Pistol Range Bag Essentials: What I Actually Carry

I’m a minimalist when it comes to range gear. I don’t play the what-if game, because I’ve done that before. You start throwing stuff into your range bag because you might need it, and before long you’re hauling around a much bigger bag full of gear you never actually use.

For a normal pistol range session, I keep things pretty simple. If it doesn’t help me shoot, maintain the gun, or solve a problem I’m reasonably likely to encounter, it probably doesn’t need to come with me.

Here’s what actually makes it into my pistol range bag.

Pistol

Your pistol, obviously.

Technically, mine usually isn’t in the range bag since I carry concealed. Depending on what I’m doing that day, I’ll sometimes throw my Glock 17 in as well if I want to get some practice in with it or just shoot it suppressed for fun.

There’s no reason to bring half the gun safe with you unless you’re specifically planning to shoot multiple pistols.

Spare Magazines

I like to have at least three magazines total, including the one in the gun.

That gives me enough to work reloads and failure drills without bringing a pile of magazines I probably won’t use. If you’re doing a specific drill or class that requires more, obviously adjust accordingly.

For a normal range trip, three works for me.

Eye Protection

Pretty obvious. Bring it.

Ear Protection

I keep a set of electronic in-ear protection along with some old-school rubber earplugs.

Both take up almost no room and do what they’re supposed to do. I’ve got severe hearing loss from the military, so I kinda use that as a natural layer of hearing protection.

That last part is a joke. Protect your hearing.

Shot Timer

If you’re not tracking your progress, you’re wasting ammo.

A shot timer gives you something objective to work against. Draw times, splits, reloads, transitions — whatever you’re working on, the timer tells you whether you’re actually getting faster or just feel like you are.

With the cost of ammunition, I’d rather shoot 100 rounds with a purpose than burn through 300 rounds making noise.

Ammo

Speaking of ammo, I generally bring at least 100 rounds.

That’s enough for a productive pistol session without turning every range trip into a high-round-count event. If I’m testing something specific or working through a longer training session, I’ll bring more.

The important part is having a plan for those rounds before you start shooting.

Spare Batteries

If your pistol has a red dot or weapon light, keep spare batteries in the bag.

They’re tiny, weigh practically nothing, and a dead optic battery can put an early end to whatever you planned on working on that day.

Basic Tools and Cleaning Gear

I’m not bringing a full armorer’s bench to the range.

A few basic tools that fit your pistol, along with enough cleaning and maintenance gear to deal with common problems, are plenty. The goal is to fix minor issues and keep shooting, not rebuild the gun from the firing pin forward.

What About Medical?

I absolutely think medical belongs at the range. I just don’t keep a dedicated trauma kit in my range bag because I already carry one.

Since I carry concealed regularly, I keep a simple pocket trauma kit on me that includes a SnakeStaff Systems ETQ tourniquet, which I carry IWB opposite my pistol.

If you don’t already carry medical gear, I’d add a compact trauma kit to your range bag. At minimum, it should be appropriate for dealing with the types of injuries that can happen around firearms until higher-level medical care arrives.

The Range Bag

Now you need something to put all this stuff in.

Again, I’m a minimalist at heart. I prefer to keep things as simple as possible, and I don’t play the what-if game anymore. When I did, I found myself carrying stuff I never used in a larger bag than I needed.

For pistol shooting, I use the Savior Equipment Compact S.E.M.A. Pistol Backpack.

It gives me enough room for the gear above without encouraging me to pack for a three-day sustainment operation every time I head to the range. That’s really what I want out of a pistol range bag: enough organization to keep everything where it belongs without unnecessary bulk.

If you want to check it out, there are two options:

• Savior Equipment Compact S.E.M.A. Pistol Backpack on Amazon — our link currently saves you about $20 compared to buying direct.
• Savior Equipment Compact S.E.M.A. Pistol Backpack from Savior Equipment

You can certainly carry more than this. Plenty of shooters do.

But after years of stuffing range bags with things I might need, I’ve found that I’d rather bring what I know I’ll use, have a plan for the ammo I’m shooting, and leave the rest at home.