My Baretta Long Sleeve Shooting Shirt has been worn hard and long, frequently in extreme conditions and it’s time to get another one.
by Leon Pantenburg
Disclaimer: Beretta supplied the product for my initial review several years ago. Since then, the shirt has been wrung out (both literally and figuratively!) all over the United States. Here is an update after several years of hard wear. This is strictly my opinion, and nobody had any input. I don’t work for Beretta, and I was not paid to write this post.
My outdoor gear has a pretty rough life. I’m active outdoors year-round, sometimes under extreme conditions. If the product performance is good, the item will get used and used and used. Several objects come to mind: My Remington 700 7mm-08; my Bark River UP Bravo, and Danner Pronghorn boots. And my Beretta long sleeve shooting shirt.
This is go-to shirt for hot weather. I generally avoid cotton whenever I can, but this shirt is really well-engineered and designed. It dries rapidly, breathes well and offers great heat protection. The sleeves are loose and roomy and there is a tab so they can be rolled up and secured. This shirt has been worn in the Arizona, New Mexico and Utah deserts during heat domes hikes; on canoe trips on the Mississippi River in broiling heat and in my backyard when it was Mississippi hot and humid and the lawn needed mowing.
My desert hiking apparel, after years of testing, refining and hanging out, consists of the Beretta shirt, Danner Hotcore boots and a wide-brimmed, well-ventilated hat. My choices come from use and experience.
Here are the specs of the Beretta TM Long Sleeve Shooting Shirt (according to the Beretta website)
- Active Hunt Lightweight 100% cotton with curved mesh back yoke opening for breathability
- Diamond-stitch embroidery on left tonal shooting patch
- UPF-50 sun protection
- Silver Silaide technology creates an odor barrier for all-day wear
- Front chest pocket
My desert hiking apparel consists of a wide-brimmed, mesh crown hat and the Baretta shirt. That combination has served me well in several desert and swamp environments. This is in the Oregon High Desert.
Here’s how the shirt worked out.
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- Sun protection: Superb. The shirt is rated at UPF-50, and I have never gotten sunburned while wearing it (and my wide-brimmed hat)!
- Coolness: If you recreate outdoors in hot climates, you know you will sweat and probably be uncomfortable. In that situation, you want the coolest possible clothing. The ventilated yoke in the back allows sweat to evaporate, causing cooling. The shirt is cut generously, allowing air to circulate. The sleeves are long enough (for me) to cover my wrists while paddling a canoe. A sometimes overlooked aspect of a garment is how it insulates from the heat, This shirt does that very well.
- Fit: You don’t want a tailored shirt for summer heat. The Beretta is not baggy or shapeless, and it still does its job while looking good.
- Odor Barrier: I can’t speak for my hiking or hunting companions, but IMHO, this shirt doesn’t get stinky as fast as other shirts I’ve tried.
There was no breeze on a heat dome day at Wire Pass slot canyon in Utah. My shirt performed wonderfully.
- Nostalgia aside, my old reliable shirt may soon be relegated to the rag bag. My wife complains that I look like a down-and-out homeless person when I wear the shirt in public. But that won’t be a major trauma – I’ll just get another. Good equipment is rare, and when you find the one that works for you, you that works well
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