My Experience with the Saber Tactical Vertical Grip + New Rubberized Edition

My Honest Take After Years of Running the Saber Tactical Vertical Grip

So check it out... I don't recommend gear I haven't personally put through its paces, and this grip is about as battle-tested as it gets in my hands. I've been running the Saber Tactical Vertical Grip in aluminum on every single one of my precision airguns for the last few years, and it doesn't stop there. I liked it so much I put it on my centerfire chassis guns too, including my 6.5 Creedmoor deer rifle. That same rifle helped me put down a massive buck this past season, so yeah, I trust this grip with real work.
 

Of every grip I have ever tested, and I've tested plenty, nothing has ever felt as natural and right in my hand as this design. That's not marketing talk. That's just where I landed after years of trying everything I could get my hands on.

Why I Run a Vertical Grip

This isn't just a look. For the kind of shooting I do, Benchrest competition and precision airgun shooting, a vertical grip is a performance tool. It gives me an additional point of contact on the rifle, locks my hold down at the perfect angle, and builds a repeatable platform that feels the same on shot one as it does on shot fifty.

In Benchrest, where you're measuring groups in fractions of an inch, that repeatability is everything. The Saber Tactical vertical grip delivers that. It's part of why I've stuck with it across every platform I shoot seriously.

I'm also a huge watcher of PRS competition. If you've never sat down and really studied what those precision shooters are doing, you're missing something special. The way a top PRS shooter builds a position from nothing, dropping into a barricade, getting behind a barcade, draping over a barrier, and makes it look effortless is genuinely an artform. Every part of their body has a job. Their grip and trigger hand position is no accident. Watch closely and you'll see how deliberate and repeatable every single movement is, including exactly how their hand finds the grip the same way every single time. That's not by chance. That's by design, and the gear they choose, grips included, is a big part of how they make that happen. It's one of the reasons I take grip geometry and hand position so seriously in my own shooting. Those precision shooters taught me a lot just by watching. Maybe my out of shape butt will participate some day. Maybe. 

The vertical grip adapts well to different hold styles too, whether you're fully wrapping your thumb for maximum control or using the thumb shelf as a fixed reference point on to put your trigger finger in the perfect position, it works with how you need to shoot, not against it.

Why I'm Excited About the Rubberized Version

Here's the thing. I love the aluminum version, always have. But aluminum takes abuse the way you'd expect. After years of competition, range sessions, and hunting trips, my aluminum grips show it. Dings, marring, the kind of wear that happens when you're actually using your gear hard and not just setting it on a shelf.

The rubberized over mold changes that equation entirely. And here's what matters most to me: they kept the ergonomics exactly the same. Same palm swell geometry. Same radius. Same natural wrist angle. There is zero learning curve coming from the aluminum version, it just feels like the grip I already love, but now wrapped in rubber.

That means it won't get marred up the way aluminum does when I'm throwing my rifles in and out of the truck, bumping around the range, or dragging my 6.5 Creedmoor through the woods during deer season. The rubber takes the knocks and keeps right on looking and performing like it should.


Beyond durability, the rubberized texture is a real upgrade in the field. Sweaty summer matches, cold early-morning deer hunts up here in northern Michigan, the grip stays planted in my hand no matter what. That's something bare aluminum just can't match in those conditions.

The over mold also absorbs vibration and takes some of the fatigue out of long match days, which adds up fast when you're behind the rifle for hours.

The Chassis Interface and the Thumb Shelf

Like the aluminum version, this grip is built around the standard chassis grip interface, which means it drops straight onto any chassis-pattern precision air rifle or centerfire chassis gun with zero adapters and zero hassle. Same install I've done on every platform I run.

The included CNC aluminum thumb shelf is something I want to highlight because it genuinely matters for how I shoot. Every time I mount the rifle, my thumb hits the same reference point. My trigger finger approaches the blade at the same angle, same reach, same contact point on the pad. For Benchrest that means tighter groups. And again, watch those PRS precision shooters closely, that kind of hand-to-grip repeatability is exactly what they're chasing every time they get behind the rifle. The thumb shelf is how this grip delivers that same discipline for the rest of us.

The thumb shelf is CNC-machined aluminum, rigid and consistent, not the kind of thing that shifts or wears out over a hard competition season.

What You're Getting

Rubberized over mold construction with an aggressive texture that holds firm in all weather and shooting conditions. The exact same ergonomics and palm swell as the original aluminum version, so if you're coming from that grip there is nothing to relearn. Standard chassis grip interface compatibility means it fits any chassis-pattern precision air rifle or centerfire chassis gun straight out of the box, no adapters needed. Every grip ships with the CNC aluminum thumb shelf included, which gives you consistent hand placement, trigger reach, and repeatable trigger breaks whether you're on the bench or in the field. The rubber over mold keeps weight down while absorbing vibration and reducing fatigue across long sessions. And it comes in at a significantly lower price point than the aluminum version, which means pro-level feel and performance without the premium price tag.

Who This Is For

If you're a serious Benchrest or precision airgun competitor, this grip belongs on your rifle. If you're a recreational airgunner who wants that same pro-level feel without the aluminum price tag, this is your entry point. If you've been watching PRS and taking notes on how the best precision shooters in the game set up their gear, this is how you bring that same intentionality to your own platform. And if you want that same grip confidence carrying over to your centerfire chassis guns, including out in the deer woods, this does that job too. I've run it in all of those roles and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I've been waiting for a rubberized version of this grip for a while now. The feel I already loved, with the durability to match how I actually use my guns.

It's here. Run it.

— Chris, UpNorth Airgunner