You’ve decided to go to the shooting range for the first time! How  cool is that. I am happy for you. Wether you’ve decided to go as part  of a class, or with someone you already knew, I hope your first time will be safe, fun and educational.

Have you decided what you’re going to wear on your first trip to the  shooting range? If not, I’m going to try to be of some help for you as  you decide. If so, be sure your outfit doesn’t make any of the silly  mistakes I’ve mentioned below.

First up: Head

• Hair- Shooting a firearm is a process that gives off gasses which  settle on your clothes, hair and skin. Plus, shooting requires your full  attention, and that may be hard to give if you hair keeps falling in  your face. It is a good idea to wear your hair in a ponytail, braid, bun  or twist at the shooting range. Be sure to chose a hairstyle that not  only protects your hair from the elements, but also keeps your hair out  of your face and can accommodate wearing a hat and hearing protection.
• Hat- Wearing a hat at the shooting range has several advantages.  First, it will help prevent any flying hot brass from falling down  between your shooting range classes and your eyes. It sounds like a  strange occurrence, but it does happen and it is not comfortable.  Wearing a hat can prevent this. If you’re at an outdoor range, the hat  will protect you from sunburn. It can also keep your hair neat on a  windy day. At either indoor or outdoor ranges, a hat can keep some of  those gasses we were talking about off of your hair.
• Eye Protection- Eye protection is a MANDATORY accessory when firing a  firearm. Rifle, shotgun, pistol, .22 caliber or .45 caliber; it does  not matter. Shooting causes hot gasses and hot casings to fly through  the air. Our eyes are important to us and we must protect them.  Appropriate eye protection for shooting has been rated as a safety  eye-wear item. It does not comprise of regular or prescription sun  glasses, reading glasses or eye glasses. If you do not have a pair,  don’t worry they are not expensive, some ranges loan them out (call  ahead) and your instructor or shooting range buddy may have an extra  pair you can wear (call ahead).
• Ear Protection- “Ears,” as many shooters refer to them, are also  MANDATORY safety items. They come in many styles such as ear plugs,  which are squished up and inserted into the ear; over the ear hearing  protection which are worn across the head and nestled onto the ears like  winter weather ear muffs or a headband; custom made molded ear plugs  which fit in and sometimes in and around the ear; and more! The right  ears for you are ones you can afford, ones which fit you well and which  protect your hearing. Some shooters wear both ear plugs and an over the  ear protection simultaneously. This is especially helpful if you are  shooting, or are next to someone who is shooting a gun or rifle of a  larger caliber.
• Makeup- Thick, creamy foundations can trap gasses and particles  which are expressed into the air at a shooting range each time a firearm  fires a shot. If your skin is delicate, break-out prone or if you  simply would rather skip experiencing the sensation of gasses in your  makeup, skip the foundation on the day you attend the range. A mineral  foundation, blush and mascara should all be okay for you to wear  however.
• Sunscreen- Be sure to apply sunscreen before heading out to an  outdoor shooting range. Many ranges have covered shooting benches, but  you can still get a little color to you and you will probably not be in  the shade when you go out to change or check your targets.
• Jewelery- Personally, I see no problem wearing jewelery to the  range, with a few exceptions. One exception is if the piece is a  sensitive or exceptionally sentimental one. Opals, for example, are very  delicate stones and may be harmed by the activities and gasses found in  a shooting range environment. Your grandmother’s wedding ring is  precious and while nothing should happen to it, I’d rather you leave it  at home where it will be safe.  Another exception is if wearing the item  of jewelery will make you uncomfortable or compromise your safety.  Items such as earrings or eyebrow rings should only be worn if your  piercings will not be irritated by the wearing of eye and ear protection  and will not compromise the effectiveness of your eye and ear  protection.

Shoulders:

• Shirt- The top you choose to wear to the range must be a high-necked  top. No, higher than that. You want something that is as close to a  turtle-neck or mock turtle neck as you are willing to go. Hopefully it  will cover your collar bones. It should also not be a button up top. At  the shooting range, hot brass flies through the air. It’s apart of the  process and the excitement. You may get hit by your own brass and by the  brass of the shooter on the right or left of you if you’re not in a  private shooting bay. These little pieces of hot brass have excellent  cleavage aim. They will find the tiniest gap between chest and shirt and  make a dive for it, causing you to do the  “hot-brass-stuck-down-my-shirt-and-maybe-even-in-my-bra” dance in front of your class or your friend.  Your shirt can be a short sleeved  shirt if it is hot out. Hot brass hitting the arm isn’t as painful as  hot brass down your top. If it is cold out however, or if you’re going  to be shooting a right-handed rifle left-handed, try to wear a long  sleeved top. Your shirt should be machine washable and not dry-clean  only. It should also be a top that doesn’t dirty easily and will come  clean easily.
• Some optional “shoulders” items (If you don’t know what they are or  why you would need them this first range trip, you probably won’t need  them and will be okay without them.): Elbow pads (for shooting in prone  or off of a bench with something that will kick). Chest padded jacket,  vest or shirt (for shooting something that will kick). Longish short  sleeved top, long sleeved top or a shooting jacket (for putting a loop  sling on when shooting prone, sitting or offhand with rifles).

Knees:

• Pants- Pants are an important part of the shooting range outfit. If  you show up without them, the police may be called. Your shooting range  pants should be comfortable, not easily dirtied, machine washable and  easy to get clean. If you will be shooting seated or prone, pants are  important to wear because you don’t want to scrape your knees against  the ground in these positions. When shooting seated and prone it is also  a good idea to wear lose fitting or elastic pants. You want to be able  to breathe smoothly and evenly while you are shooting from these  positions and you want to be comfortable. If you will not be shooting  seated or prone, if your range permits it and you think it’s a good  idea, you can probably get away with wearing shorts and capris. If  you’re brave, you might be able to pull off a skirt.  At the range,  you’ll probably want to sit down, so be careful when choosing light  colored bottoms to wear. The seats may be dusty or dirty. You want to  wear a pant that won’t stain, won’t show a stain or that you don’t care  about staining.

Toes:

• At the range, you will spend a lot of your time standing and you  will be shooting or will be near others who are shooting. As such, your  range shoes should be comfortable and should be closed-toed to avoid any  hot brass touching your feet or lodging between your toes. As with all of your range clothing, they  should be washable if at all possible. They too will be coated with  gasses, which include lead and could use a good washing with all of your  other range clothes when you arrive back home. If you foresee shooting  becoming a staple in your life, you may consider having a dedicated pair  of range shoes that is worn only at the range. This way, you can skip  the washing step without worrying about tracking lead into the house. If  you will be shooting prone at the range, be sure you’re wearing shoes  you don’t mind scuffing up the toes on. Shooting seated may also scratch  the sides of your shoes.

That’s it! You are completely outfitted in range clothes and safety  wear and are ready to go to the shooting range. Be safe and have fun. On  this first trip, use big targets, put them close to you and forget  about accuracy or competition. This is about getting you safe around  firearms and having a good experience. The rest will come in due time.