Shooting with winter gloves and no tab?

[ShaftSlinger33]

Apologies if this has been asked, but I cannot find the answer. Probably just overthinking it.

Curious if there is any reason someone would not want to use a heavy set of warm winter gloves and shoot with fingers instead of using a tab or shooting glove?Does this affect the release? Something like a pair of leather kincos or mechanix wear gloves comes to mind.

Struggle with cold fingers every year in Michigan winters. Bought some surplus wool fingerless gloves to wear under my tab, but finger tips are frozen after shooting for 30min. Can’t imagine after sitting for a few hours.

[Jim Wright]

It's pretty easy to put your hand with tab on in a pocket with a handwarmer pack.

[ShaftSlinger33]

It's pretty easy to put your hand with tab on in a pocket with a handwarmer pack.

My current plan. Have the handwarmers on stockpile. Was just thinking a winter glove would allow me to be on the ready which could be nice in some of my setups where I don’t see or hear a deer until it’s <10yd away.

[hickstick]

the issue would be the glove material wrapping around the string affecting the string on release (similar to heavy coat wrapping the string on chest contact.

I wear pretty thick gloves, and wear my tab over the glove.  I use a hand muff tube most of the fall, and once it gets into the low teens I'll shove a hand or toe 'hot hands' inside the back of the glove and that will usually keep my fingers warm enough to shoot.

[Roger Norris]

For years I shot with a golf glove for this reason. Wool fingerless gloves over a golf glove works pretty well

[Orion]

I haven't done it intentionally, but i have shot a few deer with bare fingers on the string.  I usually keep my hands warm in my jacket pocket or a muff with heat packs.  In these cases, I misplaced my tab so didn't have it when it came time to shoot.  Got the job done, but it does sting the fingers a bit if they're not used to it.  Also, the release isn't as smooth because for me, the string get's caught up a little in my finger joints. I wouldn't do it intentionally.

[LookMomNoSights]

Only the best glove for the job and the right amount of practice with it will tell you if it’s doable or not.   I’m of the keep the hand in the pocket til the shot opportunity is imminent school of thought.  Chances are if it’s so cold I can’t pull that off,  it’s probably cold enough to hang in by the fire with my feet up 

[TooManyHobbies]

I use a warm glove on my bow hand, and have a wool glove with 3 fingers cut off on string hand. Works good with shooting glove or tab. Thumb and pinkie stay warm, and hand goes into pocket or muff if really cold.

[Deno]

I use a pair of military cold weather military pilot gloves with built in leather finger tabs.

[Tim Finley]

Those gloves look pretty good, thick gloves make for a poor anchor .I cut the first 3 fingers off a wool glove and wear it over my shooting glove and keep my hand in a muff till its time to shoot .

[BigJim]

No one can tell you what you will be capable of doing. Put the glove on and go try it.. I don't believe you will like it, but I'm told i'm wrong all the time.. most notably by my wife!
BigJim

[Roy from Pa]

Jim, your wife and my wife must be related:)

[Trenton G.]

I use a thin glove that I can wear under a pair of flip over mittens. This has worked well for me, although definitely practice with it a little bit as it feels a bit weird the first few shots.

[trad_bowhunter1965]

I would try fingerless mittens Ragg Wool for years Waterfowl hunting, but for bowhunting just uses Merino wool gloves by Kuiu and keep my hand in my pocket. 

[Bwana2]

Been using the Bear Paw fleece glove with the leather finger tabs sewn in. And a hand muff when real cold to keep them in. Can also put a hand warmer in the muff, no issues shooting with them, I practice often with them too.

[Bigriver]

I always wear glomitts over a dura glove shooting glove. I have ones with the magnet on the cap so no velcro to clog or make noise.

[ShaftSlinger33]

For years I shot with a golf glove for this reason. Wool fingerless gloves over a golf glove works pretty well

Good idea. I’m sure I got a few spares laying around. Thanks.

[ShaftSlinger33]

Only the best glove for the job and the right amount of practice with it will tell you if it’s doable or not.   I’m of the keep the hand in the pocket til the shot opportunity is imminent school of thought.  Chances are if it’s so cold I can’t pull that off,  it’s probably cold enough to hang in by the fire with my feet up 

Haha good point.

[Tajue17]

Whats the opinions on those mittens that fold back away from fingers

[WhistlingBadger]

It can work in a pinch, but it isn't ideal.  Many's the time I've chased rabbits wearing normal, winter gloves, or forgotten my shooting glove and just grabbed a leather work glove out of the truck's tool box.  Accuracy might suffer somewhat because you don't get the same string feel, and depending on what your gloves are made of, you might not get a smooth release:  a lot of gloves have grippy, high-friction material on the fingertips, which will tend to grip your string instead of letting it slide off.  It can wreck your winter gloves, too, since many of them aren't really built to withstand the pressure of string release.

For serious cold weather hunting, I wear a shooting glove under a thick pair of convertible mittens, the kind Tajue mentioned, with the hand flap that folds over the fingers.  That way I can keep my fingers warm until I need them.  Once you flop the top off, it's business as usual.