Merry Cyber Monday. There’s still time left and there’s a lot of gear that shooters want, but just never seem to get around to getting for themselves. Christmas, of course, is a fantastic time to give them that gift that will help them on their quest for TOTAL RANGE DOMINATION.
There are many more awesome pieces of gear out there, and please sound off about those in the comments. Obviously, there could be no comprehensive guide to shooting gear; it would take all year to compile and would be out of date by the time we ran it, which people would definitely complain about.
But here are 8 serious pieces of kit for the competitive or avid shooters that you know.
AR-15 Magazine Loader
Reloading is a pain, so why not make it easier? For regular AR shooters, Maglula makes a fantastic speed loader, the cleverly-named Range Benchloader.
It’s a beautifully made pice of machinery and works with 10-, 20- and 30-round magazines without issue. The Range Benchloader is the ideal loader for someone who’s a dedicated AR shooter and it runs about $133.
Maglula also makes great loaders for pistols and a number of other rifle systems, so you aren’t out in the cold if you don’t have an AR.
Ambidextrous Charging Handle
One of the wonderful things about the AR platform that we all love so much is the inherent customizability. You can take a run-of-the-mill, average gun and change parts until it’s amazing.
One of the first things that most people change out is the charging handle, which also happens to be one of the easiest things to upgrade.
BCMGunfighter makes some great ones, such as their Ambidextrous Charging Handle. It’s made of anodized aluminum, and gives the operator a larger gripping surface without enlarging the overall silhouette. It’s about $80 and is compatible with any mil-spec rifle.
Tactical Carry Belt
For someone looking to get into competitive shooting or who just wants to upgrade their carry gear, get them started with a decent range belt. Crossbreed’s OD & Black reversible belt is a great starting point. It’s a 1.5-inch dual-sided nylon web belt with an adjustable buckle. Simple, strong, goes great in a range bag and it isn’t too tough on the wallet at $22.
Grip Pod for AR-15 Rifles
Speaking of AR shooters, grip pods are one of the best accessories to get. A grip pod with retractable bipod legs is a hugely popular add-on, and GPS, LLC makes some good ones. You could get one of their high-impact polymer grip pods, but the one to acquire is the Cam Lever V2 Grip Pod.
This model features aluminum legs, as the plastic ones tend to get bent if used hard. At about $215, the V2 isn’t cheap, but it’s made to take a beating so the recipient will get years of use from it. Gifts that last tend to be the best ones.
Range Bag
A good range bag is definitely a must-have item, and GPS makes a pretty darn good one. The GPS Medium Range Bag is a fantastic unit with a padded bottom, and multiple compartments for carrying darn near everything, including ear pro, eye pro, ammunition, magazines, and everything else shooters need for a range day.
That way, you can toss everything but your guns and target stands in the bag and keep it ready to go.
Target Stand
Since we mentioned target stands, it would be nice if there was one that could handle steel or silhouette targets, so you don’t have to buy both. As it happens, there are a few that do that. One such is the HYSKORE target stand, which has sockets that accept 1X2 and 2X4 lumber.
And at only $35, it’s simple and priced right.
Steel Target
One of the best reactive targets for training and general practice is the steel hostage target, one like the Titan Hostage Target. The Titan Hostage Target has two swinging paddles, a 5-inch diameter paddle at the head and a 5-⅞” paddle in the chest.
While you get that satisfying “GONNNNNG!” of ringing the steel, it also helps work accuracy as well, which after all is the name of the game. They’re made of AR500 equivalent steel, so they’ll stand up to a lot of use and abuse.
Biometric Handgun Lock
If you have children or other people in the house who shouldn’t have access to a firearm, you need a good way to secure it while still keeping the gun within easy reach. The Identilock biometric lock is the one fo the best options on the market.
The Identilock is one of the fastest-access gun locks of any kind available. You can set it fo multiple people will have access and Identilock makes versions for a range of popular semi-automatic handguns. At $150, it’s a great way to make sure your gun is safe and quickly available.
Any other cool gear that you wish you were getting for Christmas? Some of you have been naughty in the comments, so Santa’s going to the reindeer stables for your stocking. (You know who you are.) Sound off in the comments!