TargetTalk

I have been shooting in a smallbore prone league this year using a Creedmoor Basic cloth coat. The league follows NRA rules so I am looking at that style coat. Most of the guys in the league use heavy coats. Leather only so none have experience with the cordura.

I have been talking with them about the advantages of a heavy coat compared to a cloth coat and I am convinced I would benefit from a heavier coat.

My questions concern the outer material.

What are the Pros and Cons of both leather and cordura?

I have gathered that the cordura is a little cooler in the summer. Is there a trade off for being a little cooler?

Does one offer more pulse reduction than the other?

Some have said that the sleeves of the cordura are a little stiffer. Is it stiff enough to cause discomfort?

Cost really is not the main issue since here is not that much difference in cost. I would just like to get a coat that I can be happy with for several years.

Thanks,
EricP

I have 1/2 leather and 1/2 codora. I also have the vents near the arm pits, and they are a valuable option for comfort. Creedmore made my coat, previously I had a Champions choice coat, and it was not as nice. Light color stays cooler, but shows dirt.

I have 2 Creedmoor coats, Cordura & Leather. They're both tapered hardback heavy ventilated. Don't really notice the difference between them but there's lots between those and yours. Can't beat them in offhand. The stiff sides and back give you lots of support. There's a pulse pad on the left arm where you wrap your sling. The padding in the elbows helps in the prone position but I still need an elbow pad on the left arm. The ventilation is nice also and helps alot.

In my opinion the Creedmoor Basic canvas jacket is mostly a jacket with elbow and recoil pads. I'd use it for Black Powder Cartridge prone but it's got no support for Smallbore or High Power match.

Make sure to get a lite colored back on one as you'll cook in the sun if it's dark. I've shot in 102 degrees out in the hot sun with no canopy or shade. Secret is to get it off as soon as your string is over.

I found a used cordura hardback and gave it a try. I didn't like it. I think next time I'd go Leather or leather/cordura combo. The sleeve around my left bicep of the cordura coat was extremely tight. I tried a friends leather coat and didn't seem so bad. One issue I might have been dealing with was the cordura coat was an older model. I think some changes in the way they are made have been made since then. So might not be an issue.

All in all though. I think the international coats are better, more comfortable, stiffer where they need stiffness. And they comply with NRA rules, but not the other way around. Just a little harder to get a good fit. Which is why they can be more expensive. Find a place that you can try on several off the rack coats and see what fits. You might find one that fits and wind up saving a couple hundred less then the Creedmoor. If you get custom fit..well that will be a few hundred more than the Creedmoor.

Just what I have learned recently as I'm going through the same problem. I have been using a friends old Mouche and I love it. Hands down better than any NRA coat. I just wish he's sell it to me. Since he won't, I'm holding out until I find one that fits like it.

Hope that helps,

Tenring

You can order a short "Jacket" from Creedmore. It is a coat that comes just about to your belt.

Ordered mine with cordura body and leather sleeves. Vents in the side and shorter sleeves than my hardback.

The coat is strictly for prone shooting and the material is much lighter, no quilted padding in the body. The arms have the quilting in them. Sling keeper is on the back of the arm not the side.

This is a much cooler coat for the hot weather.

For hot weather shooting, also look at the Creedmore shooting mat with the white rubber. Man it is so much cooler than the black rubber you won't believe it. Shot on one in 102 degree weather and you didn't have to worry about burning yourself on the rubber. The white is the only way to go.

Bob