Shooting off your Hand

[MO Hawkeye]

Does anyone wear a glove when shooting off your hand?

I've seen several photos of archers shooting off their hand wearing a glove of sorts.   Where can I purchase such a glove?   Or does anyone have a glove pattern which I can use to make such a glove?

Thanks,

Paul

[nugget]

I do not wear a glove when I shoot off of my hand, but I do wrap the end of my fletching very well. Any thin leather glove would work. You could also just make a small glove that fit around the palm of your hand.

[youngbowyer33]

i wear a glove, but nothing fancy.just any thin glove would work i think

[half-eye]

MO Hawkeye,
        I dont wear a glove anymore, but used to regularly, I used a pair of unlined leather work gloves. I cut the fingers off (leave the index finger out to the first knuckle, even cut the thumb off to the first knuckle. Only reason for cutting the fingers and thumb off is so I could get a good "feel" for the bow in my hand....otherwise don't bother with the cutting.
half eye

[ricktrojanowski]

As long as you have a nice smooth transition from your shaft to the leading edge of the fletching you should be good to go.  Your index finger will develop a nice callous in no time at all. 

[half-eye]

rick....,
     Amen to that brother...that's why I dont use one any more.
Half eye

[George Tsoukalas]

When you shoot off your hand, what do you do when you shoot it off?   Jawge

[Pat B]

Switch hands, George! 
  A floppy rest is good protection for your hand and it still feels like you are shooting off your hand. Even with wrapping the front ends of the feathers my hand still gets cut. I think it is mostly the thin skin of my 59 year old hand.     I started using the floppy rest a few years ago and no more cuts.

[adb]

When I'm shooting my warbows off the fist, I wear a specally made "glove". It just basically covers the top of the index finger on the bow holding hand. Send me a PM, and I'll send you to were I purchased mine.

[MO Hawkeye]

Thanks for all the responses.   I've sent adb a PM ... I hope he received it.   I would like to know where I can purchase a shootiing glove.   I'm  left handed thus I will need a glove for my right hand.  My email is paulpinkston@ymail.com   Thanks, Paul 

[tombo]

I'm not an old salt archer but been using my bare hand to hold bows for a few years. I've never had any problems. But then... my wife says my hands are like leather.............
Tom

[Scowler]

Several of the web sites which sell replica eurasian horsebows also sell shooting gloves for the bow hand.  Check out Horsebows.com.  That being said if the arrow has a smooth transition between shaft and fletching/feather than no glove is needed. 

[Del the cat]

I have an old thin leather glove, I cut the fingers & thumb down to about 1/2" long, I melted some beeswax and brown shoe polish together and soaked that into the arrow pass area.
It looks nice and medieval, is V comfortable and leaves your finges free to pick your nose
Del

[Innocente]

when i started out making my own arrows, i SUCKED at it.  as a result, i fired one of my homemade shafts one day, the arrow flew straight and true, with 2 arrows only.  the third was stuck in the back of my hand.
as a result, i bought some stout leather gloves.
also i learned how to fletch better.  i never detach feathers or implant them into my hand any more, but then again, i never tempt the arrow by failing to wear my glove!

[AllanM]

I shoot longbow and always wear a glove purely for comfort. If you have a problem with the fletches hitting the hand the main reason is that the arrow nocking point is too low. There are several good bow hand gloves around, e.g. Bearpaw), however, I use a BMX cycling glove which works fine.