Range Bags
First, let’s start with some basics. You need a quality range bag or backpack to store your gear. A great range bag will be hauling a decent amount of weight, so it needs to be durable. It’s also likely to store your normal range gear between trips.
Range bags with a lot of pockets, MOLLE straps or other attachment points, and zippered compartments will help you stay organized, and an organized trip to the range will give you more time to shoot. You pay to be on the range, so make it worth your time and money.
Range bags are generally big enough to fit at least a pistol or two, along with all your other gear. But if the plan is to shoot more than what your range bag can carry, or if you’re shooting rifles or shotguns, you’ll need a separate carrying case. Good cases are durable and will protect your rifle or shotgun from the dings and scratches that firearms sometimes get being loaded, unloaded, and trekked out to the range.
Hearing Protection
This is second on the list for a reason. Never underestimate the importance of protecting your hearing. If you’re on a limited budget, buying the best ear protection you can afford should be at the top of your list. Once your hearing is damaged, there’s no going back. To get the right protection, your ear pro must fit your head correctly.
Earmuffs need to seal around your ears to work. Ladies, leave the earrings at home. No one will be able to see them anyway, and they have an annoying habit of preventing your ear protection from fitting properly. Electronic muffs are great because they allow you to hear what’s going on around you, but passive muffs work well when properly fitted. Make sure to check the decibel rating to ensure they’re protective enough to be effective.
Eye Protection
Just like your ears, you need to protect those eyes while at the range. Getting hit with hot brass in or around your eye will cause damage that might be irreparable. Great eye protection doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg, but you do need to make sure it's safety certified. Depending on where you’ll be shooting, you may want to select a different color lens. They vary from yellow and red to clear or dark tint, depending on if you’ll be shooting outdoors, indoors, or at low light. Kits are available with interchangeable lenses so you’re prepared for anything.
Extra Mags
When you finally get to the range, the last thing you want to do is spend half your time reloading. Pack some extra loaded magazines in whatever calibers you'll be shooting, and your day will be more productive when you get to focus on placing shots on target instead of loading mags.
Spotting Scope or Binoculars
You want to be able to see where you’re hitting, right? If you’re working at self-defense distances, chances are you’ll be able to spot your groupings with the naked eye. Anything else and you’re going to want to invest in a spotting scope or binoculars, especially if you’re doing any type of long-range shooting. In fact, I always keep a compact set of binoculars in my bag, but for range days, a spotting scope is a breeze to set up on a target and will allow almost instant feedback of where your last shot hit.
Targets
You’re going to the range, so you need something to shoot at, right? You can often buy targets at the range, but that comes at a premium price. Bringing some purpose-built targets make range days more fun and can save you some cash. If you're getting warmed up for hunting season, a Birchwood-Casey target like the turkey above can help get you dialed. Reactive targets like the Threat Down yetis and zombies are especially fun and help you instantly see where you shot. Make sure you have different styles of targets in your range bag to keep your day at the range enjoyable.
Bug Spray & Sunscreen
My range is an outdoor range near wetlands, and the mosquitoes are the size of airplanes. I don’t want to spend my range time swatting at bugs, so I always keep a small bottle of bug spray with my gear. Thermacell repellers work great as well, if you’re planning on spending a couple of hours at the range. Keeping the bugs away will make for a much more enjoyable day.
And don't forget the sunscreen – even on a cloudy day, those UV rays can do real damage to the skin. Better to cover up now with a good hat and some sunscreen than to risk problems down the road.
