So what's the big BBQ glove for when shooting CMP service rifle ?

M

Metal god

New member
What's the reason for the glove and it's design ? For that matter how about those fancy jackets ??? There must be a reason for all the bells and whistles on those as well .

I'm in the middle of my service rifle build for competition and was looking at how guys shoot in each position . First thing I noticed was the glove and jackets . How much are those things going to cost me . The rifle is putting a dent into the wallet and now It looks like I'll need an Armani jacket and Bobby Flay glove ;) I'm in so-cal and that means I BBQ 2 or 3 times a week , year round :cool: . I have a BBQ glove that sure looks a lot like that shooting glove :D but no fancy straight jacket :eek:.

All kidding a side , are those things a must if you plan to compete and not just participate ?
 
Yes, you need all that stuff, for the same reasons you need a Porsche to drive to the grocery, or $600 worth of gear to go walking a trail in the woods.
 
I've never seen the gloves at the CMP shoots here but a lot of the older guys wear the jackets. asside from it usually being cold as heck during the fall and winter matches here, the coats have heavy padding in the right shoulder so that guys can shoot for extended periods with metal buttplates without bruising their shoulders. I would assume gloves would give a better grip on the rifle for more stability since slings aren't permitted. just a guess though, I'm sure KraigWY will be here soon to chime in.
 
I always thought the coats and other "accessories" were "cheats", and you should shoot in your street clothes or utilities. But thats just me.

Then again, I always thought for DCM/CMP shoots, you should use service grade guns with an ammo draw. No "tuned" guns or ammo.

the coats have heavy padding in the right shoulder so that guys can shoot for extended periods with metal buttplates without bruising their shoulders.
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The coats are more for securing or locking the gun in, providing support, and giving padding for your elbows. Softening recoil is minor additional benefit (not that 30-06, .308, or 5.56 are heavy kickers).

To this day, I shoot my M1's, M1A's, and 03's, as well as a few other military rifles with steel butt plates in my street clothes, and usually a tee shirt or a light shirt in the summer. 50 rounds at an outing is my norm, sometimes a 100, and Im never bruised.

I would assume gloves would give a better grip on the rifle for more stability since slings aren't permitted.
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The glove is for shooting with a sling, which is permitted for all but offhand. It takes the load off the back of your hand and again, helps lock the gun in.
 
The only thing needed to shoot Highpower is a rifle, ammo and safety gear[ear and eye protection]. The rest are things to make the day more comfortable. When in position a tight sling cuts into the hand. The glove offers cushioning. The jacket provides elbow pads,shoulder pad and pulse pad. Remember some ranges have concrete firing lines. Naked elbows on cement would just be ugly. A sweat shirt and the coat insulates the heart beat.
The game is about precision shooting. There's a lot more then point the gun and pull the trigger. An .008" movement of the rifle results in 3" change at the 300 yard target. That's the width of the X ring. The coat, good tight sling and glove help reduce unnecessary movements.
The catalogues are full of gadgets. Some can really aid the shooter but the nut behind the trigger is the one that counts.

David
 
As far as the equipment being cheats, it's a game, with rules, and they're allowed. So...

The mitt is for grip against the foreend of the rifle and to protect your hand from the sling. It also helps isolate the rifle from your pulse for less sight movement. And I always found it nice to protect my fingertips when shooting offhand.

For shooting service rifle, I think a jacket, glove, shooting mat and spotting scope are almost "must haves". You can shoot without them, usually by borrowing pieces from other shooters. In the long run the initial cost of the rifle is insignificant to rest of the costs of competing.
 
I recall snapping in endlessly with an M-14.
Then qualifying at Edson Range.
We marched to and from the range.
I was the foghorn.
A shooting glove and jacket were standard issue to everyone in the platoon.
I don't recall if the glove & jacket were used several years later when qualifying with the M-16. I don't think so.
I'm sort of sure I fired the M-16 in utilities only.
(pre-cammies)
It makes sense to me for an M-1 or M-14 shooter to use a jacket and glove. If it wasn't, then why did Uncle Sam make us use them?
I was waved a Maggie drawers on one shot during qual-day and I called the D.I. saying that target was not missed. The D.I. called for a remark on target 19 and it came back up as a hit in the black.
My best guess is that if a person does not see the need for the glove, and that person shoots an M-1 or M-14, then that person is not getting the best marksmanship training.
Apart from my primary or secondary MOS in the Corps, I was a rifleman. They all were in those days. That sling was tight. That elbow was bent way under. And when the D.I. slapped your muzzle while snapping in, it better not move.
 
Try jamming your bare hand between thumb and fore finger into service sling swivel with the sling wrapped tight around your hand pressing it against the fore end as you're holding the rifle hard into your shoulder. . .for 25 minutes shooting 2 MOA or better 20-shot groups at long range.

Do it with and without a scope and note how much pulse beat is isolated from the rifle from your heart pumping blood into the muscles trying to hold your bones still when you're wearing that BBQ mitt.

Those shooting coats and pants are designed to help hold your body still while aiming.
 
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Wow, never saw a glove or jacket during my 3 year tour in the Army with the M-14. I qualified expert 5 times in three years. Remember the first time I shot the M-14 and really bruised my shoulder until our DI taught us the secret of holding the rifle tight against your shoulder. He even demonstrated shooting the rifle off of his crotch. I know early in Vietnam before the arrival of the M-16 all of us grunts had M-14s and no glove or padded jacket; hell the flack vest didn’t even cover where the stock of the rifle was placed.
 
