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Range Prep Time

1K views 35 replies 33 participants last post by  R2D2 
#1 ·
How long does it take you to get ready to go the range? It takes me way more time than I'd expect. I have to pick a caliber, then pick a gun, then pick some ammo, then load mags (or speed loaders) and get targets and maybe find a nice cardboard backer depending on what range I go to.

I usually get the range bag ready the night before, everything except the guns. At 5:30 or 6:00 am I grab some coffee get the gun(s) out of the safe and put them in the range bag and then head out to the range. Without counting gun cleaning time, I'd guess that I spend one hour of prep for every hour of range time as well as another half hour or more of travel time to the range.

I'm not as needy as Lee Marvin in Cat Ballou but I have to say I enjoy the prep almost as much as the actual range time.
 
#33 ·
Same here. Longer time is needed for special trips - testing new loads, new gun, ...lots of prep when bringing my oldest daughter who loves to shoot a variety of guns and as rapidly as she can pull the trigger.
 
#4 ·
My range bag stays packed expect for ammo and guns. My range supplies a multitude of targets as part of the club fees so need to worry about that until I get there.

My biggest issue is only deciding what to take :)
 
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#5 ·
I belong to a private outdoor club.

I bring 2 Arntzen steel targets, a rubber dummy, and a stand for cardboard IDPA targets. Since it's self regulated and isolated, I bring a lot of things that are essential for me:

A toolbox
Spare magazines
Speed loaders
Hearing protection
Rangefinder
Spotting scope
Lead sled
Spray paint
Ammo box

I bring anywhere from 2 to 10 guns at a time, consisting of rifles and handguns.

I transport my things onto a utility cart, up the elevator, then into my garage.

Prep time is 20 minutes.

Setup at the range takes about 15-20 minutes. Cleanup time takes about 20 minutes.

My drive to the range is 24-26 minutes.

I can spend 1-5 hours there at the range.
 
#7 ·
I pack everything up the night before. It takes me about Ten minutes. I'll grab a long gun and bag it. I'll go ahead and put target stands ( furring strips), targets and Ammo in the truck. My range bag stays packed (eyes and ears, stapler, shot timer etc..) As far as pistols I usually just take my EDC. It's hard to make progress switching back and forth between guns. I'm off on Mondays and usually go to the club early and stay a few hours. Oh and I keep a 2 gallon bucket and knee pads in the truck just in case I run across big piles of brass here and there. As I drive past each pistol pit I look to see if there is a bunch of brass shining in the sun.
 
#8 ·
I belong to a private outdoor range. It takes about 20-25 minutes to drive there.

I'll decide if I'm going in the morning. 10 minutes before I leave, I pick a gun(s), put ammo in the range bag. Tools, ears, targets, spare batteries, target pins, dump bags, hat, etc are already in all the bags. Load and go. If a short outing, I'll take the compact bag; if an extended one, then the large bag.

I can load mags at the range, so I won't spend time at home loading mags. If you're slow loading mags, get a maglula. If I'm using a chronograph, that's all self contained in it's own bag (with tripod), I grab that as well.

Club will provide large targets when I get there. Target stands are already set up waiting for targets to be pinned or stapled.

I keep prep time to a minimum. Now when I get back it's a different story. Cleaning guns, sorting and prepping brass for reloading takes much, much longer.
 
#10 ·
I've spent last 2 weeks getting ready for trip this weekend. Had to make brass for 3 different cartridges then load ammo for 4 different cartridges. I keep spotting scope, targets, rest, pads, and stapler in truck all the time so never need to worry with that stuff. Usually it's a few hours to gather up ammo and pack everything. If I'm shooting a match it takes a bit longer to gage check ammo. For GSSF I load around 80 mags to shoot 7 divisions so it takes a bit of time checking ammo and loading mags.
 
#12 ·
It takes me 45 seconds - muffs, glasses, mags, guns thrown in bag. Drive 25 minutes(if that counts as prep). Buy ammo and targets at check in at range.
 
#13 ·
Really depends on what I'm doing and shooting.

For competitons or classes, its usually pretty quick. Pull a gun out of the safe, grab however many loaded mags I need for the class and/or any extra ammo and I'm out the door.


If I'm handloading, longer, because I usually don't make my loads up till right before I go, so make up my sets of 5 rounds, and mark them. Get my chrono out and test it, make sure its got good batteries etc. Make sure my targets are all ready to go, fresh targets and such.
 
#15 ·
It can definitely be a hassle. I repack a range bag every trip with whatever specifics that trip calls for.

When I tried to just leave a bag packed, I would show up at the range with a gun that I usually didn't bring and I'd forget the mags or something like that.

Then, I loaded everything up and left it and it was just too much stuff. Things were getting buried in the bags, forgotten that I had them or accidentally lost them digging thru the bag to find other stuff. It just got ridiculous

I've yet to come up with a workable solution that isn't a hassle in one way or another.
 
#19 ·
I plan ahead. I know what I will be shooting, and have ammo set out for it. I can grab said ammo, guns, and bag and be out the door in just a few minutes. Paper is in my bag, steel is in my truck.
 
#20 ·
I have a tackle box with everything I need for cleaning, repairs, site adjustment, spare parts, lubricants, tools, etc. It is always ready to go.

I have an range ammo box (Orange) into which I put mags (typically three or four per gun)for the guns I plan to use on that trip as well as additional ammo for reloading. My speedloaders and magazine loader are always in the ammo box.

My range bag has my safety gear and guns. It also has targets. It is always ready except for the guns. My spotting scope has its own hard and soft case.

I took one of the metal frames from a campaign sign and put cardboard on it. I stick targets to that when I go to an open range. Usually I go to a friends who has target hangers or a range that has target holders.

My only time is getting the guns, getting the magazines and ammo, and putting the bags in my car or truck.

All of my magazines are always loaded and in containers or ammo cans. When I return from the range, they are all loaded back up again and stored. I have anywhere from ten to twenty magazines per gun. For some of my rifles, I have over 100. Even if they are loaded with FMJ, I rather have all my magazines ready to go in case I need them than not.

The magazines designated for SD/HD are loaded with SD ammo.
 
#24 ·
Some people enjoy prep time more than others. It takes me twenty minutes to get a bag ready before a trip with 3-5 pistols in a few calibers. Then again I prep the bag a bit when returning from the range after cleaning the guns to make the "before" prep time the next time shorter.
 
#25 ·
I work on a ranch and shoot almost every day ...at least a few mags......everything I need is in my truck...gun,ammo,ear muffs,glasses. I keep a stack of splatterburst targets at work. I've never been to a range. I suppose I wouldn't like the idea of other people , especially strangers, shooting around me. no prep time is better than prep time.
 
#26 ·
The range I go to most often is my LGS indoor range. I buy the ammo and targets there... my small way of supporting their business, along with paying the annual membership.

I try to stay with two calibers. So my "prep" time is deciding the primary playtoy and a secondary playtoy.
 
#27 ·
Packing up for a Wednesday very early morning shoot before work. I got a new mag release for my P14-45 Para-Ordnance in the mail tonight so I had to install that and test a bunch of mags to see how tight they fit. The older mags (from the 90's) locked up real tight, the new ones are still loose so feeding from those mags is what I want to concentrate on at the range. In this case, range prep was well over an hour but it was focused. Beats watching netfix.
 
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