The Best Shooting Gloves of 2023

Tanner Denton

Finding the perfect shooting glove comes down to balancing dexterity with protection. You need a fairly light, sensitive glove that allows you to feel the gun in your hand and manipulate its controls fluidly. But the glove also needs to be durable enough to protect your hand from heat, cold, and abrasions. Add too much padding or protection and you’ll lose your positive feel for the gun, strip away too much material and you’ll wear out the glove quickly. The best shooting gloves can strike this balance, whether at the range or in the field.

But many of the gloves in our roundup bring even more to the table. They allow you to operate the touch screen on your phone. Because of the padding built into their designs, they’re also useful for a variety of hunting applications, like scrambling up a rocky mountain slope or busting through a thorny ruffed grouse thicket. And when it’s time to pull the trigger, you’ll be able to do so swiftly and precisely. 

• Best Overall: PIG FDT Delta Gloves
• Best Value: Magpul Technical Glove 2.0
• Best for Hunting: Sitka Gunner Glove
• Mechanix Recon
• Mechanix Specialty .5mm
• 5.11 Competition Shooting Glove

How We Chose the Best Shooting Gloves

Three hunters and shooters field tested a variety of shooting gloves, in some cases using the gloves over the course of a couple years. We wore some of the gloves on a high-volume dove and pigeon shoot in Argentina, on duck hunts in local marshes, and during countless shooting sessions at our home ranges. We evaluated each glove for fit, feel, durability, and value. 

So whether you want a glove for hiking the uplands after pheasants or a glove for burning through thousands of rounds with your AR, we’ve got you covered. 

Best Shooting Gloves: Reviews and Recommendations

Best Overall: PIG FDT Delta Gloves

Key Features

• Sizes: Small to XX-Large
• Can operate touchscreen with thumbs and index fingers 
• Paracord pull loop
• Price: $45

Pros

• Thin material allows for good feel
• Secure grip

Cons

• Not very durable
• No padding

One of the main reasons people don’t like wearing shooting gloves is the loss of feel and poor grip they create. You won’t have those issues with the PIG FDT glove. No, you won’t have the same feel as a bare skin, but these come pretty damn close. I can easily feel trigger pressure, manipulate slide stops, and load magazines, all while keeping my hands protected from abrasion and the elements. When shooting a pistol, my grip is unchanged by bulky materials and the traction on the palms provide great recoil control.

They fit tight, almost like a surgical glove, and they’re thin, which is why they offer full dexterity and a great feel. Of course, the downside is that the FDTs won’t hold up for as long as a thicker glove. I’ve used the PIG FDT gloves while bowhunting, shooting firearms, and doing yard work. They’ve been excellent for keeping freezing-cold bow risers and hot handguards from ruining my day. —S.E.

Best Value: Magpul Technical Glove 2.0

Key Features

• High level of dexterity
• Corded nylon on back of the hand for stretching
• Synthetic suede on the palm
• Suede backed thumb
• Touchscreen capable thumb, index, and middle finger

Pros

• Very high dexterity and comfortability
• Lightweight
• Touchscreen capable
• Palm is abrasion resistant
• Comes in two colors (tan or black)

Cons

• Seams aren’t very durable in the fingers
• Neoprene cuff frays and tears over time
• Not very easy to put on

Magpul seems to always hit a home run with their products. The amount of research and testing that goes into their gear has a big impact on their success, and their Technical Glove 2.0 is no different. The key feature I look for in a shooting glove is dexterity. I want the same feel for the trigger, and I also want to establish the same grip as I would without gloves. The Technical Glove 2.0’s is designed for dexterity, as nearly 50 percent of the glove is stretchy corded nylon. This allows the glove to mold to your hand and act as a second skin. Also, thanks to the neoprene, the top side of the glove is breathable. The palm, which is the side that will be taking most of the impact, is a synthetic suede, which has held up well to hard use on the range. 

I’m different from most shooters in that I usually only wear one glove at a time (on my support hand). The support hand is the one taking most of the abrasion and impact, as it’s gripping the handguard on a rifle or bracing against tough materials. As you can see in the photo above, I’m a righty, so my left glove takes most of the abuse.

These Technical 2.0’s are my go-to glove so they’ve seen a lot of range time. The stitching on the index finger has been ripped open, and the neoprene cuff has seen better days, but I also spend more time at the range than most casual shooters—usually 6 to 8 days a month is normal for me. The neoprene cuff makes the glove a bit hard to put on, and the opening is tight to get your hand inside. This makes pulling on the cuff more difficult, which leads to more wear and tear on the cuff over time. But that’s the price to pay for that second-skin feel. Fortunately, if you manage to run through these, they’re not too expensive ($30) for a replacement pair. Once you put these gloves on, they’ll likely turn into your favorite range glove like they did for me. —T.D.

Best for Hunting: Sitka Gunner Glove

Key Features

• Water-resistant goat leather outer material
• Gore-Tex Windstopper lining 
• Velcro fastening strap
• Extra padding on palm and thumb

Pros

• Excellent padding and warmth
• Very comfortable
• Water resistant

Cons

• Not touchscreen compatible
• Less dexterity than other gloves in this roundup

I despise wearing gloves while shooting ducks or upland birds in cold weather. I’d honestly rather have cold hands than fumble around with my safety through bulky gloves when a rooster flushes at my feet. Happily, in Sitka’s Gunner, I’ve found a wingsooting glove that I don’t hate. 

