What to consider when choosing a new shooting coat

A good fieldcoat has a number of important boxes to tick. It has to be warm enough that you’re comfortable on the coldest days of the year and sufficiently waterproof to keep you dry on drizzly days and in sudden downpours, yet it must also allow you to swing and mount your gun with ease. It has to be robust enough that it will withstand an onslaught of thorns (or the paws of an excitable gundog), yet not look out of place at the smartest of estates. As if all this wasn’t enough to consider a good shooting coat has also got to have the right sort of pockets (in the right places), the right kind of zip and… well. In order to make sense of it all, I spoke to Jack Gregorie, head buyer at Farlows. 

“There are a few key areas to consider when you’re choosing a new shooting coat,” he told me: material, construction, fit, pockets and other features.  

What is the best material for a shooting coat? 

This is a tough question, as there is no single ‘best’ material or fabric for a shooting coat. There’s a lot of choice on the market, and each option plays a different part. From traditional tweeds and Loden to some of the modern nylon fabrics, there’s certainly a lot to choose from.  

Tweed shooting coats 

“Selecting a tweed fieldcoat gives a really traditional look. Of course, it is known as being the original performance fabric, having been used for decades in so many different aspects of life.” says Jack. Warm, largely thornproof and with good natural waterproofing thanks to the wool’s natural oils, you can’t go too far wrong with a tweed fieldcoat. Most tweeds used for country sports also have camouflage qualities, with their blend of greens, browns and touches of colour.

“Today, many tweed shooting coats use some modern technologies integrated into the traditional designs,” explains Jack, “These include a waterproof membrane as a drop-liner behind the tweed to ensure 100% waterproofing and added breathability, and that the tweed cloth itself gets Teflon treated to give additional protection and to ensure the tweed doesn’t absorb any water. The new Farlows Litchfield shooting coat is made from our Saxony claret check tweed, which is an 18oz Saxony tweed with a hard-pressed finish, so it’s very tough and robust and offers great protection. It benefits from a waterproof membrane behind the tweed face fabric to ensure it is 100% waterproof no matter the weather. Made from woollen yarns, tweed is also a natural insulator, so they do keep you warm even on the coldest days. Our Litchfield coat comes in other tweeds too, all of which are available to view on our website.” 

Loden shooting coats 

If tweed isn’t really your thing, or if you prefer something a bit more muted but still with a traditional look and feel, Loden could be just right for you. The Litchfield style that Jack mentions above is also available in this traditional Austrian fabric. Produced for Farlows in a mill in Austria, the blend of Merino wool and Alpaca offers a luxurious yet practical and hard-wearing alternative to tweed that will still keep the rain off. “Loden is a fantastic fabric. It’s incredibly hardwearing and practical, whilst also being subtly sophisticated, smart and stylish. It offers the same protection from the weather as tweed does so it’s really down to personal preference. A fantastic choice, and also something to be slightly different in the line.” 

Technical fabric shooting coats 

Although the traditional fabrics like tweed and Loden are excellent at their job, in recent years many guns have moved over to more modern synthetic fabrics such as nylon that incorporate waterproof membranes such as Gore-Tex. Brands like Schoffel and Musto have built a reputation for producing incredibly lightweight, warm, breathable and waterproof coats that have become as ubiquitous on the shooting field as spaniels. “These coats will keep you warm and dry, and their lightness and modern cuts and fits mean you have the freedom of movement to help keep your swing smooth and your gunmount clean,” says Jack. 

Construction and fit - what to look for in a shooting coat 

Speaking of freedom of movement, the way that a shooting coat is made is of huge importance. “You want to have plenty of movement in the underarms, shoulders and across your back,” advises Jack. “This will ensure you are able to move freely, mount your gun with ease and for the coat to be warm and comfortable throughout the day. Some of our men’s shooting coats feature an “action back”, which gives great freedom of movement, while coats like the Schoffel Ptarmigan Pro II have two-way stretch fabric in the underarms which gives similar advantages.” 

When it comes to fit, while it might sound silly to say, there’s a sweetspot between too big - which could hinder your ability to mount the gun, especially if there’s excess material that could catch the butt of your stock - and too small, which could hinder your swing. “Length is also an important factor to consider – especially in the colder and wetter days out in the field,” adds Jack. “A Longer length coat will help keep you warm and dry. This will also effect the position of your hand warmer pockets and cartridge pockets, which need to be in easy reach for quick loading on some of the more frenetic drives.” 

For ladies, the choice of shooting coats was once fairly lilmited, but in recent years more and more options have come onto the market. "Farlows' fieldcoats for ladies have all the same practical touches as our men's range," says Jack, "But they have a slightly different cut to give a more fitted silhouette. 

The ladies Burghley fieldcoat features an adjustable half belt back and an inverted pleat on the back, which aid movement in the field

Make sure your shooting coat has the right pockets and fastenings 

Within reason, you could go shooting in any coat that keeps you warm and dry, and that offers the right amount of movement… apart from one thing: the pockets. According to the Game Shooting Census, more than two thirds of guns reload from their pocket. This makes the pockets on your fieldcoat among the most important features.

Nearly all coats made specifically for shooting now feature “bellows” pockets, which are large enough to hold a decent number of cartridges. “When choosing your shooting coat, an important thing to consider is pocket size, you want large cartridge pockets which you are able to get your hands in and out of with ease.” says Jack. “It is always worth checking that the pockets have a ‘retainer strap’ that will hold the pocket’s flap open, so you don’t have to fumble around during a busy drive or flush.”  

Beyond your cartridge pockets, most shooting coats have “hand warmer” pockets that do what they say on the tin, and also serve as a good place to stick your paws when you’ve got your broken gun over your arm waiting for a drive to begin. You may also want to consider whether your coat has a “poacher’s pocket” for carrying game on a walked up day, internal pockets for valuables like the keeper’s tip, car keys, or (whisper it) your mobile phone, and be sure that the location of the latter won’t impede your gun mount or swing. 

Another aspect that you may want to consider is the collar, which should ideally be high enough when turned up that it keeps the wind and rain from going down your neck. "That's a surefire way to have a miserable day! Many shooting coats have collars with a material like alcantara which adds an extra bit of comfort as well as a stylish touch," says Jack. "For the wettest, windiest days you may want a hood, but these can sometimes interfere with your field of view - this comes down to whether you value being dry over your periferal vision."

The final point that you might want to consider are the fastenings on the coat. “You want to look for heavy-duty, two-way zips to fasten the coat, as well as buttons or poppers that won’t run the risk of scratching your gun in any way,” Jack says, adding. “All Farlows’ shooting coats have rubberised snaps, so they protect your stock from any possible scratches. All of our coats also feature a sturdy, two-way zip. They are a great addition to any shooting coat as the lower part of the zip can be raised for ease of getting in and out of a Land Rover, or hopping over a stile or low fence.” 

For further advice on choosing a shooting coat, why not pop into the Farlows store for a chat and to try a few on, otherwise the full range is also available online.