Competitive Shooting Essentials
Ready for your first match? Make sure you have what you need.
In a previous post on competitive shooting, we explored what it is, why you might want to consider it, and things you’ll encounter at your first match. In today’s post, we’ll expand on this and talk about the essentials you’ll need at your first shooting competition to not only make it successful, but more fun.
Shooting can be more than just a hobby when you become a member at Liberty Firearm Range! Meet up with other competitive shooting participants and watch your skills improve! Join us in this post as we dive into the details and essentials of your first competitive shooting competition.
Enjoy Your First Match With The Essentials
There is no doubt that you will be nervous about your first shooting competition, and ultimately forget something. The idea is to pack your bag beforehand and use this as a guide to help you with the things you’ll need.
Ear Protection
Shooting is a loud sport, and competing there will be guns being fired throughout the whole competition. If you’re sensitive to the sound or just want to protect your ears, you may want to wear earplugs throughout. Please note that when you are actually competing, ear protection is required. Let’s review common ear protection below.
Ear muffs – This is a fairly inexpensive form of ear protection and works well in pistol competitions, but they may get in the way with long guns that you have to shoulder. Another drawback is they can get quite hot, especially if you’re in an enclosed space and readily absorb sweat. If you’re wearing ear muffs for an extended time they can also get uncomfortable and itchy, so another form may fair better.
Ear plugs – You’ve seen them, you’ve used them, and perhaps they’re your ear protection of choice. Ear plugs are pretty comfortable and they are an extremely cheap option. Because they’re so inexpensive, they’re a great choice to throw in your bag to have around, just in case. There are also custom molded ear plug you can get, and most say, they’re a game changer. They can be expensive for ear plugs, but because they’re molded to your ear, they fit perfectly and are comfortable to wear all day.
Eye Protection
Like ear protection, eye protection is required for everyone, yes, even spectators! And while you don’t need the most expensive shooting glasses with all the bells and whistles, a pair of basic $5 glasses that are ANSI rated and fog-resistant will do the job. The best part about the cheap glasses is you can toss them when they’re too scratched. If you’re participating in an outdoor match, a pair of ANSI rated sunglasses would be a wise investment — we recommend having eye protection for both indoor and outdoor shooting competitions.
The essentials of a shooting competition are ear and eye protection — they will keep you safe and make your experience more enjoyable.
To learn more about shooting competitions or to become a member for LFI, connect with us today!
