A hunting shirt has one requirement no other custom shirt has: it must not interfere with mounting a firearm or drawing a bow.

That single constraint reshapes the whole specification. Where the seams sit, how much fabric is in the shoulder, whether the sleeve is articulated, and how the collar behaves under a strap all of it matters far more than it does on a polo or a team tee.

This guide covers custom hunting shirts at the specification level: shoulder construction, UPF ratings, fabric weights, venting, and the details worth putting on your order sheet. For camo patterns, blaze orange requirements, decoration methods, and club sizing, see our companion guide on custom hunting apparel for clubs.

Shoulder Construction: The Part Everyone Gets Wrong

The shoulder is where a hunting shirt succeeds or fails. A shirt cut like a normal polo binds when the arm comes up, and a bunched shoulder under a gun butt affects the mount.

Three construction features solve this:

Gusseted shoulders. An extra panel of fabric built into the shoulder that gives the arm room to lift without pulling the whole shirt up. Sun and field shirts use articulated sleeves and gusseted shoulders specifically to give full range of motion when reaching, casting, or mounting.

Articulated sleeves. The sleeve is cut with a built-in bend rather than as a straight tube. The shirt sits correctly when the arm is raised and bent, which is the position it is actually used in.

Quilted or padded shoulder patches. On shooting shirts, a padded panel on the mounting shoulder gives the gun butt a stable, consistent surface. Quilted shoulder patches on shooting shirts make gun mounting smooth and steady this is a real functional feature, not decoration.

Two more details worth specifying:

Raglan sleeves instead of set-in. A raglan seam runs diagonally from the collar to the underarm rather than around the shoulder. There is no seam sitting on top of the shoulder, which matters both for gun mounting and for pack straps.

Flatlock seams at contact points. Seams that lie flat rather than forming a ridge. Under a pack strap or a sling, a raised seam creates a hot spot within an hour.

If your club members shoot right-handed and left-handed, note that a padded shoulder patch is side-specific. Ask about ordering both, or specify patches on both shoulders.

UPF: What the Rating Actually Means

UPF measures how much ultraviolet radiation a fabric blocks. UPF 50+ is the standard to specify for hunting shirts, and the difference between UPF 30 and UPF 50+ is meaningful.

The scale works like this:

Two practical notes:

UPF comes from the fabric construction, not a coating. A tightly knitted or woven polyester blocks UV because of how densely the yarns sit. That means the rating does not wash out. Treatment-based UV protection does diminish over time ask your manufacturer which type they are supplying.

Colour affects it. Darker and more saturated colours generally block more UV than pale ones at the same construction. This is one place where a camo or darker base has a genuine functional benefit over a light shirt.

For clubs hunting open country, water, or dove fields, UPF 50+ long sleeve is the correct default. For woodland and timber hunting where exposure is limited, it matters less.

Fabric Weight for Hunting Shirts

Hunting shirts run far lighter than team apparel. Where a basketball warm-up sits at 240 GSM, a summer hunting shirt can be under 100.

Real examples from the technical end of the market sit at 71 GSM for a featherweight performance shirt, 86 to 90 GSM for a technical sun shirt, and 125 GSM for a lightweight poplin. Traditional cotton twill field shirts go the other way entirely, around 280 GSM.

The mistake clubs make is specifying by feel rather than by number. A shirt described as “lightweight” by a supplier used to making team polos may be 160 GSM, which is heavy for a summer hunting shirt. Ask for the number.

For more on how fabric weight works, see our notes on fabric weight and GSM.

Fabric Type: Knit or Woven

Knit shirts stretch and move; woven shirts hold structure and take pockets better. Most clubs end up ordering one of each.

Knit polyester with spandex. Stretchy, close-fitting or loose, quick-drying. This is the sun shirt and performance tee category. Best for active hunting, warm weather, and layering under other pieces. Takes sublimation perfectly, which means camo and club graphics print with no colour limits.

Woven polyester or poly-blend. Holds its shape, supports chest pockets and button plackets, drapes rather than clings. This is the button-down field shirt category. Better for pockets, better for a traditional look, less stretch.

Cotton and poly-cotton. Comfortable, traditional, quieter against brush than slick synthetics. Slow to dry, and it cannot be sublimated decoration has to be embroidery or print.

Two specification points:

Ask about moisture-wicking, and ask how it is achieved. Fibre-level wicking (from the yarn structure) is permanent. Chemical finishes wash out over time.

