Naturally, we’ll leave firearms, ammo, and a gun case from our list of range essentials. They’re obvious, but what else do you need to bring, or should you?

Whether it’s your very first trip ever to a shooting range or you are a seasoned vet, you’ll find that these 10 essentials are as invaluable as they ever were.

Rem Oil

Tried and true, there isn’t a better lubricant out there. Muzzleloader shooters may prefer T/C Bore Butter or some natural and historically accurate alternative, but for the rest of us, there’s Rem Oil.

It’s great for lubricating action bars, bolts, sticky extractors - you name it, just don’t overdo it, and always wipe away any excess, as accumulated oil is a magnet for fouling, dust, and dirt.

Hoppe’s No. 9

Hoppe’s No. 9 bore cleaner is a legendary formula that’s almost as ubiquitous as Rem Oil, although its purpose is cleaning instead of lubrication.

Granted, most of us don’t do any cleaning at the range and save that for the bench when we get home, but particularly hot sessions might leave the action dirty and the bore full of crud.

In those cases, a quick pass-through with a cloth or patch soaked in Hoppe’s No. 9 can work wonders.

Cleaning Brushes, Jags, Mops

Again, most of us do our cleaning at home, but it’s still a good idea to pack a small field cleaning kit for the range.

Bring along a cleaning rod (collapsible) or a bore snake, which are more useful at the range, along with jags, mops, cleaning brushes, and of course, plenty of patches.

Just in case you need to do any off-the-cuff cleaning.

Range Bag (for Organization)

A range bag is a must-have if only for the purpose of keeping everything organized. A soft-sided range bag with plenty of pockets is a plus.

Look for a range bag that has separate compartments for eye and ear protection, gun cleaning accessories, targets, range tools, and of course, ammo.

The more space the better - plus it will save you room in your gun case.

Eye Protection

Some ranges will let you in with prescription eyewear instead of dedicated protective glasses or goggles, but it’s basically a universal range rule that you can’t shoot without eye protection.

Pro tip: Don’t just use a clear pair of glasses. Get a tinted set, too, for those brighter days. You’ll be glad you brought them as a spare.

Ear Protection

Ear protection is as vital as eye protection and most if not all ranges will not allow you to shoot unless you have hearing protection for every member of your shooting party.

You have two basic options: over-ear and in-ear hearing protection.

Over-ear hearing protection, like headphones, provides some of the best hearing protection out there. They can keep your ears warm in the cold, too. It’s also easy to put on headphones and take them off, but some shooters find them uncomfortable and bulky.

Your other option is in-ear hearing protection - that is, earplugs. There are both reusable and single-use earplugs. The good thing about earplugs is that they are small, portable, cost-effective, easy to use, and stay out of your way. The bad news is they can be easy to lose and shouldn’t be shared.

Our advice? Bring both, and bring spares of each. That way, you always have a few earplugs to share with buddies at the range.

Chamber Flags

Not everyone has these at the range but they are pretty useful to have and some ranges require them.

These are small plastic flags, brightly colored in yellow, orange, or red, that you stick in the open action of your firearm whenever a ceasefire is called.

These little chamber flags (also called action flags or action indicators) serve as a helpful visual cue for range officers so they can be sure there are no closed actions on the range whenever there is a ceasefire order in effect. They also serve as a courtesy to your partners at the range.

Splatter Targets

Regular paper targets are just fine, but splatter targets are better. These are usually made with a black background and create a high-contrast splatter when struck by a bullet, usually creating a bright ring of blue, green, yellow, or orange around the point of impact.

This makes it much easier to see where your shots are landing, especially if you are shooting at greater than 50 yards and don’t have a spotting scope (see below).

Bog Chairpod

Another great range accessory is a shooting chair like a Bog ChairPod. Collapsible and highly portable, and providing support at both the front and rear of the weapon, Bog ChairPods provide benchrest accuracy wherever you need to go. This makes them perfect for ranges that have limited benches, or ranges that require you to bring all of your own gear.

This also means Bog Chairpods aren’t just great at the range - they’re perfect for hunting, too. Set one up along a field edge or in your ground blind, it’ll support your weapon, and the 360° “Silent Swivel” seat rotation feature is perfect for when you’re presented with a surprise shot that you weren’t expecting.

A Spotting Scope

Last but not least, a spotting scope is a great piece of gear to bring to the range, especially if you are shooting at ranges of 100 yards and beyond and don’t have a buddy with binocs to do your scoring for you.

Once you set up your targets, set up a spotting scope and dial it in on your targets before you start shooting. It’ll make it much easier to see where your shots are landing, do your scoring, and sight in your rifle.