The Big Mistake Of Not Having A Dedicated Range Bag
One thing that all of us eventually learn as gun owners is the value and the necessity of having a dedicated and made for the purpose range bag. Sometimes people learn this lesson the hard way, but it is my goal today to attempt to convince those who have not yet learned the hard way.
Never Forget Anything Ever Again
The most common way people learn the hard way to have a dedicated range bag is by forgetting key gear. If you have to empty out your school backpack or your work bag and shove all your shooting gear into it each time you go to the range I would bet that you'll forget to pack something.
Click here to request our free Range Bag packing checklist, which has on it 40 suggested items to keep in your range bag. Not all of them are deal breakers that will send you home if you forget them but most of us have had the unfortunate experience of showing up at the range and discovering we forgot spare magazines, ear/eye protection, or enough ammo.
If you have a dedicated bag in which you permanently keep all your gear, then you are much less likely to forget anything.
Transport Your Firearms In A Secure Way
If you purchase and use a range bag that was designed to be a range bag then it likely has specific compartments via which you can transport your firearms. This is likely much more secure and safe then tossing your firearm in the bottom of a bag that was designed to hold a laptop or textbooks.
Carry More With Less Bulk
Similarly, if you have a bag specifically designed to be a range bag it will be much more efficient in carrying firearm / shooting gear. You will be able to transport a lot more of the vital things you need to the range than you would be able to in a bag that wasn't designed for that purpose. My preferred range bag is the G Outdoors Handgunner bag. It isn't much bigger than a normal school backpack but it holds 4 handguns, 500 rounds of ammo, targets, eye and ear protection, 12 magazines, tools, cleaning kit, notebook, trauma kit, and much more.
Putting all that in a normal backpack would be an unorganized disaster if I could even fit everything in there.
That Bag Is Going to Get You In Trouble At The Airport
While maybe not as common as the concern about forgetting something, a significantly worse consequence of cross using bags is a quick arrest at the airport. I personally have 3 acquaintances that have been arrested at the airport because they forgot they had a firearm or a loose round of ammunition in their bag.
Even gunpowder residue has been known to cause traveler delays at TSA security checkpoints. Don't risk it. Never use a bag that has been to the gun range as your carry on or personal item bag at the airport.
What other good reasons can you think of for having a dedicated, made for the purpose range bag? Let me know in the comments below.
Don’t forget minimizing exposure to lead dust. By not sharing a bag between range trips and everyday carry, you are also controlling exposure by minimizing the amount of lead that can get on your everyday gear. Same can be said for dedicated range clothing and shoes, and/or having lead-removing laundry detergent and washing range clothes when you get home.