TargetTalk

I am quite a newbie to the sport , started last Sept ; still do not own my personal pistol , have been using pistols in the club ; I sweat a lot , hands/palms , I keep drying them off with towel during archery shootings ; last night was my first air pistol competition , despite the 510 score , I noticed that my palm sweated more than practice in normal days , the color of the grip darkened , I understand this is pressure ; my question is : (1) is there a better way to wipe off the sweat on the grip during a competition , other than towel ? I don't think wrapping the grip with racket wraps is advisable. (2) what is the method of a routine cleaning the grip when I have my own pistol ? Of Course , I need to do away the tense/pressure in the competition ! Thanks for your advice.

You can try a open finger glove during shooting. What model are you using and what model do you plan to purchase?

In archery , I use those gym gloves (without fingers) to hold the bow , yet , I don't use glove on my release hand , it will take away the feel. I assume you mean gloves without fingers & without padding , because the padding will also take away the feel. In recent practices , I use Morini CM162EI , in the next month , I will rent a Styer LP10E from the ISSF unit here in Hong Kong , they provide rental for 1,3,5 years. What about the cleaning of the grip ? Thanks for your advice.

Gloves for air rifles,

Sometimes, when suffering from sweaty hands, I use a cotton ball that is originally designed for bowlers. It helps, but it's not a miracle-thing.

http://www.bowlwithbrunswick.com/access ... grip-ball/

Sorry, I did not realize that it is a common problem for archers. Misses told me that is usual. This is the first time I ever heard about sweaty palms to the point of blacking the wood.

By NRA Air Pistol rules (the ones I compete under), gloves are not allowed. There are a few products on the market to help with sweaty hands. The oldest one is rosin in a shaker bottle. "Firm Grip" by Cramer is another option. Some folks just use underarm deodorant.

Over the years I have been known to discolor the bluing and create rust on many a field gun, shotguns and some handguns over time because of the sweat in my hands.

When it gets to be a problem I use a rosin bag like baseball pitchers use.

Make sure to clean the rosin off the gun as soon as you can cause it can also cause corrosion.

For what it's worth.

Clarence

Thanks for all the advices, After looking into the internet , I have just bought a "Dry hands Grip Powder" 2 oz liquid chalk , said to be good for golf , tennis , water sports & pole dancing ...will try it out , same time , I am trying to purchase the Brunswick micro fiber grip sack (as suggested by vdgert) , thanks again for all your help.

Now that you've decided what you are going to do, I'll raise an alternative view.

Going back to the mid 1980s it was common practice for CF and Std Pistol shooters to lick their hand before taking their grip; something which I still do today.

The principle is that IF the grip fits you properly then a damp hand gives a better hold due to suction.

Try it, you might find it works for you.

apron wrote:What about the cleaning of the grip ?

In case that it's no oiled grip I always cleaned "my" grips from time to time (1-3 times per season) with an old towel and a bit nitro-cellulose combination thinner. It removed the "fat" and also kept me happy because of the evaporation smell (don't know the english word) :)

Ulrich Eichstädt wrote:It removed the "fat" and also kept me happy because of the evaporation smell (don't know the english word) :)

"Fumes"

Aroma (or maybe "high")

Apron try 'liquid ' chalk I have used it for some time but I found the spray nozzle blocks up easily. Easiest other alternative is 'chalk' the power lifter and gymnast use. I have used this successfully especially in summer. Chalk works very well with moist hands.

Yesterday I got a liquid chalk opened with a lid & a hole , not spray , poured the size of a dime , spreaded it evenly on the palms 5 minutes before my practice in archery , in outdoor 90% humidity , it worked for over 2 hours , I think it will work with air pistol shooting , will try ; by the way , I will get a bowling hand drying ball , friend told me to dust this on the grip during/when I finish shooting , it will take away sweat left on the grip.

This sounds silly but I wonder if lavender powder (or baby powder) will help.

conradin wrote:This sounds silly but I wonder if lavender powder (or baby powder) will help.

No.

While it captures moisture it also acts as a lubricant. Not something you want between you and your grip. Try putting some in your finger tips and then rub them together and you will see (feel) what I mean.

Chalk is a better option because it also captures the moisture but does not lubricate. That's why it used in weight lifting, climbing, etc.

Hope this helps