A scary island themed range day is just what you need to get kids and adults excited about plinking in the crisp fall air. With ghouls and bats everywhere this time of year, a fresh theme is sure to shake up your annual Halloween shoot. Creative range days get kids and newbies interested and make their shooting experience unforgettable.
Safety First
Always preface the fun with the three rules for safe gun handling. This is especially important if you’re inviting friends who don’t have experience with firearms. Also make sure that all of your guests wear eye and ear protection.
If you plan to shoot at an established range, be sure to check their rules before bringing interactive targets. If you’re shooting on your own land, it can be advantageous to set up a makeshift (but sturdy) shooting bench to encourage your guests to keep guns pointed in a safe direction.
Guns
BB guns, air rifles or .22 rimfire rifles are ideal for plinking. They’re easy to handle, and the ammunition is cheap. Although ear protection isn’t required for shooting BB guns, eye protection is still important. If you do choose to shoot .22 rimfire rifles (or larger), be sure to have a proper backstop or berm to safely stop stray bullets.
Fruit-O’-Lanterns
Go bananas this year on jack-o’-lanterns by carving scary faces into melons or pineapples instead of pumpkins. A variety of fun, bright and still spooky targets will liven up any range. You can even mix in some coconuts for a fruit basket of fun.
If you’re sentimental about pumpkins, just put them on island time. Adding sunglasses, a funny hat or leis to your jack-o’-lanterns will give them a tropical makeover.
Piñatas
While they’re usually filled with treats, why waste good Halloween candy? Place the unfilled piñata down range and plink away at the bright paper. With so many different themed piñatas available, a skull, palm tree or any other spooky or tropical shape will look great on your haunted island range.
DIY
Voodoo dolls, papier mâché shrunken heads and tiki mask print outs are all easy do-it-yourself ways to turn your gun range into a tropical nightmare. You can fill milk jugs or 2-liter bottles with water and food coloring or gelatin for tiki death punch or love potion number 9. If you hold your themed range day after Halloween, you might get lucky with discounted decorations to destroy down range! Just avoid glass or anything else that will shatter into a million pieces requiring hardcore cleanup.
Hosting a themed range day is a great way to get kids involved and let everyone develop their skills in an exciting way. If you partake in a spooky shoot this year, be sure to tag us on social media (@nrawomen) or use #nrawomen to spread the Halloween spirit!
