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Macwet Shooting Gloves

Macwet Shooting Gloves

In a world where all shooting gloves seem to be one-size-fits-no-one, MacWets fit, well… like a glove!

They’re also tough, grip well when dry and better when wet, and come in fourteen sizes, five colours (white, green, brown, black and navy blue), and four styles (long-cuff, short-cuff, plain-back and mesh-back), and at around £30 a pair, what’s not to like?

The build is all-synthetic, using fibres that wick moisture rapidly through the glove to the face of the fabric where it can evaporate away. This brings other benefits too: unlike leather they won’t cause your hand to sweat and slip around inside, plus they can be machine washed at 40 degrees to keep them looking and performing at their best… and for jobs that require an even better grip, simply moistening the palms on a damp towel or dewy grass will give you extra traction.

The gripping properties of MacWet gloves, as well as their exceptional comfort, are further ensured by a choice of fourteen sizes for a perfect fit. To identify the right size for you, you need to measure across the fleshy bit of skin just under your four fingers. The distance in cm is your size. I take an 8, which is a medium man’s size, but they go right up to 12 for those of you with real bear paws.

Tried and Trusted

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I started using MacWets four years ago, have tried all four styles, and now have a pretty good idea what suits me best. My initial preference was for the long-cuff version, on the basis that they would give extra protection from wind and brambles, and they do, but for me this is out outweighed by the fact that the extra layer they create at the wrist, along with watches and shirt, fleece and jacket cuffs, tends to over-complicate matters and can restrict movement. This doesn’t happen with the short-cuff versions, however, and the small gap they can leave at the wrist is really no problem.

As for whether to opt for the Micromesh or Climatec (plain) backed styles, the former are undoubtedly more comfortable to wear in warm weather, but you need to keep the backs away from brambles as the nylon Micromesh material quickly deteriorates when carded by thorns. In case you’re thinking I deliberately abuse my kit, I don’t, but these lightweight close-fitting gloves are such a second-skin that it’s easy to forget you’re wearing them, except insofar as the protection they offer makes you more likely to reach into prickly places without thinking twice! Consequently, while I do keep a mesh pair for heat waves, my go-to MacWets are a Climatec-backed pair, as these are perfect for anything except really hot or cold weather, and don’t suffer so much from contact with aggressive vegetation.

Colour-wise, green is the obvious choice for the hunter, although the brown ones look smart when game shooting and are a better match with some Continental shooting jackets. Meanwhile, the navy and black ones should appeal to clay and practical shooters respectively. As for white, I guess you might wear them with a snow suit as liners under a pair of mittens!

Feel and Grip

All four styles show the same Aquatec facing on the main palm and finger contact areas, and this gives the best feel and grip of any glove I know. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, however, and the price for subtlety is paid in durability. My experience suggests you’ll get a couple of seasons’ of use out of a pair of MacWets before you wear through the trigger-finger and thumb of your master hand, but this seems a very fair deal in view of their affordability, comfort and practicality, so I foresee there being a couple of pairs of MacWets in my drawer for some time to come.

For more information on the complete MacWet range, visit www.macwet.com or phone 0845 6039075 for your nearest stockist. Also available from Range Right on (01423) 881919.

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