Recover Probe contract

[Starchaser]

I got a contract to recover a probe in low kerbal orbit. I made a small ship with a grabber and launched after it. I didn't put RCS on the ship, figuring I'd be able to grab it without it. I've bounced the probe off the center of the grabber at least 6 times and it won't close on it. It's armed. 

Is there a trick to these types of missions?

[bewing]

What kind of probe is it (what specific part)? Do you have a lot of expertise at grabbing things with klaws?

There's no trick to the mission. But there are many tricks to using klaws.

[Starchaser]

I am not sure what part it is. It was a ring with a cone attached.

I've grabbed things a few times. This was the second item this playthrough. 

I managed to grab it, and get it through re-entry, then it slowly flipped as it drifted to the ground. 

https://imgur.com/a/1M5hn

[bewing]

1 hour ago, Starchaser said:

I am not sure what part it is. It was a ring with a cone attached.

I've grabbed things a few times. This was the second item this playthrough.

It's some kind of rocket engine from a mod.

As you found, the easiest way to grab something with a klaw is to grab a flat surface. The klaw has to be almost perpendicular to the surface to grab on.