Summertime is range time. To keep you safe and help fine-tune your shooting skills, ensure you have the right range gear before sending bullets from your favorite big-game rifles.
by Mark Kayser
A strange phenomenon occurs in the summer at my place. My kitchen transitions into a gunsmith shop as I set up new rifles for the upcoming hunting seasons. Riflescopes, firearm caddies, and wrenches litter the countertops. After setup, my machine shed transitions into a gun range facility, complete with an area to clean rifles and an area to allow rifles to cool between zeroing sessions.
Currently, my efforts extend toward tuning a Bergara Squared Crest Carbon rifle in the new 7mm PRC caliber. As that rifle moves to the shooting range, a plethora of range gear joins the ranks of gun cleaning components already stationed in the barn to break in a new rifle barrel. Before any shooting occurs, a medley of targets helps confirm that the rifle has met its accuracy goals.
Targets
My shooting range consists of a rolling horse pasture. Beyond a series of handgun and AR-15 targets lies a berm along with a wooden shelf to stage 100-yard zero targets. I will often use a cardboard box as the target holder with Hornady’s Lock-N-Load self-adhesive targets. Peel the backing off the target and slap it onto a cardboard box to set up in any safe backstop range area. You can stick them to a plywood frame or a prefabricated target-holding device.
In addition to the adhesive backing, what sets these targets apart is their grid system to dial in the precise adjustments to your riflescope. The targets measure 1-foot square and consist of four separate targets featuring a half-inch grid pattern in a black and red color scheme. Aiming points are highlighted in white, and when you land a bullet on the target, striking white holes show your hits with the naked eye or optics. Order the targets straight from Hornady or through outlets like Midway USA.
For the long tests, I have a series of metal gongs and plates scattered throughout my horse pasture; each painted white and retouched between shooting sessions. The longest gong sits at 600 yards. My son built and set up the steel course, but you can easily purchase steel gongs and targets from various outlets. I have a Caldwell Magnum Rifle Gong metal target amongst my heavy metal friends. Unfortunately, my son shot the chain off it in a flurry of AK or AR bursts (who knows!). I replaced it with some sturdy wire, which still swings today upon impact. Look at their Magnum Rifle Swinger for an upgraded model.
Your range may not have a steel course, but these courses offer a unique platform to test your rifle after you zero it. You can estimate distance, judge wind, and determine what range you can shoot at and what long-distance shots to avoid. Your local shooting club may have a steel course available.
Shooting Bench Accessories
Most commercial shooting ranges provide sturdy shooting benches or heavy tables to set up for a zeroing session. My property does not, but I remedied this with a Caldwell Stable Table Shooting bench on a tripod foundation. It resides permanently outside my shed door and allows me to go to the shed for cleaning between test rounds.
The bench has a padded seat, a wide rifle rest area, and limited all-around joints to add stability. Yes, it does break down into seven pieces with a series of quick-release pins. That equals a unit you can take with you to your pasture range or varmint hunting destination. The height of the table and seat is adjustable, and the steel and molded plastic tabletop are weather-resistant. Mine has been sitting outside for over a decade with only a hint of faded paint.
For a solid rest on the table, I have tinkered with Caldwell’s Matrix and a couple of other commercial rests, but I prefer the solid groundwork of sandbags most of the time. That’s not to say I won’t use a custom bag rest. Although my two Caldwell Deadshot Shooting bags, front and rear combo package, have duct tape repairs, they still show up for stability duty. To snug them up or add another cornerstone to my shooting foundation, I add a couple of homemade sandbags I crafted back in high school, a long time ago in a faraway cornfield environment.
When teamed together, the shooting table and rifle bag rest give me steadiness to confirm MOA at 100 or 200 yards, depending on my zero preference. Once completed, I can move on to smacking steel from the table or kicking off my shooting practice from bipods or a backpack.
Hearing Protection
Before flipping off the safety, you need protection for your ears and eyes. Unless a regulation exists where I cannot hunt with a suppressor, all my rifles now sport a Silencer Central suppressor. My latest includes the affordable Buck 30 by Banish. The multi-caliber suppressor reduces noise levels to 132 dB (decibels), deemed safe by government standards. Trust the government at your discretion, though.
You need to zero your rifle with a suppressor attached, as the suppressor may change the zero slightly if removed. Even with that hearing safety included, I still use foam ear plugs at a minimum to minimize the effects of repeated shooting. If you do not have a suppressor or wish to do the utmost in hearing protection, consider muffs or even specialized hearing protection such as Walker’s Silencer 2.0 Electronic Ear Buds.
These tiny ear buds provide digital protection and audio enhancement. A patented system of customizable and comfortable ear canal tips ensures a secure fit. The buds are Bluetooth compatible with your phone for easy control, but they also include volume control on the bud itself. Wireless programs allow you to make detailed adjustments to help with wind reduction, gunshot suppression, voice prompts, and more. When appropriately used, the expected noise reduction is down to 24 dB. Consider these handy, rechargeable buds for range time and hunting.
Eye Protection
For eyes, I trust the experts at Wiley X and take their WX Reconto the range and beyond. These sunglasses look sporty, but beyond good looks, they are designed to protect your eyes from UV and stray projectiles. The WX Recon meets ANSI Z87.1 safety standards for clarity and impact protection. This standard requires the product to pass a rigorous test to guarantee they can withstand high-speed impacts, non-ionizing radiation (pray if you encounter Chernobyl radiation), and even chemical exposure, in addition to being crystal clear for work performance.
The WX Recon is also 100 percent UVA/UVB certified against sun damage to your eyeballs. The matte grey or matte black shades include polarized black mirror lenses. Rubber temples and nose pads add to the comfort. The entire product is feather light to the point that you hardly feel it on your face. Whether I am pounding steel in my pasture, checking accuracy with my Glock, or hiking in the mountains, the WX Recon accompanies me.
Take your range time seriously. Using the right gear safeguards your outing and confirms that your rifle is not only range-ready but hunting-ready.
