Safety & Etiquette: What to Do at a Shooting Range

Here's what everyone else is doing at the shooting range, why they're doing it, and how to blend right in.

posted on August 12, 2021
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **

Smith & Wesson's Ken Scott has been shooting and training shooters for a long time, and he knows as well as anyone that one of the most intimidating things for beginners is that first trip to the shooting range. We can read all of the articles and fully understand how gun safety works, but we still walk onto that public range for the first time and realize that we don't really know what to do next. 

In this video from S&W's GUNSMARTS series, which was created specifically to support new shooters in their journeys, Scott will walk you through the sequence of events that should take place when you arrive on the range. From when to put on your eye and ear protection, to how to set your gun down correctly, to how to communicate with your fellow shooters, this video has the step-by-step order of activity that will have you blending right in with the rest of the range in no time flat. 

Latest

Skguns 911 Remembrance Gun
Skguns 911 Remembrance Gun

SK Guns Honors 9/11 Anniversary with Custom 1911 Commander 9 mm

This limited-edition pistol pays tribute to the victims, their families, heroes and the enduring spirit of the American people.

NRA-ILA Launches National "Gun Bus Battleground Tour"

A first for NRA-ILA, the cross-country tour is expected to mobilize gun owners for the 2026 midterms.

In Defense of Social Media Hunting Influencers

Everyone drags influencers, but there are really two categories: Those who do it right and those who…well, deserve to get dragged. The good ones are actually really good for hunting in general.

Fiocchi's Dianna Muller and Lanny Barnes to Represent Team USA at 2026 IPSC Shotgun World Shoot

The championship, to be held in Corinth, Greece, represents IPSC's highest level of shotgun competition and will feature competitors representing nations from around the world.

Shoot Like A Girl Experience Comes to PBR Thunder Days in Ridgedale, MO

Shoot Like A Girl will offer women, men and families an opportunity to experience firearms, archery and a variety of outdoor products in a welcoming, hands-on environment.

9 mm Ultra: The Forgotten 9

Of the five different 9 mm cartridges that can be encountered in brick-and-mortar stores, online and at gun shows, one seems to lead the list of “forgotten cartridges.” Read about it here.

Women's Interests



Get the best of NRA Women delivered to your inbox.