I tested these gloves during a high-volume dove and pigeon shoot in Argentina and was pleasantly surprised to find that I was able to smoothly load and shoot my shotgun while wearing them. Even though it wasn’t a cold-weather hunt, the gloves did have their benefits. They kept my loading thumb from getting shredded and my hands from getting burned on my barrel. We fired thousands of rounds at a rapid pace for hours on end. One of my comrades on the trip refused to wear gloves while shooting and got an impressive burn on his left hand because of it. After a few days of very hard shooting, the Gunner gloves showed hardly any wear and tear. 

They are nicely padded and insulated. There’s a circular pad sewn into the thumb in the spot you use to push a shotgun shell into the magazine. Clever. You won’t feel the same dexterity with these gloves as you will with other thinner gloves in this roundup, but the tradeoff is warmth and protection. These gloves will keep your hands warm in a late-season duck blind or frigid pheasant field. The lighter gloves in this list offer more dexterity out of the gate, but eventually your fingers will go numb in winter conditions. That makes it hard to shoot, too. If you’re going to invest in a pair of these gloves, know that they run small. —A.R.

Read Next: Best Hunting Gloves

Mechanix Recon

Key Features

• Touchscreen-compatible goatskin leather
• Stretchy spandex back
• Velcro and rubber adjustable opening

Pros

• High level of dexterity
• Easy to put on/take off with velcro and rubber
• Spandex is light and conforms around fingers

Cons

• Pricey for a shooting glove
• Only available in black
• Not very breathable in the palm and fingers

Mechanix has a good grip on how to make a glove. From gardening gloves to impact-resistant work gloves to welding gloves, they seem to have a quality product for every trade and activity. Luckily, they make a few different gloves for shooters, too. The Recon gloves balance dexterity and durability, with goatskin leather taking most of the impact in the palm and fingers while spandex lines the inner edge of each finger and back of the hand. These gloves are easy to use with handguns and rifles as they don’t have much material bunching up in places it shouldn’t. The goatskin leather also allows for touchscreen usage, but I wouldn’t count on being able to type an essay in them. The leather doesn’t wrap entirely around the front of the finger, making it more difficult to hit those smaller digital keys.

But you’ll have no problem hitting targets down range with these gloves, as they allow for a great feel for the trigger and grip without sacrificing durability. The knuckles are split to allow bending without resistance, and the spandex on the inner fingers as well as the back, allow for stretch. I use these in the fall and winter months mostly, and they would make for a fine choice for a mild-weather hunting glove. At $50, they are on the expensive side for a shooting glove, but that’s probably because of the goat leather material. —T.D.

Read Next: Best Shooting Ear Protection

Mechanix Specialty 0.5MM

Key Features

• Touchscreen compatible 
• Machine washable
• AX-Suede provides high dexterity
• Velcro fastening strap

Pros

• High level of dexterity
• Very light
• Affordable
• Easy to put on and take off

Cons

• Minimal durability

These were the most comfortable and dexterous gloves I tested. They didn’t have that spandex-tight fit that some shooting gloves do, which I appreciated. I could get a great grip on my guns while wearing them. Like the Sitka gloves, I wore the Mechanix Specialty 0.5MM gloves while wingshooting in Argentina and loved them. Perhaps I loved them a little too much, because I quickly wore a hole into the thumb of my loading hand and also wore down the material severely on the left hand. 

To be fair, these gloves were not designed for high-volume wingshooting. Under average hunting and casual shooting conditions, it might take you a couple years to wear through these gloves. I did it in a couple days. So if you’re looking for a very thin, comfortable, and dexterous glove, you can’t go wrong with the Mechanix Specialty. You might just want to order two pairs, which at $36 each isn’t a bad investment. —A.R.

5.11 Competition Shooting Glove

Key Features

• Touchscreen compatible 
• Suede palm
• Padded knuckles on thumb and index fingers
• Stretchy breathable top material

Pros

• Ample padding and protection
• Venting keeps hands dry
• Comfortable fit
• Affordable

Cons

• Less dexterity than other shooting gloves in our roundup

If you want more protection in a shooting glove, the 5.11 Competition is a good option. This glove has more padding and structure than other gloves in this roundup (besides the Sitka glove), but you give up some dexterity. I wore a pair during an elk hunt in Utah, and they did a good job of protecting my hands from jagged rocks and thorns and also kept my hands warm during chilly mornings while glassing. I felt like I had a good grip and control of my bolt-action rifle while wearing the gloves, but they don’t have that second-skin feel like the Mechanix 0.5mm gloves or the PIGs or Magpul gloves. 

I consider this a solid all-around glove that works for shooting, hunting, or light work around the house or farm. —A.R.

FAQs

Final Thoughts on the Best Shooting Gloves

I only wear a shooting glove when I have to. During casual shooting or hunting, I wear no gloves. I don’t want anything getting between me and my gun. But other times, you really do need shooting gloves. If it’s freezing cold, your gun barrel is burning-hot, or you’re tromping through nasty terrain, a shooting glove will protect your hands and help with more effective shooting. The best shooting gloves provide protection while also allowing you to get a proper grip on your gun and execute a good trigger squeeze. Use our guide to decide which style of glove makes the most sense for your style of shooting and then make sure you do plenty of practice with whichever model you select. 

• Best Overall: PIG FDT Delta Gloves
• Best Value: Magpul Technical Glove 2.0
• Best for Hunting: Sitka Gunner Glove
• Mechanix Recon
• Mechanix Specialty .5mm
• 5.11 Competition Shooting Glove

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