TargetTalk

Okay, right now I use just an ordinary sweater (hoodless) under my shooting jacket. Under that I have Under Armour Heatgear long sleeves and full legs. I like the Under Armour but the sweatshirt doesn't fit well. I want to get a Shooting sweater but don't really have any experience with good or bad ones and none of the shooters I shoot with have any either. Just wondering, I guess, what brand you would suggest and how I should size it (smaller or larger than the shirts I wear. Iwear a medium size shirt).
Thanks
WaltherWill

I just wear a normal sweat shirt it does the same thing and costs alot less. No matter what you get if you shoot international rules it can be up to 2.5mm thick. Also if the sweater isn't tighit's just keeping you warm ie I wear an XL but shoot with a small size sweater

I used a Anschuetz shooting sweater for about a year it was much more comfortable then
a normal sweat shirt. It is only thicker where you needed it like in the elbows. Since only the elbows need to be thick that allows the rest of the shooting sweater to be thinner so it is going to be cooler then a normal sweat shirt. The only reason I don't have mine any more is because I got KT shooting underwear and the sweater is just too much bulk under my coat.

-Brian

Hi just wanted to ask, how much does a proper shooting sweater help? Is it quantifiable in terms of score improvement?
Thanks

Hi

Firstly you must decide if you need an under garment to keep you cool or warm?

Most shooters i guess need to keep cool especially on indoor ranges.

Go for the purpose made clothing such as Mouche and Kurt Thune,
These 2 companies make special keep you cool sweat shirts that comply with the rules. They are pretty expensive but really do work. The Coldwinner sweat shirt by Kurt Thune keeps you at an even temp. summer and winter. Check out their web sites.

Peepsight

Although Mouche and Thune do make the "cool" clothing, if you are using Under Armour Heatgear then its pointless spending a fortune on these.

Shooting Sweaters, like the older mouche and the type sauer make and designed for shooting, they hug your body and don't crease under the arms and in the elbow areas (look at how the material is made in those areas, its ribbed!) they also have two way zips, to help with kneeling.

if you go for the none shooting sweater then i'd get one a size smaller than normal, so it hugs you, make sure that the arm pits hug as well as this will help and most don't hug the arm!

I'd personally try and get one which zips! so you can un zip it in warmer weather between details instead of taking everything off!


Keep your eye on ebay as you usually get some good bargains from there for things like this!

Hi batty

You are quite right re alternatives to the 2 i mentioned.

I can add another value for money sweat shirt that probably does as good a job as the expensive ones. It's the Helley-Hanson Lifa body cool sweat shirt. I know of several top shooters using this make and they are reasonably priced. About half the price of Mouche Etc.

Peepsight

hi Peepsight

although the helly hanson is a good choice, my opinion is that its not thick enough and something else ontop is required, certainly if you are doing a lot of shooting especially in the prone position

Sauer also now make a range of thermal and cool weather underwear in addition to their more traditional cardigan.

Personally I use a Gehmann lightweight vest that hugs the body and it really thin and cooling with light elbow padding and a Mouche cardigan on top of that which is very similar to the ahg/Sauer variants.

Considering getting the Sauer underwear for the hot British summer!

Thanks for all the help. I've pretty much decided on Thune but I can't find the Mouche website. Does anybody have the website URL?

http://www.mouche.de/

but its currently under construction

I used the Sauer thin body hugging sweat shirt for a while but after shooting an ISSF 60 shot air rifle match on a warm indoor range, the shirt had 'glued' its self to me and i had to go out side in the cooler air before i could take it off.

The Sauer may be OK for some but i was not happy with it for the above reasons.

I was just considering adding the Sauer to the list. Thanks for all the help. I'll get back when I make a decision

[quote]Hi just wanted to ask, how much does a proper shooting sweater help? Is it quantifiable in terms of score improvement?
Thanks[/quotes]

i don't know how many points you'll get right off the bat, but a shooting sweater in my opinion is more comfortable, and designed to fit correctly under my gear without bunching etc. i don't think you're going to buy one and get 10 points right off the bat, but i wouldn't say they're useless either.

shooting sweaters are made to be rather form fitting and are typically more breathable than your average off the rack sweatshirt. they're form fitting so that material doesn't bunch in the wrong areas, which is why you see a lot of people wearing sweatshirts with holes cut in the elbows and main hand shoulder (right for righties, left for lefties). of course they also have the double zipper and extra padding in the elbows. you want the sweater to be snug, which when i bought my sauer sweater i typically wore and xl and the xl sweater fit correctly. 8 years later... i have washed it many times and it has shrunk in both the arms and body length (didn't mean to put it in the dryer i swear). obviously i still use it, but i do notice a comfort difference between when it fit correctly and now.

I guess its pretty important to wear cloths that keep you comfortable and help to stop you over heating.
If you do over heat and feel uncomfortable during a match it will probably affect your scores in a negative way.

So yes, spend the money but spend wisely.

Hi seemehaha & peepsight,

Thanks for your replies. Currently i just use a normal long-sleeved t-shirt. A little warm sometimes. Guess a shooting sweater would at least increase comfort, if not scores, but it's a little costly though.. :/

Hi

I was looking through one of our cheap clothing stores [I guess you have the same, all made in China or the far East] When i found a long sleeved all cotton T shirt but it had a full length zip and a stand up collar, £6 which is i guess about 9-10 Dollars.
The stand up collar protects your neck from the shooting jacket and the full length zip makes it easy to get on and off.
It really works and is comfortable.
So guys, check out your cheap clothing stores, but ensure it is cotton.

Peepsight

regular cotton doesn't breathe. that's why you see many shooters using stuff like under armor because it does a better job wicking away the moisture. the sweaters are usually knit in such away that they do breathe. like the kurt thune sweaters have a mesh like back with a bunch of holes.

Champion's choice has their brand sweater for $47 which seems to be the cheapest but you might lose quality

Has anyone tried the Nike DriFit line or the Columbia Sportswear Omni-Dry clothing? Am thinking of these as temporary moisture wicking garments while I save up for the Sauer, etc undershirts.