Essential Pieces of Gear to Bring to the Range

When people first get excited about a new interest — especially a topic such as shooting — many can spend excessively and purchase far more than what’s realistically necessary. Buying “stuff” is not a bad thing if you can afford to, but the storage tubs filled with gadgets and gizmos in our garages suggest that we can be wiser with our money. What do we really need for a productive range day? An experienced shooter will agree: A little goes a long way. 

The following is what an editor or gunwriter typically brings to the range to test and evaluate firearms.

Safety First

Eye and ear protection. Your two most valuable senses are worth protecting. A pair of gas-station aviators and 9mm brass in the ears don’t cut it. (Yes, I have seen both recently.) Eye protection should be ballistic rated, either to military or ANSI standards. Lenses should wrap entirely around the front and side of the eyes, too. Bigger is better when it comes to eye protection. I once saw a healthy chunk of spalling ricochet off a steel target and almost take out another man’s eye; he was only wearing reading glasses. A quarter-inch higher and the spall would’ve undoubtedly left him partially blind. Full-size shooting glasses would have protected his vision entirely.

Hearing protection also subscribes to the “bigger-is-better” philosophy. There is a clear difference in thickness between many earmuffs and in-ear plugs. Earmuffs with greater mass covering each ear typically offer greater decibel (dB) protection, but hearing damage can result from noise through an open mouth, the nostrils and soft tissue under the ears, for example. If I know I’ll be running an extended range session with loud-report firearms, I’ll combine foam in-ear protection with appropriate muffs. Hearing loss and tinnitus caused by shooting firearms should not be dismissed. Whatever you decide to purchase, check the specs for the dB reduction and ensure they are confirmed by a third party.

Another important piece of gear is one you’ll hope to never need: An individual first-aid kit (IFAK). It’s an absolute must for any range session. Unfortunately, accidents happen, and tourniquets and bleed-control first-aid kits have saved lives. I keep one in my vehicle at all times, so I add it to my range bag after I arrive. As important as it is to bring a bleed kit with your range gear, it’s just as important to know how to use it. First aid training is also recommended.

In the Bag

If you have a giant range bag, then it’s going to get filled. I learned quickly that it’s not nearly as efficient to keep every piece of range gear I like in one bag. My range time goes smoother when I bring a small bag with exactly what I need. With a huge bag, I waste time looking for and reorganizing gear. Most of what I carry fits within a Storm Range Bag I sourced from Full Forge Gear. It doesn’t have more pockets than I need, and the pockets it does have are rarely used. Large bags hold a lot more, but contents get jumbled in the middle due to the soft base. The best feature of the Storm Range Bag is the hard bottom shell, preventing the bag from sagging in the middle. There may be no wrong answer when deciding on a useful range bag, but a hard base makes a difference. Full Forge Gear’s Storm Range Bag supports my needs to test firearms, including several pounds of ammo. The bottom has yet to collapse from the weight. 

In addition to a hard base, check your range bag to ensure that it has quality zippers and stitching. It’s infuriating enough when a grocery bag tears, but there’s nothing more aggravating than chasing spent brass you’ve already picked up because of a torn range bag or one that won’t zip closed.

Tool Time

I used to carry three separate tool kits in my range bag. Each featured a unique tool, but they all perform essentially the same tasks when I stopped to think about it. Consolidation is always a good thing. There are only a few tasks I can’t complete with what’s included in the Real Avid X3 13-piece driver bit set. It includes a ratcheting driver, too. Real Avid also offers larger 52- and 57-piece X3 Driver Gunsmithing Bit Sets, but the only thing I’ve come to add to the 13-piece set are a few small Allen wrenches that I need for removing/installing scope turret caps. Otherwise, the X3 handles the basics at the range.

Not everyone needs a trigger gauge at the range, but I always keep a Wheeler Digital Trigger Gauge in mine. I also keep a digital caliper in my kit to measure groups. It’s a lot more accurate than a flimsy measuring tape.

Advanced Range Work

Everything previously described to this point is enough for an enjoyable range session. Of course, you’ll need ammo, holsters and targets dependent on the firearm type and discipline.

Once you become a regular at the range, a shot timer should find its way into your range bag for advanced range work. Timers are not just for competition. For concealed-carry practice, I use it to push myself to keep my draw-to-fire times to within 1½ seconds — regardless of carry method. With rifles, a shot timer drives me to work the action faster and more effectively. A shot timer can help balance shot placement and speed while under a time constraint.

There are many great shot timers, but in keeping with the “simple-is-best” philosophy, I like the PACT Club Timer III. There are only a few buttons, and it’s quick and easy to navigate the menu. Other shot timers offer more detailed touch screens and dozens of setup options, which are great for range masters of a shooting competition, but I’ve found that all I need for general rangework is countdown and instant or par-time shot trackers. That’s where the Club Timer III excels. 

The last piece of kit I added was a chronograph. These are a significant investment in range work, and they’re not really necessary for those who don’t handload, compete, or shoot long range. The Garmin Xero C1 Pro won the 2024 Guns & Ammo Technology of the Year award. Its greatest advantage is the compact size and accurate reporting. It conveniently fits inside my range bag, unlike my older chronographs. It doesn’t chew through AA batteries (it’s USB-C rechargeable), and it has yet to drop a shot in a shooting string. The results can also be linked to the Garmin app in a smartphone for convenient reference later. It calculates average velocities, extreme spreads (ES) and standard deviation (SD).

One More Thing ...

Obviously, to go to the range, you’ll need a firearm and ammo, perhaps an optic or spotter as well. You’ll likely store accessories such as these inside the bag, so it should be handy to grab. A simple range bag works best for me, and I rarely add more. As with many of my trips to the range, I often leave something behind. If you think I’ve left an important piece of gear out of my range bag, and you can’t make a trip to the range with out it, shoot back and let me know! You may find that we have to share it in a future edition of “Reader Blowback.” Email us at gaeditor@outdoorsg.com, or send a letter to “Letters,” Guns & Ammo, 2 News Plaza, 3rd Floor, Peoria, Illinois, 61614.

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