Basic Range Equipment Guide

You’ve bought your gun, you’ve got a stack of ammo and you’re on your way to the local range. All set, right? Wrong. Well, sort of wrong. There isn’t a public range I’ve seen that doesn’t require some form of eye and ear protection. There also isn’t a range I’ve ever been to that didn’t have some available for customers. They’re usually a couple of bucks, cheap and amazingly uncomfortable.

If you’re going to be going to the range often, you’ll want to get your own stuff. Believe me, it’s worth it.

The first thing you’re going to need is some good eye protection. All you really need is a good pair of sunglasses, really (I mean a good pair, not something from Wallgreens). You want something with shatter-proof lenses. You also want something that wraps around your eyes. Think of “Oakleys” instead of “Ray-Bans”. Ultimately, anything is better than nothing, however.

Why? A bunch of reasons. First and foremost, whenever you fire a gun there is a lot of stuff that flies from it. Stuff like smoke, ash, unburned gun powder and more. Because of the nature of the slide movment that stuff flies backwards from the gun. Spend a while at the range then look at all the crud on your arms. Without protection, that stuff would also be going into your eyes.

Secondly, and I do have to address the elephant in the room here, whenever you fire a gun there is a miniscule chance that something is going to go wrong. Most times, if something does go wrong it’s not too big of a deal. Stuff like stuck brass or a failure to fire. In the miniscule chance of a problem, there’s an even more miniscule chance of something called a “catastrophic failure”. In case you’re wondering: yes, that’s VERY bad. Remember, you are causing a particularly violent explosion in your hands every time you pull the trigger. The guns are made to contain it but sometimes things just decide to crap out.

In the event of that super rare failure, would you want shrapnel flying at sunglasses or unprotected and squishy eyes?

Personally, I have 2 pairs of glasses:

• A dark grey tinted pair that I use at the outdoor range to help keep the sun out of my eyes.
• A light yellow tinted pair for use at indoor ranges.

The yellow glasses have the added benefit of sharpening up detail.

When you fire a gun, even a .22, it creates a “boom“. That boom is around 140-160 decibels (some guns even more. I’m looking at you, Magnum 500). By comparison, a jet airplane at take off is generating about 180 decibels. Any noise level above 130 decibels is likely to cause permanent hearing damage.

Now take those loud booms and put them about 3 feet from your face. This, fellow noobs, is why I don’t skimp on my hearing protection.

Those little cheap plugs you get at the grocery store pharmacy aren’t going to cut it. You want some heavy hitting stuff.

At the most common are those big ear-muffs. They do an amazing job cutting out the noise but they can be a bit squeezy on the skull.

Another option are some heavy duty ear plugs (available at gun shops and the firearm/hunting sections of your local sporting goods store).

Personally? I do a lot with my hearing (sound work for videos and such). Combine that with a mild case of ligyrophobia and I tend to double up on my protection. I have a good pair of earplugs that I wear underneath my ear-muffs. This also has the added benefit of being able to take my headset off at the range to scratch or something and still be protected from the sound of other shooters.

When I’m all doubled up on hearing protection, the only thing I can hear between my own shots is my own heartbeat and breathing. It’s a totally zen vibe. It also helps you learn to control your breathing and shoot between beats.

The last thing you need is something to carry your guns in. I’m talking about a gun case. Ranges get a bit testy if you walk in the front door holding a gun. A case, gun sock, pouch, or the box your gun came in are perfectly fine. Either way, make sure you have something to carry it in before you go to the range. This is essential equipment, people.

I know it’s a basic gear guide and as a result you can get by with just eye and ear protection but I can’t just leave it at that. There’s a couple other things that’ll just make your life easier.

• Targets: Most places give you a couple of targets as part of the range fee. If not, they always sell them there. You can buy them pretty cheap online as well. I personally love splatter targets. They’re printed in a way in which when the bullet penetrates the paper, it’ll knock off some ink and leave a large bright mark around the hole. It’s great so you can get instant feedback on where the bullet hit. NOTE: some ranges have strict rules against using humanoid shaped targets (this includes those zombie targets). I usually err on the side of caution and just get the round traditional targets. I know I can use those at any range with no issues.
• Range Bag: makes transporting your guns, ammo, extra mags, headphones, earplugs, eye protection and more so much easier. Throw everything into one bag and then head out.
• EZ-Loader: My mags hold about 15 rounds. I have 3 mags that I take with me to the range. I also take about 250 bullets at a time. Reloading all those mags while on the line is hell on the fingers. By the end of the day my fingers would be raw from reloading and my shooting would suffer as a result. Then I dropped $15 on an EZ-Loader and my life has never been the same. Trust me on this one, they are worth their weight in platinum.
• Bottle of Water: Some places don’t allow drinks on the range. If they do, make sure you bring some. Most places aren’t air conditioned and the ones that have it, well, it doesn’t work well. You’ll be sweating…a lot.
• Open Bolt Indicator: Some ranges require them. Even if they don’t, they’re good to have. Believe it or not, there’s a lot to have to keep track of when you’re at the range, using an open bolt indicator removes a couple of things to think about. Ultimately, it makes life a little safer.