Antimicrobial and odour-control treatments are common on hunting shirts. They reduce odour build-up in the fabric. Worth asking whether the treatment is durable or a surface finish.

Venting

Ask where the vents are, not just whether the shirt has them. Vent placement decides whether the shirt actually cools.

The three placements that work:

Mesh side panels. Fabric panels down the sides of the body, from underarm to hem. Constant airflow, and they do not affect the printable surface much.

Vented back yoke. A mesh panel across the upper back under a fabric flap. Dumps heat effectively, but sits exactly where a pack sits which is why some technical shirts vent the sides instead.

Underarm gussets in mesh. Small mesh panels where heat is highest, with minimal effect on the shirt’s structure.

One point worth raising with your manufacturer: if members will be wearing packs, vents across the back are largely blocked. Side venting is the better choice for pack users. Technical brands design vents specifically around pack use for this reason.

Sleeve and Collar Details

These small features are what members notice, and they cost very little to specify.

Roll-up sleeve tabs. A button and tab that holds a rolled sleeve in place. Turn one shirt into a warm-weather and cool-weather shirt.

Thumb loops. A small loop at the cuff that stops the sleeve riding up when the arm is raised, and covers the back of the hand for sun protection. Common on sun shirts.

Extended cuff coverage. For sun protection, a slightly longer sleeve that reaches the base of the thumb.

Folded or fold-down collar. On a button-down field shirt, a collar that can be turned up protects the back of the neck the most commonly sunburned area on a full day out.

Mock neck or high crew. On knit sun shirts, a higher neck gives sun coverage without a collar getting in the way of a gun stock.

Tagless neck labels. Printed rather than sewn. Removes the most common comfort complaint on any shirt.

Chest pockets. Secure ones. A button or a zip, not an open patch pocket. If members carry calls, tags, or a phone, this is the difference between a shirt they use and one they do not.

Layering: Sizing a Shirt That Goes Under Something Else

If the shirt is a base or mid layer, size it trim. If it is worn alone or as an outer size it is relaxed. Ordering one size for both jobs produces a shirt that does neither well.

Technical layering systems size base layers to sit close to the skin and trim enough to fit under a mid and outer layer in the same nominal size. A base layer ordered relaxed bunches under a jacket.

For a club order, decide the job first:

• Sun shirt or performance tee worn alone relaxed, loose cut, room for airflow
• Base layer worn under a member’s own jacket trim, close to skin
• Button-down field shirt relaxed, sized to go over a t-shirt
• Mid layer sized to fit over a base and under an outer

Most clubs order one shirt worn alone. If you are ordering a layering piece, say so on the order sheet, because it changes the pattern grading.

What to Put on Your Order Sheet

Send these ten specifications and you will get a quote you can actually compare against another one.

1. Fabric type knit or woven, and composition
2. Fabric weight in GSM give a target band, not a word
3. UPF rating required, if any
4. Sleeve length short, long, or both
5. Shoulder construction gusseted, articulated, raglan; padded patch and which side
6. Seam type flatlock at contact points
7. Venting placement, and whether members use packs
8. Cuff and collar details roll tabs, thumb loops, collar type
9. Pockets how many, secured how
10. How the shirt will be worn alone, as a base layer, or over a base

Then ask two questions back:

Can you send a physical fabric swatch? Weight and hand feel do not translate through a screen, and this matters more on featherweight fabrics than on anything else.

Can I get one sample before bulk? Have a member mount a gun in it. That is the test that matters, and it takes thirty seconds.

Conclusion

A hunting shirt is a technical garment wearing a casual disguise. The features that matter gusseted shoulders, articulated sleeves, side venting, a genuine UPF rating, fabric measured in the 70 to 150 GSM range are not things a supplier will volunteer if you ask for a “custom hunting shirt”. They come from asking for a specification.

If you are ordering one shirt for a club, the safe default is a knit polyester sun shirt at 90 to 130 GSM, UPF 50+, long sleeve, loose cut, with raglan or gusseted shoulders, flatlock seams, side mesh venting, and roll-up tabs. That covers warm weather, layers under a jacket in cool weather, and does not interfere with a mount.

We manufacture custom performance shirts in sublimated polyester with specified GSM, venting, and shoulder construction, from a 20-piece minimum with mixed sizes counted as one order. Send us your requirements and we will come back with a spec sheet and a fabric swatch before you commit to anything.