Do you like to shoot Five Stand, Sporting Clays or Trap, but dread the soreness and bruising you experience later that day, the next day or even the day after that? Do you ever shy away from shooting your shotgun to avoid the abusive recoil?
Well, ladies, keep reading because I found a great product. One to cure what ails you, by preventing it from happening in the first place. The EvoShield Shooting Recoil shirt!
Available at HERCAMOSHOP.com the EvoShield Shooting Recoil shirt, is a great addition to everyone’s hunting or shooting ensemble. The attractive, moisture-wicking compression shirt keeps you both cool and dry and comes in Realtree AP and dark green. The stretchy fabric shirt can comfortably be worn by itself or under another shirt. Lucky for me, I found this amazing shirt just before I received my CZ-USA Bobwhite side-by-side, 20-gauge as a Christmas present. Even luckier was that we spent Christmas in North Carolina at a friend’s house. Dick and Cheri Jones have their own Five Stand set-up in their yard, so I was able to get out and try it right away.
The EvoShield removed from its hidden pocket.
When my shirt arrived, I was so excited that I immediately tore through the packaging. Inside I found my shirt and a sealed, airtight foil packet that contained the EvoShield pad. PLEASE NOTE: The foil packet is NOT to be opened until you have read all the directions. Once you open it, the pad will begin to harden in about ten minutes. You need to make sure you have everything ready, including the unloaded long gun you are going use, before you open the foil packet.
Lucky for me, the directions for forming the EvoShield were well written and easy to follow. With my husband’s help (just to be my second set of eyes and make sure I didn’t make any mistakes), I was able to consistently line everything up correctly and form the EvoShield perfectly to my gun stock and my shoulder pocket. I simply inserted the shield into the hidden pocket on the right shoulder of the shirt (if you shoot left handed, you will need to purchase a left handed shirt) and while standing, brought my shotgun up into a shooting position on and off for about 10 minutes. I left the shirt on for the required hour afterwards, even the directions said you must leave it on for at least 10 minutes. Once that hour was up, the EvoShield was permanently and perfectly formed to my natural shoulder pocket.
The EvoShield Recoil Shooting Shirt worked great for Michelle even under a few layers.
I was a little visually disappointed in the shape the EvoShield hardened. Even though there is a “hidden pocket,” the way I formed the EvoShield makes it really obvious that there is something in there. I should have molded the top area more to my shoulder and the bottom to my chest. It is no longer “hidden” when it sticks out of the front of your shoulder and chest like a cup. While writing this review, I found a YouTube video that shows step-by-step exactly how to form the EvoShield. Being a visual learner, I wish I would have watched that video first. Sometimes it’s just easier watching someone else do something before you try it yourself.
When I finally had the opportunity to wear the shirt shooting Five Stand with my new side-by-side, I was thrilled with the results. Every time I brought my shotgun up to shoot, the buttplate fit right into my shoulder pocket. The EvoShield did such a great job dispersing the impact that I never even thought about the recoil while I was shooting. Honestly, I never really felt it. This definitely minimized any flinching or hesitation on my part. When we finished shooting our first round of Five Stand, I removed the EvoShield from my shirt. Part way through the second round I decided to put the EvoShield back into the hidden pocket. It wasn’t worth abusing my shoulder just to prove how great the EvoShield worked. It did make a difference! From now on, I will make sure to have my EvoShield Shooting Recoil Shirt on whenever I am shooting a heavy-recoiling guns.
Michelle Cerino using her EvoShield Recoil Shooting Shirt for the first time with her Christmas gift.
The EvoShield Shooting Recoil shirt retails for $69.99 at HERCAMOSHOP.com, and is well worth the investment. The sizes tend to run on the larger side. It’s important that the shirt fits tight. I usually wear a large shirt, but would have been better off with a medium to reduce the movement. If you want to save your shoulder, minimize flinching and make it easier to ensure proper gun-placement every time you take a shot, get yourself an EvoShield Shooting Recoil shirt from and make your life a little less painful.
Michelle Cerino, aka Princess Gunslinger, first entered the firearms industry in 2011 as co-owner, president and trainer at a national training company. She immediately began competing in both 3-Gun and NRA Action Pistol, becoming a sponsored shooter. Michelle is currently a columnist and Managing Editor of Women’s Outdoor News, as well as owner of Pervenio LLC. She also manages social media for Vera Koo and FASTER Saves Lives. Michelle encourages others to step out of the comforts of home and explore. View all posts by Michelle Cerino
