What's In Your Range Bag?

December 19, 2018 By Dave Young (YoungBuckDave)

What's in your range bag? Have you ever stopped and thought about what exactly you have in your range bag and why you have it there? Do you just toss stuff in there the night before or do you have certain items that always stay in your range bag and are key components to making your range day fun, enjoyable, and safe?

Depending on what kind of shooting you plan on doing does it affect what you carry in your range bag? All of these questions frequently get overlooked so for the month of December I'm going to give you an in-depth look into what is inside my range bag and why I have those items in there. Some items are simple like ear protection. Plain and simple I always have those because I don't want to lose my hearing, but I do have other items in there that I have specifically chosen to fit my needs and you may find out it might be something that works for you as well.

First off, I'm going to talk about the range bag itself. I actually got my range bag over 4 years ago when I ordered some gear off of LAPoliceGear.com. They included the range bag if you spent over a certain dollar amount. I didn't expect much since it was a bonus gift but was highly surprised by the amazing quality of it and how it has held up over time with being used on the range in rain, snow, and sunshine. Many companies make range bags designed like the one I use. It's the perfect size for me to fit everything I need to take to the range and more. I do know you can purchase this bag from their website for an inexpensive price and, like I said, I couldn't be happier with mine and how it has held up over years of abuse and carrying stuff to and from my range trips. It's big enough to put ammo, guns, magazines, eye/ear protection, and even some medical supplies. The bag has never ripped from carrying all of my gear, which in my opinion, is a big plus because it shows that the design and quality of the bag was constructed to carry heavy items.

The second thing that is always in my range bag is plenty of pistol and rifle magazines. Its never fun getting to the range and getting ready to shoot to realize you only have one spare mag and the mag in your gun is currently filled with your carry ammo. So, then you have to unload all of it and then will only have the one mag to shoot with which can suck if you are trying to accomplish certain shooting exercises. I preload my pistol magazines to save time which allows me to bring more ammo to the range. On the outside of my bag there are two rifle magazine pouches which can hold a total of 4 rifle magazines (two on each side) and you can even throw more inside the bag if you want. The third and fourth items that I always have in my bag are my eye and ear protection. I usually carry both plugs and muffs for my ears because, depending on where I am shooting and what I am shooting, doubling up on ear protection never hurt anyone. I always have an extra set for anyone that may have forgotten their own ear protection. The fifth item I always keep in my range bag is a bottle of good quality gun oil just in case the weapons need extra lubrication during a class or just shooting in general.

The sixth item or items I always keep in my range bag are medical supplies. Being a former firefighter and EMT, I am a firm believer that people should know basic medical care to assist someone in need until more advanced care arrives. Therefore, I keep my range bag stocked with my own personal med kit and another med kit to use on someone else if they should get hurt. Many companies make basic trauma kits already stocked with the necessary components to help someone that may be injured so you don't have to buy bits and pieces to build you own if you don't want to. Some of the items in my med kit are gauze, disposable gloves, tourniquets, compression bandages, medical wraps, and tape so you can secure the dressings in place. The seventh and eighth items that I always keep in my range bag are simple and they are a roll of duct tape and a sharpie marker. Both items can be used to mark off shots or cover up your shots on a target. This allows you to train accordingly and accurately by seeing where your shots are going.

Going to the range can be a lot of fun but nothing ruins a range trip more than realizing you left a bunch of stuff at home. So next time, before you leave for the range, stop and double check to make sure you have everything you need for a fun day of slinging lead.