duplex scope crosshairs logo in orange color
duplex scope crosshairs logo in orange color

Tips for Your First Firing Range Visit

Visiting a firing range allows you to practice your shooting skills and target shooting is helpful for toning muscles like your arms and abs. Besides these benefits, it’s just plain fun. If you’ve never visited a shooting range before, you are likely wondering what to expect. The tips in this article can help you have a fun and safe visit to the firing range.

Ask Questions If You Need To

As a new shooter, you are likely going to have questions and this is completely okay and expected. If you are shooting with a more experienced friend, you should ask them any questions you may have to make sure you fully understand what you should be doing. If you are going to the range alone, you can always ask the Range Safety Officer (RSO). When you arrive, you should let them know that you are a beginner so they are aware of this and can provide you with any assistance you may need. At The Hub, we also have all first-time range visitors watch a safety briefing video that goes over all of the rules in detail.

Protect Your Eyes and Ears

Eye and ear protection are both necessary for a visit to the shooting range. Firearms are loud enough to cause immediate and irreversible damage to your hearing and shooting glasses shield your eyes from any potential hazards. You can either purchase these at our range or bring your own.

Know the Rules of Gun Safety

Safety is essential any time you are handling firearms. If you don’t already know the rules of gun safety, make sure you learn them and keep them in mind at all times.

As a refresher, these are:

  • Treat every gun as though it is loaded, even if you are sure it’s not.
  • Never point the muzzle at anything you are not willing to shoot.
  • Practice trigger discipline by keeping your pointer finger off the trigger and outside of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.
  • Know your target and what is beyond it before firing.

Following these rules helps keep you and everyone else who you are sharing the range with safe.

Follow All RSO Instructions

The RSO is there to make sure everyone visiting the range stays safe. It’s important to show them respect and to follow any and all instructions they give you. In addition to putting your safety at risk, failure to do this will result in your immediate removal from the shooting range.

Some commands you may hear from the RSO include:

Cease Fire

This command is fairly straightforward. If you hear the RSO or anyone else say “cease fire,” stop shooting immediately and do not touch your firearm until you hear the RSO give the “all clear” command.

Commence Fire/Range is Hot

The command to commence fire usually comes after a warning that the range is about to go hot. At this point, it is safe to shoot. Always wait to shoot until you have been told it is okay.

Make Safe/Range is Cold

If you hear this command, you should apply your gun’s safety and do not handle your firearm. This is to make the range area safe for anyone entering. You may also hear the phrase “range is cold” which means that no one should be firing or handling their weapons.

Visit Our Indoor Shooting Range

Both of The Hub’s Arizona gun stores have indoor shooting ranges where you can practice firing. We are a welcoming environment for advanced shooters and beginners alike. We also offer rifle and pistol rentals so you can try a new gun and you can get a discount if you choose to purchase that model after using it on the range.

Visit our firing range today in Tucson or Lakeside.
a man shooting at an indoor firing range

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