloves, if you can go without the fire protection. They do well in the wet, and layered underneath larger gloves. Best dexterity for shooting I have experienced. Someone mentioned the SKD gloves -- post Rogers, I wear the SKD gloves for moving steel on the range, as they aren't even in the same league.

[BoppaBear]

I can only assume that while you have bear in your name, you aren't an Alaskan bear. Where I live in Alaska, it gets seriously cold. That doesn't stop us doing stuff outside, sometimes for hours at a stretch. It is not a question of whether to wear gloves or not, but what gloves and how will you organize them.


Bear is my dog. Long story on the Boppa 😀

While I am hot natured, NC winters don't hold a candle to what you are accustomed to. That's for sure.

It allows someone with my tolerance for cold to be somewhat flexible in attire as it relates to gloves. I used to duck hunt like it got paid for it, and would actually wear a pair of Sims fingerless trout fishing gloves the majority of the time. If it was a colder day (for us, 20's), I'd throw on a pair of silkies under them. The gloves were wind stopper but did nothing for wet beyond a drizzle. That's where the neoprene, elbow length, decoy gloves came in for grabbing plastic, or waterproof Goretex with a leather trigger finger for shooting and general use.

I was amazed at how well the wind stopper Sims gloves did (still have them), while leaving the tips of all my fingers exposed. If I could get away with just them, I did.

[LSP972]

This isn't something people should be gaming by selecting whatever glove is best for shooting, but then wearing a different set of fluffy gloves normally. Recipe for disaster.

Thanks, I never knew that.:rolleyes:

I'm not "gaming"; I just want to keep my hands reasonably warm.

I'm glad you and your pal choose to go the hard-core route. Then again, I suspect your range sessions don't last all day, for two days... do they???

.

[JHC]

I can only assume that while you have bear in your name, you aren't an Alaskan bear. Where I live in Alaska, it gets seriously cold. That doesn't stop us doing stuff outside, sometimes for hours at a stretch. It is not a question of whether to wear gloves or not, but what gloves and how will you organize them.

In the past, I wore nomex flight gloves under looser outer gloves, and would ditch the outer gloves to shoot. The new Rogers gloves obsolete nomex flight gloves, if you can go without the fire protection. They do well in the wet, and layered underneath larger gloves. Best dexterity for shooting I have experienced. Someone mentioned the SKD gloves -- post Rogers, I wear the SKD gloves for moving steel on the range, as they aren't even in the same league.

I grew up in WI and then later in the Army on my way to the Brim Frost winter exercise in AK in January; I thought I knew cold. First sniff of -40 (no wind) at Ft Wainwright felt like the inside of my nose was freeze drying and it rocked my world.

It warmed up into the teens before we had to actually live outdoors luckily. But maybe it was working outdoors on that trip; very poor dexterity glove/mitten ergo a lot of bare hand time intermittently for fine work; I don't now but my hands do not tolerate cold well at all anymore and I have to were gloves in the 40's to avoid great discomfort. I use flight gloves a lot until I have to layer them but I'll check out these other options this year.

[jdw174]

It gets a bit chilly in the winters here in west TN. I use a pair of winter golf gloves that work great.:cool:

[psalms144.1]

LSP, for non-tactical environments, my go-to glove for the last decade or so has been the Hatch Professional neoprene glove. They come in "standard" and "warm weather." Both are nice and snug, leading to very little loss of dexterity, and both are plenty warm for typical shooting work (especially in warmish places like where you live). They're not worth a kitten in the wet, as far as keeping your hands dry, but neither are Nomex...

Regards,

Kevin

[LSP972]

Thanks, Kevin, I'll check them out. I'm thinking the heavier-gauge golf gloves are going to be what I need (and cheaper than a new pair of nomex), but one needs to keep his options open...;)

.

[TGS]

Thanks, I never knew that.:rolleyes:

I'm not "gaming"; I just want to keep my hands reasonably warm.

I'm glad you and your pal choose to go the hard-core route. Then again, I suspect your range sessions don't last all day, for two days... do they???

.

Whoa there, sport. No reason to get snarky, take whatever insult you perceived and toss it out the window with that ego.

[David Armstrong]

It really doesn't get THAT cold here (south Louisiana), and in fact may be balmy the first week of December when I plan to take another Givens class. But you never know... so I'm thinking ahead.

I've still got my old nomex flight gloves I used on SWAT, but they are pretty well gone... as are the golf gloves I use for shooting trap, but those won't give thermal protection anyway.

I know Beretta used to offer some shooting gloves that were about perfect for the temperatures (high 30s, low 40s-50s) I'm envisioning, that gave good tactile feed back; IOW, they are rather thin.

But I suspect there have been improvements in this area since I last looked into it.

Any and all suggestions appreciated... I'll do a "search", but am looking for experienced feedback.
.

I have had good luck with batting gloves. Good grip, good feel, relatively inexpensive.

[LSP972]

Whoa there, sport. No reason to get snarky, take whatever insult you perceived and toss it out the window with that ego.

Well, what did you expect me to think, with your reference to gaming the issue?

Ego? Please... I asked a simple question; and you gave a lecture.

.

[LSP972]

I have had good luck with batting gloves. Good grip, good feel, relatively inexpensive.

What's the difference between batting gloves and golf gloves? I confess to never having seen a pair of batting gloves.

.

[TORCH2J]

Living in a military town makes my selection easier. I just picked up two pairs of masley military cold weather flyer's gloves (http://militarygloves.com/cold-weather-flyers.html) for $20 ea. They usually run over $100 ea at retail prices, though if you look around, you can find them online for about $30. Great dexterity propper fit and just enough insulation.