Shooting Range Beginners

Shooting Range Beginners

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
A beginner's guide to public shooting ranges. First-time visitors shouldn't be intimidated to visit a Fish and Game range and enjoy a day of shooting. Visiting a supervised shooting range for the first time can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Shooting ranges are designed for safe firearms practice for shooters of all abilities, and they can be a great place for beginners to learn more about responsible, safe shooting.

Most of the anxiety that first-time range-goers feel stems from uncertainty. There is also the added pressure of shooting in front of more experienced firearms handlers, which can make an inexperienced shooter feel intimidated. By learning more about how public shooting ranges work, you can put a lot of that anxiety to rest. If you are a responsible and safe firearm handler, have good range etiquette, and follow the range rules, more experienced shooters shouldn’t intimidate you. In fact, many veteran shooters will be happy to offer help or advice if you ask them for it.

While every shooting range is a little different, this general guide provides the basics, and will hopefully make you more confident during your first trip to a public shooting range and make it safe and enjoyable. 

Before you go: Know the shooting safety fundamentals

Before heading out to a public shooting range, you absolutely need to know the basics of gun safety. If you’ve taken a Hunter Education course in Idaho, which covers firearm safety extensively, you should already have a good handle on this, but it doesn’t hurt to review the “Ten Commandments of Firearm Safety”

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