Pistol Range - How Do You Prep Your Session?

[Seeed]

I'm curious what people do for a pistol range session:

1. Do you preload all your mags and just run through those and wrap it up?
2. How many mags per pistol do you have?
3. How many mags do you think one should have per pistol?
3. Do you reload at the range? Take a break?

I find reloading kind of a pita and am thinking about just getting a bunch more mags and load the day before or something, but they aint cheap.

 

[Wolkenflieger]

I'm curious what people do for a pistol range session:

1. Do you preload all your mags and just run through those and wrap it up?
2. How many mags per pistol do you have?
3. How many mags do you think one should have per pistol?
3. Do you reload at the range? Take a break?

I find reloading kind of a pita and am thinking about just getting a bunch more mags and load the day before or something, but they aint cheap.

Generally I preload all of the mags I have for each gun type, usually two but no more than four or five, e.g., TS2 Orange and the P365 Luxe (.380 ACP). Another advantage of doing this is to ensure that I actually bring the correct mags for the guns I plan to shoot.

Generally I like to have a maximum of four or five mags per gun. This matches the number of loops in my Orca case. Of course there's more storage than this.

I always reload at the range with a Maglula and even for the .22 I have a Maglula for a .22. The .22 requires much less effort but I'm still faster with the 'lula.

I don't mind reloading at all. It gives me a chance to think and plan any changes or adjustments I'll make for the next group.

Edit: I'm a member of a private range with yearly dues, so no hourly fees or time pressure.

 

[FTSheartlesssYo]

1. I should but I never do since I don't pay per the hour. So I load at the range
2. I've been lazy to buy 5 for my main 3 guns but I have 3 for each.
3. 5 minimum, why? no clue but 5 is more than 4.
4. Yep, I shoot at least 100rds per gun when I go out unless I bring 1 gun and I shoot 200.

That's when I go alone. When I take friends out to shoot its the same. But I don't go to Ranges where its per hour but I would still take my time.

 

[Gawernator]

I'm curious what people do for a pistol range session:

1. Do you preload all your mags and just run through those and wrap it up?
2. How many mags per pistol do you have?
3. How many mags do you think one should have per pistol?
3. Do you reload at the range? Take a break?

I find reloading kind of a pita and am thinking about just getting a bunch more mags and load the day before or something, but they aint cheap.

Yeah I pre-load them, so I rarely have to reload at the range unless I am shooting for hours.

I have around 6-12 magazines for most of my handguns. For ones I actually want to shoot a lot I think 8-10 is a good number.

4 minimum is a good number, that way you have at least 2 spares and 1 extra if you break one.

For my P226 I probably have like 14 mags lol. Just try to find deals or bite the bullet, or buy over time. Now that the P2000 series is discontinued glad I have quite a few in case HK stops having any available.

For my AR-15 I have like 20-30 magazines

 

[rodralig]

I'm curious what people do for a pistol range session:

1. Do you preload all your mags and just run through those and wrap it up?
2. How many mags per pistol do you have?
3. How many mags do you think one should have per pistol?
3. Do you reload at the range? Take a break?

I find reloading kind of a pita and am thinking about just getting a bunch more mags and load the day before or something, but they aint cheap.

Most of my regular maintenance practice is pretty short - about 15 minutes and 50 rounds.

I don’t preload the mags. I load them at the range, and I intentionally keep each mag to 5 rounds. That gives me a natural reset between drills and keeps me focused on making every shot count instead of just burning through ammo.

If it’s not just a fun pew-pew day, I usually stick to one pistol. Maybe two if they’re the same platform, like the G26, G19, or G17. I normally bring one mag, or two if I’m planning to work reloads.

For a tactical/defensive class, I’ll run two standard-capacity mags on the belt and one in the gun. For a match, it’s usually three extended mags on the belt and one in the gun.

And it’s not like I’m short on magazines - I have dozens of spares at home for backups, replacements, or just in case things ever really go sideways.

 

[Gawernator]

Most of my regular maintenance practice is pretty short - about 15 minutes and 50 rounds.

I don’t preload the mags. I load them at the range, and I intentionally keep each mag to 5 rounds. That gives me a natural reset between drills and keeps me focused on making every shot count instead of just burning through ammo.

If it’s not just a fun pew-pew day, I usually stick to one pistol. Maybe two if they’re the same platform, like the G26, G19, or G17. I normally bring one mag, or two if I’m planning to work reloads.

For a tactical/defensive class, I’ll run two standard-capacity mags on the belt and one in the gun. For a match, it’s usually three extended mags on the belt and one in the gun.

And it’s not like I’m short on magazines - I have dozens of spares at home for backups, replacements, or just in case things ever really go sideways.

