Safety Tips For Your First Visit To A Gun Shooting Range

If you recently purchased your first firearm, then a trip to the gun range should be in your future plans. The only way to become effective with a new weapon is to gain experience shooting it. Additionally, if your new gun has a sighting scope. then it needs to be correctly sighted in so you can accurately hit a target. 

Visiting a shooting range for the first time is both intimidating and exciting. If you have been putting off a visit because you are not sure how to properly handle yourself or your firearm while there, then these tips will help you feel more secure about your first gun range adventure.

Safety Tip: Call Ahead to Determine What Types of Ammunition You Can Bring to the Gun Range

While you can legally purchase many different types of ammunition for your firearm, you may be surprised to learn that you can only shoot certain types at shooting ranges.

For example, many ranges disallow the shooting of

  • armor-piercing ammunition
  • tracer ammunition
  • hollow-core ammunition
  • steel-core ammunition

For this reason, you should call up the range before you go and ask what type of ammunition you should bring along with you to shoot.

Safety Tip: Bring Along Vision and Hearing Protection

Gun ranges are noisy places with burning-hot ejected casings flying around. For this reason, it is vital you bring along protection for your eyes, ears, and skin.

Wear long-sleeve shirts and jeans to the range, and make sure you bring along a pair of safety glasses and earplugs.

Safety Tip: Remain Vigilant About Where You Point Your Firearm

When you are at the firing range, there will be other people walking around and shooting their firearms. For this reason, you need to be hyper-vigilant about where you point your firearm at all times. 

Safety Tip: Ask Questions and Utilize the Knowledgable of the Gun Range's Staff

Shooting ranges employ people who are experts in both safely handling and shooting firearms of all different types. When you visit the gun range, make sure you ask the staff any questions you may have about your firearm as well as the rules and procedures of the range itself. 

There is no reason to feel embarrassed or insecure about your lack of knowledge. Everyone was new to firearm ownership at some point, and those same folks are happy to help you enjoy your new firearm in a safe and sane manner.

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