The holidays are over. It’s a great time to consider smaller gifts for the shooter close to your heart.
Shooters love when a family member acknowledges their interests in firearms. My wife has gifted me firearm accessories in the past and it’s been really thoughtful of her. I do need to tell her which product I’m looking to get – but one thing will never go out of style … the range bag.
What is a range bag
A range bag is exactly as it sounds. It’s a bag shooters take to the range to carry their essentials. We will explain later what products go into a range bag and which products you might consider adding to your range bag gift.
What is the difference between a range bag and a backpack?
So why buy a range bag when your shooter has a tactical backpack or gun case?
This is a great question. I have a favorite military backpack that I like to take to the range. It’s a GORUCK GR1. It’s great for carrying a laptop, books, notepads, everything you need.
And that’s the problem – it’s my go-to travel backpack. I’m not getting on a plane from Dallas-Fort Worth to Laguardia with the potential of:
- Ammo still in my backpack
- Gunpowder residue getting flagged at screening (especially leaving LGA)
- Whatever else I didn’t take out of my backpage (knives, multi-tools, etc)
Unless you like to live dangerously or unpack your bag between range and work-trips, I’d suggest keeping a totally separate bag altogether.
What to put in a range bag
Eye protection
This is an area you don’t want to skim in. Most if not all of us rely on our eyes for life everyday. Don’t ruin your life by not wearing eye protection.
Most ranges won’t let you shoot without it.
Look for eye protection that won’t introduce additional fragments into your eyes when struck by a ricochet or foreign object. Now – we’re not saying the glasses need to be bullet proof (not do we know that such a thing exists?) but keep your eyes healthy.
Shoot steel targets at close range with a pistol could cause ricochets. Don’t take the chance.
Hearing protection
Your shooters range will offer hearing protection at a crazy cost. Invest once in a decent pair of earmuffs or a bottle of foam ear plugs. Shooters should never take them out of their range bag. You’ll always need them to shoot. Just like your eyewear.
Ammo
Pretty self explanatory here. Your shooter will need ammunition for their firearm. Big plus if you help provide the proper caliber and lots of it!
Targets
There are multiple types of targets. Paper, steel, cardboard, rifle, shotgun, pistol, situational, sight-in, and defensive. It’s cheaper to buy these online than at the range. They’ll charge you a dollar per target when you could buy them much cheaper with us.
Other suggestions
Multitools
Cleaning kit
Gun mat
Who makes the best range bag?
NCSTAR Competition Range Bag
We don’t actually own this specific bag but we have one very similar to it. We chose to showcase it because it’s larger than other bag. It includes:
- Main compartment: 7¾”W X 15½”LX 10”H
- Lockable zippers
- Velcro areas for name tapes and patches
- Room for 8 AR15 magazines or 16 double stack pistol magazines
- Shoulder strap
- Carrying handles
- Retails at $38.99
Coyote Brown Grey Ghost Gear Range Bag
The Grey Ghost Gear Range Bag will get you to the range with the kit that you need for a day on the range and keep it organized and handy. It is:
- Constructed of 500D nylon Cordura.
- Equipped with a generous shoulder strap
- Padded and contoured to stay on the users shoulder when they have their hands full
- fully adjustable
- Easily removed by disengaging the side release buckles on either side
- Retails $175.00
- Why so much???
The range bag has a larger inside diameter and is more durable with its 500D nylon Cordura design. This bag will hold up with the heaviest of loads (especially with hundreds of rounds of ammo!)
- Why so much???
Tropic Multicam Grey Ghost Gear Range Bag
The features for this bag mirror the coyote bag above with the one difference … It’s Tropic Multicam! This is a unique camouflage pattern and very popular. It’s an excellent opportunity to show off at the range.
Other storage solutions would include hard cases, like the Pelican line of cases.
Where can I buy a range bag?
Your typical big box outdoor stores will carry similar items. However, they’re often the bargain brand version of the higher end models. They just won’t stand up to the rigours of hundreds of rounds of ammunition and accessories typically carried in these bags.
Worth Firearms in Keller, TX keeps these products in stock. We also have access to other colors and rugged brands for your gifting needs.