Never used 'em in the AF either. Matches, oh yeah everybody was into any little thing that would get them an extra .005 (adjusted for aggregate from last year & handicap).
That's why I stopped competitive shooting, it became an equipment game, not any kind of skill test.
 
I'm gearing up for a little Service Rifle competition myself, and have largely been working on my standing slow fire shooting. I bought a pretty basic Creedmoor coat. It doesn't stabilize my position - my stance and skeleton seems to have that covered as well as they can. Any improvement there will come from practice and improving my stance, methinks. The jacket does, however, help me place the rifle in the same place, obtain the same cheekweld, and place my support elbow more consistently.

When standing, I use a "reverse grip" with my support hand, and the glove (I was using a regular ol' cheap ski glove) pads my wrist and lower portion of my hand, which is up against the magwell. When using a sling in seated and prone, the padding against a very tight sling is much appreciated. The elbow pads on the jacket are helpful when prone, too. ;)


An approach I learned from handgun competition and from my earlier life as a competitive cyclist that's been a big help so far: If you're going to be serious about it, don't obsess over gear, but do look at what's pretty standard in that sport; then get it, and start practicing/training your butt off.
 
Never used 'em in the AF either. Matches, oh yeah everybody was into any little thing that would get them an extra .005 (adjusted for aggregate from last year & handicap).
That's why I stopped competitive shooting, it became an equipment game, not any kind of skill test.
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With due respect of your other talents, you are ill informed or totally ignorant of competitive shooting with hand-held rifles.

Have you ever watched four shooters with a wide range of marksmanship skills across them shoot the same rifle and ammo in a team match it was just used to win the individual match?
 
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Well there seems to be good reason to use these aids . I shot 300yds a couple days ago at the 600yd reduced target . I can see Bart's point as to how those things could help . I was using my 16" carbine with irons just to see if I was going to be able to even see the target . To my surprise I had no problem seeing the target and all shots were on target . Not all in the black but I was able to count all shots fired on the paper . Considering that was the first time I ever shot that far with irons . I'm very happy and encouraged . Now I can't wait to start shooting in competition and is why I'm asking about some of these other things I'll need to shoot . OK maybe not need but should use because my fellow competitors will be using them and have that edge .

I had found that Creedmor jacket as well and like it . Is that reasonable price . When I was done picking the opitions I wanted the cost was $169 . They have a glove on that sight as well for $28 or $38 . It has the fingers open and I like that idea . Is there a benifit to the mit as compared to the glove with fingers tips cut off ? I'm in an area with great weather so cold is almost never an issue .
 
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When I started I used a welding glove, a web sling, and shot in my M65 BDU Field Jacket. You can get your Sharpshooter’s card with this level of gear.

At some point I bought the big mitt, the heavy shooting jacket, all the gear, and now, it has gotten so bad, that I can’t shoot well, prone, unless I am in the strait jacket. Which only proves that highpower shooters are crazy, as they wear a heavy quilted coat, with a sweat shirt, in 90 degree weather.
 
Yeah that was another question I had .those jackets must be hot . My range is in the east county . That means 10* hotter then where I live . Meaning it's often in the 80s at the range . I don't want to be uncomfortable while shooting . Do they make a light jacket with all the pads in all the right places .
 
Metal god said:
I had found that Creedmor jacket as well and like it . Is that reasonable price . When I was done picking the opitions I wanted the cost was $169 .
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I'm happy with my coat. I wasn't quite ready to drop four bills on a deluxe hardback, and the one I got has been working well for me, so all in all, I think it's a reasonable price. I didn't opt for the terry collar, flag, or creedmoor patch, but I did get the sling hook. I know I can't use it in SR, but it seemed it might come in handy if I use the coat for other forms of competition.

Metal god said:
They have a glove on that sight as well for $28 or $38 . It has the fingers open and I like that idea . Is there a benifit to the mit as compared to the glove with fingers tips cut off ? I'm in an area with great weather so cold is almost never an issue .
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I bought a full-fingered glove (Gehmann). I like it, but I live in warm weather, and compared to a fingerless mitt, it can be a bit tougher to get on and off once it (quickly) gets sweaty inside. But right now, I'm using a reverse grip with my support hand in the standing position, and my thumb gets real close to the ejection port (it actually blocks the ejecting case, so they fall right at my feet), so a full thumb puts my mind at ease.


wogpotter said:
That's why I stopped competitive shooting, it became an equipment game, not any kind of skill test.
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To your credit, you stopped. Many don't and seem unhappy. Not only do they gripe incessantly, they suggest those who don't share their bare-bones philosophy "bought" their wins.

FWIW, one of the things that's attracting me to Service Rifle comp is that it does seem pretty standardized.
 
With due respect of your other talents, you are ill informed or totally ignorant of competitive shooting with hand-held rifles.
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Let me suggest an alternative option.
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With due respect of your other talents, you are ill informed or totally ignorant of my track record of competitive shooting with hand-held rifles.:)
 
Metal god said:
Do they make a light jacket with all the pads in all the right places .
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That coat I linked to above is about half the weight of a full Creedmoor hardback (5.25lbs vs 10.5lbs), and still lighter than their "Lite" Cordura coat (8lbs).

It gets hot here in NC, too; but though I'll sweat through my t-shirt and even my sweatshirt, I've not yet felt overheated, or that my performance was affected by being hot (at least at during my practice sessions). I do drink plenty of water, though, and have a towel handy to wipe sweat before it drips in my eye or slickens the buttstock.
 
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