Jacket recommendation for Prone

[bored184]

Sadly, I've gained a little weight and my shooting jacket no longer fits me which means it's time for a new one. I shoot strictly NRA prone using a 308 for Palma, 6br for midrange and 22 rimfire for smallbore. I'm currently looking at a creed more sports lite cordura.

Looking for opinions and possibly other options.

 

[mgdietrich]

Kurt Thune prone cost 600 model, get custom measured.

 

[jkl]

agree you will not be disappointed Prone 600

 

[theallcineyes]

I went with a Creedmoor jacket. Most of the guys in my local club run them. You've tried one so you know what you're getting will be a help. Their canvas is plenty stiff so I didn't find the need to pay more for leather. They're a huge help in prone, as you've seen.

FWIW, in prone you're only really using top chest, shoulders, and arms of the jacket. The ventilation option is nice here in Texas. I've not found any need for the 'all position' upgrade, because you can just leave the bottom few straps undone. Checkout their fullbore prone coat, as it seems like the ideal mix of features for pure prone shooting.

There are a few other 'worthy' coat builders, but I went with Creedmoor for my personal jacket.

Even without a jacket, you should have a fairly stable position. Your elbows should not be sliding. Work on your basic position and the jacket will help take care of the last 10%. (Make sure your sling-arm elbow is directly below the gun, or as near as possible. This won't feel right or natural at first, but it can become comfortable with practice.) Without a jacket, I notice more shaking/wobble in my sight picture, but my basic position is still quite stable. (I almost never shoot prone without at least generic elbow pads for comfort though)

Make sure you have a good glove and try to find a position that's as repeatable as possible (i.e. same exact position of the buttstock on the shoulder, same cheek weld and head position, etc). Trying to shrink your prone groups can be tough, because the little things start to matter a lot. I like the 'NRA Highpower Shooting Glove' that Creedmoor sells as its the most comfortable for my fingers.

 

[bored184]

I've heard good things about Kurt Thune but I can not justify the price.

 

[ltebiker]

I second mgdietrich, go with Kurt Thune, best jackets on the market.
I would recommend custom model, but they do offer stock sizes/color options which will save some money.

 

[gme]

if you're on a budget this is an excellent coat, I've been using one for 7 years for prone shooting, very pleased with it
http://champchoice.com/store/Main.aspx?p=ItemDetailOptions&item=G40432

 

[bored184]

My jacket now is an older Gehmann, before I gained the weight it fit me well. My scores in prone do nut justify the cost of Kurt Thune, unless used. My budget is about $400.00 with shipping.

 

[Mikey_P]

I'm using the Creedmoor "Palma" coat now and am quite happy with that. If I recall, it was approx. $450. Not sure if they're still making them, however. And, even when I bought mine about four years ago, you had to really dig through their online catalog to find it - go figure. Designed strictly for prone shooting and works well for me. Might be worth a call to Creedmoor to check on availability, even though it's a little more than what you'd like to spend.

Also, a +3 on Morgan's recommendation for the Thune coat. Big bucks, though...

Mike

 

[Erud]

Lots of good options out there. If you’re on a budget, post a “WTB” ad with the size you are looking for over on the National Match forum:

http://www.usrifleteams.com/forums/index.php?act=idx

People’s weight changes all the time, and chances are that the weight/size that you are now is the same size that some other shooter used to be.