Essential Shooting Range Gear

Are you going to the shooting range for the first time and wondering about shooting range gear? Perhaps you're also an experienced range shooter looking for better gear.

Regardless, the best forms of gear include hats, ear protection, eyewear, and soled-toed shoes. Most of these items will protect your body from spent shell casings that can burn your skin. You should also carry a proper bag around to store all the important items you'll need for the range.

This article will show you what to wear to the gun range in detail. Let's explore.

Wear a Suitable Hat

Gun range gear should include hats because it will protect your head from brass shell casings. Hot shell casings could get between your eyes and glasses, burning your face.

Also, hats will protect your eyes from the sun and help you focus on shooting. If you have long hair, a hat will also keep hair strands out of your eyes.

Note:

In some cases, a gun range may require you to wear a baseball cap when shooting.

Further, tie your hair in a bun or in a ponytail to keep your hair out of the way. Then, put a cap over your hair to add more protection.

A snapback hat is the best hat to wear on the range due to its comfort and flexibility. A brimmed hat, on the other hand, doesn't provide adequate protection against ejected cartridges.

Eye Protection

Eye protection will safeguard your eyes from brass and other outdoor elements. Goggles and other forms of eyewear will also prevent dust or debris from getting into your eyes, helping you focus on your aim in the process. Moreover, protective glasses help your vision contrast objects, allowing you to see your target more clearly.

Note:

You should also wear eye protection when cleaning your gun to prevent chemicals from getting into your eyes.

With that, only certain forms of eyewear can offer you the protection you need. Choose something that's impact resistant. Overall, quality eyewear comes in three primary standards:

• European ENI66
• US Military MIL-PRF-31013
• US Civilian ANSI Z87.1

Wear the military-grade eyewear if you're contending with excessive debris that may get into your eye. The civilian version is the minimum standard and more reserved for range shooting.

The best type of eye protection is wraparound glasses that cover the side portions of your eyes. They're generally bendable and can conform to your head easily. Reading glasses, for example, don't provide adequate protection because your eyes are vulnerable from the side.

Protect Your Hearing

Your shooting gear should also include earplugs to protect your hearing from incessant gunshots. At the range, you'll most likely be in close proximity to fellow shooters who will fire their guns repeatedly. The loud noise of gunfire can damage your hearing permanently if you don't wear sufficient ear guards.

Example:

85 decibels constitute an acceptable hearing limit on a daily basis, but gun ranges can evoke between 140 to 165 decibels on average. 140 decibels alone are enough to cause permanent hearing damage.

With that, you can find comfortable forms of ear protection that won't bother you while shooting. Earmuffs or earplugs are passive forms of protection that can prevent hearing damage. If you're looking for active protection, you can buy electronic muffs and hearing aids that actively reduce noise levels around you.

Regardless, always wear some form of hearing protection to prevent tinnitus and other forms of ear damage

Protective Footwear

To be a good shooter, you need a solid stance. Moreover, you cannot maintain a good stance unless you have comfortable shoes. Overall, you should wear the same type of footwear that you wear every day to better acquaint yourself with the weapon.

However, you should wear closed-toed shoes at all times, such as sneakers or boots. Open-toed footwear exposes your feet to hot brass and lead.

You should also buy a pair of shoes that's for the range alone. The shoes you wear at the shooting range may absorb lead particles that you may track into your home.

Wear Appropriate Clothing

When it comes to pants and shirts, avoid anything that's baggy or long. Loose or baggy clothes hamper your ability to fire effectively. Moreover, loose clothing items increase the likelihood of shell casings getting into your clothing and burning your skin. The two main noteworthy items that you should avoid include the following:

Short Shorts:

Short shorts don't protect your legs from casings. Also, you may have to lie down when shooting, exposing your skin to the dirt or the hot ground. Moreover, short shorts distract you while shooting, as you'll have to adjust the shorts often.