How to Practice Proper Gun Range Etiquette?

Venturing on a journey to learn to shoot or even to hone your current shooting skills at a gun range can be both overwhelming and exciting. It can even help you check which weapon works best for you before investing in one. Whereas, you can also find a detailed scopes comparison in this article to allow your firearm to work more efficiently for unlimited fun.

Furthermore, most gun ranges allow walk-ins as well, which means you can enjoy shooting whenever you feel like it without feeling obliged. You can also socialize with people with the same interests as yours and maybe go on hunting adventures together.

However, with all its pros, you also need to respect the shooting range rules and follow safety measures to feel more welcomed there. Respect is mutual and if you don’t respect the rules of a shooting range, you may not feel respected as you will be putting fellow shooters’ lives in danger, along with the staff members.

Terms You Should Be Aware Of

In order to practice proper gun range etiquette, you need to be well-aware of the terms that are used in the facility by Range Safety Officers, whose duty is to ensure everyone follows the rules.

Firing line. A painted line on the ground can help you determine the firing line. It is basically a row assigned to each individual for shooting.

Cease and commence fire. Ceasefire means to immediately stop firing and step back from the firing line, whereas, commence fire refers to when you are allowed to fire.

Downrange. The area ahead of the firing line where the targets are placed is downrange. It can be only allowed to go downrange during a ceasefire.

Hot and cold. “Hot” and “cold” terms are used interchangeably with commence and cease-fire respectively. When the safety officer says “hot”, it means no one is allowed to go past the firing line, as everyone is allowed to shoot. While “cold” means when no one is allowed to shoot at all.

Fundamental Gun Safety Rules

You should always keep yourself reminded of the three basic gun safety rules to ensure no one’s safety is compromised at the shooting range.

• You should always point the gun in the safe direction whether you are loading or unloading it, as you don’t want to unintentionally injure someone else.
• You should always keep your firearm unloaded and never carry it around loaded as you will pose more danger to others.
• You must never keep your finger on the trigger until or unless you intend to start shooting at the target.

Enter the Range Ethically

The most basic range etiquette that you can follow is to never walk into the facility with a naked gun, as you will make the staff and other shooters feel uneasy. You should always bring it in a case or a shooting bag.

For your own safety, you should bring your basic protective gear like eyes and ear protection or ask the staff members if they can provide them. Proper safety gear will ensure you don’t damage your eyes and ears while shooting.

Follow the Gun Range Rules

You will always be handed out a list of range instructions or rules that you need to abide by, and most of them will also ask to sign a waiver to ensure everyone follows the rules.

If you’re a beginner and still confused about the rules, you can always ask the staff members or the safety officer to get rid of any confusion, and they will be more than happy to help you. You can also ask questions like which firearms are allowed here and what the maximum rate of fire is.

Regular shooters often make the mistake of knowing every rule of the new gun range they are going to as they think all gun ranges have similar instructions. However, it’s essential to read out all the rules whenever you move to a new facility.

Respect Your Safety Officer and Fellow Shooters

Most shooters perceive safety officers to be rude as they yell a lot, although they are simply doing their job of ensuring every command and safety rule is being followed. You can show respect to the officer by adhering to their rules and as soon as they pass a command, you must implement it.

Additionally, your fellow shooters should also be respected. Just because you’re taking a break in between shooting sessions doesn’t mean they are free to talk to you. You can always talk to them after the session is over and respect their space.

Clean Up After Yourself 

As soon as your range safety officer yells “the range is cold”, you should immediately stop and unload your gun and take out the magazine from your gun. You should also remember to pick up bullet casings from your area and dispose of them properly to ensure no one trips over them and make it easier for the staff members at the gun range as well. Although it is not required, it sure is ethical.

In the end, if you borrowed anything from the gun range such as equipment or firearm, you should return them in the same condition as you received them.