What to Put in Your Range Bag: The Essentials
November 27th, 2021
7 minute read
No piece of gear is quite as important during a day at the range as the range bag. Having a range bag packed with the right items can mean the difference between having a successful range day or a wasted trip.
The composition of a range bag can vary widely depending on the shooter and what they intend to accomplish on the range. For example, a long-range shooter may want to include more specialty gear pertaining to distance rifle shooting than would a competitive pistol shooter with a Springfield Armory 1911.
The basis of a good balanced all-purpose range bag is to include items that shooters may need in a variety of situations, regardless of what kind of shooting they plan to do that day. Of course, tailoring your gear to your firearms also makes sense – for example, bringing extra magazines and a loader for your Springfield XD when you are working with it.
Here are a few essentials that can be incorporated into any range bag that are sure to enhance your trip to the range.
Safety and Medical Supplies
These are some of the most important items to include in your range bag. Ear and eye protection are indispensable accessories on the range. Having proper eye and ear protection will allow you to look out for your safety and the safety of those around you. If you fire without eye protection you run the risk of debris or shell casings hitting your eye and causing a potentially dangerous situation, not just for you but for others on the range. It is recommended that you pack extra ear and eye protection, should someone you’re shooting with ever forget to bring their own. Just don’t forget to ask for it back when the shooting is done!
A solid pair of purpose-built shooting safety glasses are the best bet for eye protection. Walker’s makes eye protection specifically geared towards shooting with extra thought given to customization. The Walker’s Interchangeable Sport Glasses Kit is a great choice for shooters who want durable eye protection with good clarity.
The kit comes with several different lenses, which can come in handy in various conditions. The included lenses help when shooting in overly bright or low light conditions, depending on which lens the shooter makes use of. Walker’s eye protection is also very reasonably priced, which makes it easy to keep a few pairs on hand in case someone you’re shooting with didn’t bring any eye protection of their own.
If you fire without ear protection, you’ll likely not be able to hear range commands or other shooters speaking to you, not to mention the permanent damage that will be done to your ears. Unfortunately, wearing standard earmuffs or plugs can also make it difficult to hear others on the range. For this reason, I prefer the use of the 3M Peltor Sport Tactical 500s.
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These sleek electronic earmuffs allow the shooter to hear everything that is safe to hear with perfect clarity and nothing that is not. Voices, including that of the wearer, are amplified while potentially ear damaging loud noises cause the headset to mute. This is accomplished by built-in dynamic suppression time. This means that the headset determines how long to cut audio off based on the volume of the shot and noise in the surrounding area. They make use of advanced voice-tracking technology that searches for voices through the background noise and prioritizes their volume.
The headset also features Bluetooth capability should you want to transfer audio from your phone into the headset. There are even controls on the headset to allow for answering and hanging up calls using the ear protection itself should the need arise.
The Tactical 500s run on 2 AA batteries and feature a handy auto shut off feature. Keeping them running is extremely convenient as the batteries are commonly used for a variety of household appliances and are easy to find without a trip to a battery store for specialty batteries. Overall, a set of quality hearing protection is imperative to a good range trip, and the feature filled Tactical 500s provide plenty of protection while being surprisingly comfortable.
Shooters should always include medical supplies in their range bag regardless of what kind of shooting they are doing. Antiseptic wipes, Quickclot gauze/bandages, a tourniquet, and Band-Aids for keeping minor cuts on the hands clean and protected while shooting and operating firearms are all a good start. The antiseptic wipes will decrease the likelihood of infection. The tourniquet will help to stop bleeding from a limb in the event of a serious and life-threatening wound. Quickclot gauze and bandages with applied pressure will help to control bleeding as well and can be an incredibly valuable tool for a variety of medical emergencies.
Targets
Having the gear you need to post a target can save you from having to improvise on the range. Having targets and several mounting solutions is advised. A reliable stapler will be the most helpful tool for pinning targets. The Birchwood Casey Target Stapler is great for posting paper and cardboard targets alike onto a variety of surfaces.
Just in case you find yourself at a range that is not conducive to stapling targets, I like to include clothes pins and tacks in my range bag as well. Unfortunately, If I had a penny for every time the range stapler went missing at my local range, I’d be a wealthy man.
As for the targets themselves, I like to include at least a few in my range bag even if I’m planning on shooting cardboard or steel targets. Paper targets are great for various shooting applications. I personally keep Birchwood Casey Paper IPSC style targets in my range bag as I find they are great for everything from close-range pistol shooting to rifle shooting at 100 yards and beyond.
Tools
Firearms, optics and accessories require a wide array of different tools for adjustments and maintenance. Carrying a few basic tools in your range bag is a great way to be prepared for most of the situations you might encounter on the range.
First and foremost, a good multi-tool will save you a lot of space in the range bag and the hassle of digging around a stuffed compartment. I keep the Real Avid Gun Tool Max in an easily reached compartment on the side of my range bag. The Gun Tool Max provides me with everything from pliers and choke wrenches to precise disassembly and cleaning implements. It’s a well-built gadget I don’t leave for the range without.
If I should find myself needing to do a more intensive cleaning of a gun on the range, I always have a Real Avid Gunboss Pro Cleaning kit packed. This is a basic multicaliber cleaning kit with durable components and a relatively slim storage case that keeps everything organized. Depending on what you are going to shoot, you may opt for a more specific cleaning kit such as those made specifically for AR-pattern rifles like the Springfield SAINT Victor.
Range Bags
Lastly, you must have a solid range bag in order to carry all of this gear and gadgetry. Range bags come in a multitude of formats. Since I do quite a bit of pistol shooting, I personally like something with extra storage space for handguns.
I highly recommend G.P.S. range bags. My particular bag, the Handgunner Backpack, has plenty of room for all of my general-purpose gear, plus space for four handguns to be stored safely in their own “gun rack.” It also has pouches for extra magazines on both sides. All of the bag’s compartments are marked for easy organization.
The bag has a pull-over rain cover inside that is great for keeping your targets and other equipment from being drenched in a downpour. No matter what kind of range bag you decide on, filling it with the supplies mentioned above will ensure you’re not caught unprepared on the range.
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Sam Weitzner
Sam’s interest in guns began at an early age with a love for military history. During high school, Sam began taking classes with Renaissance Firearms Instruction. Over several years he learned everything from basic gun safety to advanced competition shooting techniques. Years later he continues to work with Renaissance as a firearms instructor and content creator. He has a fondness for all guns and shooting disciplines, but especially enjoys handguns. He is currently pursuing a career in law enforcement.
