Tips for Proper Shooting Range Etiquette

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When you are out on the firing range, it pays to know the basic etiquette that other shooters use to help maintain proper gun safety. There are four rules that you should be aware of and all of them follow the National Rifle Association (NRA) guidelines for maximizing safety at the gun range.

Add Space

If you go when not so many shooters are around, choose a lane that does not have anyone on either side. The advantages start with there being less noise overall and not worrying about the spent cases that are ejected from your weapon or being hit by those ejected from other weapons. This also means that you will have fewer distractions when you are out on your own.

Use a Shooting Bag

While the shooting bag is a classy way to carry your firearm and all the accessories, it is also there for safety reasons. While you can carry your firearm separately from the rest of your items, having it all in a shooting bag is considered the safest simply because it prevents many accidents from occurring while on your way to the range. Just remember not to remove your firearm until you get to the firing port and then put it back before you leave.

Brass Policy

All shooting ranges have a policy on whether you can take the brass or expended shells home with you after your session is over. There are some ranges that do not allow you to take it because they sell the expended shells as scrap or to a company specializing in reloading. This practice helps keep the shooting range in business, so be sure to ask before you start picking up the brass.

Tidy Up Before Leaving

When you are done for the day be sure to clean up the area to make it cleaner than when you left. This means throwing away all trash, empty ammo boxes, targets that have been use and so forth. Pick up the brass if allowed and if not, sweep it into a place where it can be picked up by the range. You can take the target stand down or simply take the targets back to the office.

Remember to read all the rules of the range so that you follow their policies while maintaining a clean area to shoot.