What to Take to the Range
Showing up at the range unprepared wastes time, ammo, and money. Whether it’s your first trip or your hundredth, the right gear keeps you focused, safe, and efficient. Here’s the ultimate checklist with no fluff, just essentials that every shooter needs to pack.
Want to skip the hassle of carrying everything separately? The Range Essentials Bundle includes a heavy-duty range bag, a sand-filled rest bag, and the Site Right 2.0 laser boresighter. The bag itself is spacious, rugged, and designed to carry everything below—you bring the gear, we provide the carry system.
What Your Range Bag Should Carry
1. Eye Protection
Nonnegotiable. Hot brass, debris, ricochets. Your eyes are always at risk. Don’t rely on loaner glasses from the range. Invest in your own pair of shatterproof ANSI-rated shooting glasses. Clear lenses work great indoors, but if you’re outdoors, swap in tinted or polarised ones to reduce glare. Protect your vision. Don’t leave this to chance.
2. Ear Protection
Gunfire hits 140 plus decibels. Permanent hearing damage happens faster than you think. Pack dependable earmuffs or foam plugs. If you want to hear range commands and conversations clearly, go for electronic muffs. They cancel out dangerous noise while letting you stay aware of your surroundings.
3. Ammunition
Sounds obvious but double check. Bring enough ammo for practice and a little extra in case things are going well. Match your caliber to your firearm and don’t forget magazines or speed loaders to stay efficient between sets.
4. Targets
Running out of targets halfway through is a rookie mistake. Always bring more than you need. Paper targets, steel plates, reactive targets depending on what you’re training. If you’re working on accuracy drills, grab bullseye or grid style paper targets. For fun sessions, steel or reactive targets keep things interesting.
5. Cleaning Kit
A dirty firearm is a malfunction waiting to happen. Keep a compact cleaning kit in your range bag. Bore brushes, patches, cleaning rod, lubricant, cloths. Even a quick wipe down mid session keeps things running smooth and avoids carbon buildup messing up your zero.
6. Multi Tool
Loose screws, scope tweaks, broken gear. You’ll thank yourself for packing one. A good multi tool lets you adjust optics, tighten mounts, clear jams, or make fast fixes without heading back to the car or leaving the range.
7. First Aid Kit
Accidents happen even on a controlled range. A simple first aid kit with adhesive bandages, antiseptic wipes, gloves, gauze, and a tourniquet if you’re trained to use one is smart insurance. You’ll rarely need it but when you do, you’ll be glad it’s there.
8. Shooting Gloves
Shooting can be tough on your hands. Hot barrels, rough reloads, sharp edges. Tactical gloves protect you without sacrificing dexterity. Choose ones with reinforced palms and thin fingers so you can still manipulate triggers, mags, or gear easily.
9. Magazine Loader
Reloading mags by hand slows you down and wears on your fingers. A mag loader speeds up the process, keeps you in rhythm, and saves your thumbs especially helpful when you’re running high round counts.
10. Gun Holster
Even at the range keeping your firearm secure matters. Holsters aren’t just for carry. They help you stay organised, practice safe handling, and train drawing techniques properly. Always check it’s compatible with your firearm model.
11. Notebook and Pen
Serious shooters track progress. Keep a notebook in your bag to log rounds fired, shot groups, scope adjustments, or drills. Over time it helps refine skills, spot patterns, and adjust your training plan.
12. Hydration and Snacks
Hours at the range drain energy fast. Dehydration affects focus and reaction time. Pack water and simple snacks like energy bars, nuts, jerky. Keeps you sharp, alert, and ready to train harder.
Pack Smart, Shoot Smarter
Forget scrambling last minute. The Range Essentials Bundle puts most of these items in one kit ready to grab and go. Trusted, field-tested gear that saves you the hassle.