How to Bring Your Gun to the Range – Full Guide

How To Bring Your Gun To The Range
Alfred Mendoza

If you plan to visit a gun range to enhance your shooting skills or enjoy a new hobby, it is good to have a reliable guide on how to bring your gun to the range correctly.

To guide you, our team spent 48 hours researching to simplify the proper gun range etiquette every shooter must know.

7 Easy Steps To Follow

1. Unload and Pack Your Gun In A Case

When bringing your gun, ensure your firearms by checking the chamber flag if it’s unloaded before placing it inside your gun case. Guns should be always be unloaded and secured when not in use to avoid any accidental discharges. 

You can use a bag, backpack, laptop bag, range bag, or specialist gun case if you plan on bringing your firearm. You can also pack some tool kits, gear, and some masking tape with you. However, it is safer to use an appropriate gun case for complete protection and security of the firearm.  

2. Follow Protocols When Transporting Your Gun

When transporting a gun, there are different protocols from federal, state, and locals that you must obey. Based on the US Code about the interstate transportation of firearms, all firearms must be unloaded and placed in your vehicle’s not readily accessible location [1]

You can also check your local and state laws before transporting your weapon or concealed carry it to avoid spending money on fines. In addition, the protocols were made to promote the security of the firearm, citizens, and law enforcement.

3. Identify What You Should Expect In The Shooting Range

Type of Shooting Range

When bringing your firearms to the firearm facility, you must identify what type of facility you will train. It will help you decide and prepare the type of ammo and firearms you should bring in your bag. 

Most indoor ranges offer great amenities like a shooting stall that you can enjoy, while an outdoor range does not limit the types of weapons and ammunition you can use.

Cost

Another thing you must expect in gun ranges is the cost of their services. 

shooting range

You can try some public training facilities at affordable prices. Aside from the hourly rental fee at the center, you can also rent different caliber of weapons and protective types of equipment. 

If you prefer bringing your firearms and personal protection, it would be cheaper than renting out in their gun shop. In addition, there are firearm training centers that cater to tourists with package deals of around $20 for instructions, assistance.

Identify the Rules

If you are a new gun owner, it is important to identify the gun range rules because every center operates independently. There are specific regularizations that you must familiarize yourself with before getting on a session. 

In addition, knowing the regulations is the easiest way to stay safe and earn the respect of the regulars and the facility staff. The regulations may also include a waiver to ensure that the facility is not liable for any untoward incidents.

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4. Listen to the Range Officer (RO)

When inside the facility, you must listen to the Officer who ensures that you follow the instructions, observe firearm etiquette, and operate your firearms. New gun owners must pay attention to the officers when instructing orders to avoid problems.  

In addition, RO is responsible for stage briefings, commands and follows the participants throughout their training or competition. They monitor time, scores the targets hit, and observe safe firearms handling.

5. Follow the 4 Firearm Safety Rules

If you plan on developing your skills, gun safety is a serious thing you should learn and practice. In a training facility, you must read or watch the four universal rules of gun safety that you must follow all the time. 

In a weapon training facility, you must treat all guns as loaded and never let the muzzle point on anything if you are not intended to shoot.

You should also keep your finger off the trigger and be sure of your target and what’s behind it as you point your muzzle to it.

4 Firearm Safety Rules

6. Bring Safety Gears

You can carry your safety gear as well as your own emergency personal injury kit in your bag. In addition, you use eye and ear protection that can be bought at a gun shop or gun store if you don’t prefer renting one. 

Ear and eye protection are essential for shooters and gun owners when working with a loaded gun. We don’t recommend using sunglasses because it will not fully prevent debris from ammunition. 

7. Identify Additional Shooting Range Restrictions

Training facilities have different restrictions, so it would be best to identify any additional restrictions. Some facilities give a maximum fire and ammunition allowance rate before you carry your firearms in your bag. 

They may also require permits or exclude the use of high-powered rifles and ammo. In addition, you can also ask other shooters that are not actively training if you have any confusion on the posted restrictions.

FAQS

Yes, you can bring your own ammo to a gun range. However, the ammunition is subjected to some restrictions and can only be used by the gun owner on their own firearm.

You can use a rifle, shotgun, AR-15, and AK/MKS. However, the type of facility must be considered when using your best gun deals. In addition, tracers, steel cored, incendiary, or penetrating ammo are forbidden.

So, How Do You Bring Your Gun To The Range?

When bringing a gun to the gun range, the gun owner must observe the proper gun etiquette to avoid any untoward incidents. Since dealing with guns can be dangerous, never bring your gun loaded and as much as possible, store it inappropriate gun cases or range bags. 

Carrying or transporting firearms may involve federal and state restrictions, especially concealed carry, so it would be best to check it first. Visiting shooting ranges will be very beneficial to gun owners who want to test out rentals and their prospective gun deals, enhance their skills, or socialize with other enthusiasts.

References:

  1. https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/926A

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