What is a shooting glove for?
A shooting glove has one primary purpose - to spread the load of the sling. A correctly tensioned loop sling will pull your hand into the sling, and almost all of that force is concentrated across one narrow area on the back of your hand.
If you don’t wear a shooting glove, you might feel fine initially, but over the course of a match your hand will go numb, and then it will ache, and then your position will move to get away from it. You won’t notice it happening, but you will notice the shots.
A shooting glove also helps to damp your pulse. Skin resting directly against a fore-end passes every heartbeat into the rifle. And at a distance - that will translate into visible movement in the sight picture.
A glove also makes your hold repeatable. Recoil will move the rifle in your hand, and what decides your next shot is whether it comes back to the same place. A consistent surface with the same friction shot after shot is what makes that happen. Bare skin doesn’t, because it changes as it warms and sweats.
Which hand does a shooting glove go on?
A glove always goes on the support hand. A right handed shooter wears the glove on the left hand, and a left handed shooter on the right. It’s worth getting this right, because you only buy shooting gloves as singles, not pairs.
The exception is the Trigger Glove, which does go on the firing hand. It lets you keep a firm hold without dulling the feel of the trigger, and uses rubber dots rather than a continuous surface so it still grips when your hand is sweating.
Open finger or full finger
We stock both - and each has its benefits and drawbacks.
Open finger leaves the fingertips exposed to make match preparation easier and the hand runs cooler. It is the more common choice across the course in High Power and the more comfortable of the two in warm weather.
Full finger carries sling load across the fingers as well as the back of the hand. It is the usual choice if you’re shooting from a standing position, for cold weather, and for anyone shooting on the fist, where the fingers take real load rather than just resting.
If you shoot all four positions and only want one glove, go for a full finger glove.
Do shooting gloves help with recoil?
Not really. Recoil is managed by your position, the buttpad, the weight of the rifle and how well the stock fits you. A glove on your support hand is nowhere near the recoiling surface and will not change what your shoulder feels. Other gloves marketed as padded tactical gloves that say they reduce recoil solving a different problem and they’re usually for handgun shooters. What a shooting glove actually helps with is the sustained sling load and grip consistency across a long string of fire.
Sizing and fit
A shooting glove should be snug enough not to move on the hand under sling tension, and no tighter. One that packs out over a season is worse than no glove, because the position changes as it compresses and you end up chasing a zero that keeps moving.
We stock sizes from XS to XXL across our shooting glove range - if you’re not sure which is most appropriate for you, each product page has a chart for your reference. For the Over The Glove Mitt, we’d recommend sizing up, so a medium glove or larger takes a Large mitt, and XS or S gloves will take a Medium. Some items are made to order in our Alabama facility and take 10 to 14 days to ship - if you’re not sure, get in touch with us and we’ll let you know whether you product is in stock or whether it’s custom made to order.
Frequently asked questions about shooting gloves (FAQs)
Which hand does a shooting glove go on?
The support hand. A right handed shooter wears it on the left. The Trigger Glove is the exception and goes on the firing hand.
Should I wear a shooting glove?
If you shoot with a sling, yes. Sling tension on a bare hand causes numbness and aching over a long string, and both push you into changing your position without realising. If you shoot only from a bench or bipod, a glove doesn’t really help you as much.
What is the difference between a shooting glove and a tactical glove?
They solve opposite problems. A tactical glove protects the hand while keeping dexterity for handling a weapon. A position shooting glove manages sustained sling pressure and gives a repeatable contact surface between hand and fore-end. One is protective equipment, the other is part of your position.
What is a prone mitt?
A heavily padded mitt for prone, where sling tension is highest and sustained longest. The Over The Glove Mitt is a variant designed to go over a glove you already wear, for cold conditions.
Are your gloves legal for competition?
Most meet ISSF and NRA rules, which limit glove thickness and construction so a glove supports the hand without becoming an artificial brace. The compliance of each glove is stated on each product page - so make sure you check before ordering.
