Everyone has driven to the range and realized the 9mm ammo is still sitting on the workbench. A short checklist fixes that, and it makes the trip safer too.
Before you leave
- Firearms, unloaded and cased. Arrive with every firearm unloaded and in a case or cover. It is basic range courtesy and many ranges require it.
- The right ammo for each firearm. Check the caliber on every box against every gun you are bringing, and count what you have.
- Magazines, loaded only at the line if your range requires it, plus a speed loader if you use one.
- Eye and ear protection for everyone in your group. Bring a spare set for a friend.
- Targets, stapler or tape, and a marker for keeping score.
- Range ID, membership card or permit, if your range or state asks for them.
Comfort and safety extras
- A hat with a brim and a shirt with a collar. Hot brass finds its way into open collars.
- Closed-toe shoes.
- A small first aid kit with a tourniquet.
- Water and a snack for longer sessions.
- A cleaning kit or bore snake for a quick wipe-down before the drive home.
At the range
Read the posted rules and follow the range officer. Know the commands: cease fire means stop shooting immediately, unload and step back from the line, and nobody touches a firearm or goes forward until the range is called clear. Wear your eye and ear protection the entire time you are on the range, not only when you are shooting. Project ChildSafe has a good short guide to range etiquette.
When you get home
Log what you shot while you still remember it: rounds per firearm, the ammo you used, and how the groups looked. Clean anything that needs it, and restock the ammo you are low on before the next trip, not the morning of.
How Kalix helps
The Range-Day Checklist, new in Kalix 1.8, builds this list for you. Pick the firearms you are taking and it pulls the matching ammo from your inventory with the rounds on hand, the magazines and holsters assigned to each gun, eye and ear protection, and your own extras. Tick things off as you pack. When you are back, log the session for each firearm with the ammo you packed already selected, and your ammo stock updates on its own.
Further reading
- Six keys to proper etiquette at the range, Project ChildSafe
Every range has its own rules. When in doubt, ask the range officer.
Posted in Range Days · Range · Checklist