Many times I leave the range making a mental note to bring “X” next time or purchase “Y” before my next outing to improve my shooting or improve my overall experience. Here are some suggestions on what might be helpful for the next time you hit the range.
Magazine Loader
If you want to be kind to your thumbs, get a magazine loader. This predominantly relates to pistol shooters loading relatively small rounds in a magazine with a super stiff spring. If you know you know!
There are many models of magazine loaders on the market, I’ve used a few different brands but have settled on the Maglula Speed Loader. It works great and doesn’t leave sore spots on your fingers. Trust me, you’ll be glad you made the small investment.
Ear Protection
Ok this is obvious, right? Pretty much all ranges require eye and ear protection but I’ll focus on the ears here. On overage, firearms go “pew pew” at 140 decibels or higher. Ear protection is needed to protect your ears not only from your firearms but also from those around you. If the other shooters at your range are using high caliber guns, foam earplugs on their own might not be enough.
If you visit the range often, you might consider electric earmuffs. They’re pricier, but they block out loud noises while allowing you to hear normal conversation around you as wells as the ring of steel targets from hundreds of yards away. Passive earmuffs will simply deaden all the noise in your surroundings.
One other consideration for rifle shooters is the bulkiness of the ear protection and how they interact with your shooting. I like Walker’s Razor Slim ear muffs since they don’t push my face away from the rifle.
Spotting Scope
To practice shooting from a couple of hundred yards back, a spotting scope will be a must. They come both straight and angled in various sizes and magnification. Angled spotting scopes for target shooting tend to reduce neck strain by making viewing more ergonomic from a wide range of angles.
In addition to the orientation of the scope, you should also think about magnification – the range and whether it’s variable or fixed. Other components of spotting scopes that differ by model are the objective lens size, glass quality, eye relief, and the prism. If you really want to be cool, get one that allows your phone to attach to record videos of steel targets swinging from 400 yards out! Check out the Gravitude Raptor Spotting Scope below, one of the best value spotting scopes on the market.
Tools
Bring a portable set of tools like a screwdriver and set of Allen keys – you never know when you’ll have to make quick adjustments. Keeping small tools with you and servicing your firearm will let you keep shooting as long as you like.
A recent trip to the range I noticed my scope rings were lose! Lucklily I had a set of allen wrenches handy and was able to fix things. You wouldn’t want to stop for the day because your gun needs maintenance and you don’t have the right tools.
Many companies make handy kits or multitools you can easily stow in your range bag. You can go for something comprehensive or find a toolbox specific to your guns, like rifle tools or handgun tools.
Cleaning Kit
You ideally will not need a cleaning kit at the range, but if you’re planning to make a day of shooting it is nice to have with you if something comes up. A small set of tools will come in handy, and so will a cleaning kit. Keeping a cleaning kit on you will not only save you in a pinch, but the regular maintenance will also keep your guns in good condition.
Your basic universal cleaning kit should have bronze and nylon brushes; the bronze removes carbon buildup and the nylon gets the hard-to-reach places. A cleaning swab, cleaning patches, and cotton swabs are also essential. Stick your patches onto a cleaning jag to fully clean bore surfaces. A slotted patch holder also works in place of a jag. Finally, your basic cleaning kit should have CLP (clean, lubricate, protect) solvent and a bore snake.
Range Bag
When it comes to the bag you carry all your essential supplies in, you can bring just about anything. But why would you when you can have a dedicated range bag? Designed to hold all the equipment you need with lots of pockets and compartments for easy access, you’ll wonder why you didn’t have one before.
A good range bag will have sturdy zippers, water-resistant material, a special compartment for ammunition, a shoulder strap, and several internal pockets. If you’re bringing several guns, consider a bag with wheels that rolls to take the load off your back.
For all you AR shooters, be sure to check out the article on Best AR Rifle Cases For The Money.
Targets
It’ll be difficult to keep track of your progress if you don’t know where your shots ended up. Targets come in different varieties, from the simple splatterburst targets (your cheapest option) and steel targets to bleeding targets and the ultra-cool self-healing targets.
The splatterburst targets are a great value because they clearly show the bullets point of impact, turning a bright color when hit. This beats most steel and paper targets provided by the shooting range.
Shooting Rest and Shooting Bags
Whenever you want to zero in your rifles or just shoot groups for fun, you need a steady platform to take out as much user error as possible. The best way to do this is use a shooting rest or with shooting bags.
Laser Range Finder
Most public ranges will have targets at known distances. However, if you are shooting on public land or your own range, using a laser range finder is super helpful.
When buying a range finder consider the distances you may want to shoot and carefully read what the unit is capable of reading. Many units may claim they can reach 1000 yards, but in reality it can only do this on highly reflective surfaces. If you want to range an animal or dark target the effective range could only be half of that! You also want to get a unit that compensates for angled shots, which most higher end units all have.
Final Thoughts
Just about any day at the range is a good day, but the more you shoot the more you’ll run into inconveniences that can be avoided with proper preparation and gear selection.
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