I need to get belt mag holsters, I seem to have lost mine moving so many times, idk what I was even using before. They fit my XD40 mags and then I think I kept an extra in my pocket

 

[sshkeptic]

I'm usually going solo. No time limit and holster draw / rapid fire are allowed. Always loading with Maglula
I have 4-6 mags per pistol and only take one or two pistols when going by myself.
I generally preload all my mags, mainly to have them ready in case they're needed on the way to or from the range. Only half joking.
With full mags, I'll start with 3 drills, 1-2 mags each:

• First shot drill - Draw, fire, re-holster, repeat.
• Off target presentation - Focus on a neighboring target, re-focus on my target, fire 1 shot, repeat.
• 2-2-2 transition - Transition between zones on same target, firing 2 rounds in each zone using grid / multi-ring targets.

I'll then move on to gun handling focused drills and load only 1 or 2 rounds per mag:

• 1-reload-1 and 2-reload-2 - Draw, fire 1 or 2 shots, drop empty mag, reload, 1 or 2 follow up shots, repeat.

I usually end with patching up the target with post-its, loading 2-4 mags and work on single hand, strong and off-hand just going for slow, steady, accurate shots. Really need to work on the off-hand.

 

[Gawernator]

Most of my regular maintenance practice is pretty short - about 15 minutes and 50 rounds.

I don’t preload the mags. I load them at the range, and I intentionally keep each mag to 5 rounds. That gives me a natural reset between drills and keeps me focused on making every shot count instead of just burning through ammo.

If it’s not just a fun pew-pew day, I usually stick to one pistol. Maybe two if they’re the same platform, like the G26, G19, or G17. I normally bring one mag, or two if I’m planning to work reloads.

For a tactical/defensive class, I’ll run two standard-capacity mags on the belt and one in the gun. For a match, it’s usually three extended mags on the belt and one in the gun.

And it’s not like I’m short on magazines - I have dozens of spares at home for backups, replacements, or just in case things ever really go sideways.

I congratulate you on your patience for that, since I've been working on rapid fire I'm going through mags too fast. I usually reload while I'm watching youtube or something to kill 2 birds 1 stone

 

[RustVendor]

Reloading prevents me from shooting too fast and too much, are you not using a maglula? You gotta use a speed loader. I only really bring a couple mags and reload one at a time but I'm often cycling through a few guns, pistol, PCC whatever. most of my time at the static range is zeroing and ammo testing and tuning related, there's only so much "practice" you can get out of just standing there

 

[mountain_yokai]

I used to preload. Now I just load at the range. I might load two of 10-20, depending on what I'm doing. Lately, it's been load as I go. I might shoot 100-120 per session.

 

[Jeffro_510]

-I own a minimum of 4 mags per gun. But some i have up to 10 mags for

-Since most ranges are by the hour, I preload the night before.

-Usually bring 500 rounds per gun. May not shoot all of it each session, but id rather bring it home than buy more there.

-always use a maglula, once again, usually on a time limit.

 

[SDDAVE56]

For me,,

Indoor range (Membership)
Shoot what I carry, carry what I shoot.
Couple loaded mags in my pocket.
Practice ammo, and duty ammo in my bag.
First I shoot all the duty ammo out of my gun, and spare mags.
Switch to practice ammo.
Reload with duty ammo.
Holster and leave.

Outdoor Range.
Variety is the spice of life.
I usually bring about ten firearms, long guns, and hand guns.

 

[Plenty_Pack_556]

Oil. Rags. Barrel rods to punch out possible squibs. Speedloader for my glock and ak mags, or for my 1911s and ARs, my thumb of steel. Extra mags. Maybe gloves into my rifle or range bag.

I use my prescription glasses as eyepro. I use usgi earplugs as earpro.
- I do have a unopened Savior earpro (free at last Ammobros tent event in Santa Ana) and what looked to be new/unused Walker Razor Slims (also free, found inside a portapotty at a abandoned construction site on my way to hodge road few years ago.)

I throw various ammo into a 50cal ammo can to take with.

Indoor or outdoor, still the same. My outdoors has been at camp pendleton, so car is still near.

 

[MysteryScienceHeater3000]

I bring one gun, one magazine, and two boxes of ammo all in an old messenger bag.

My wife and I take turns shooting and I handle all the ammo and reloading for both of us. It’s a good system for us.

 

[RustyIron]

I find reloading kind of a pita and am thinking about just getting a bunch more mags and load the day before or something, but they aint cheap.

I'm not on a tv show and I'm not in a race, so I'm comfortable loading my magazines when I shoot. I like loading my magazines, it's like a zen thing for me. I might load a few magazines for a few guns, shoot them all, and then start over. Shoot. Load. Shoot. Load. Shoot. Load. It gives me time to rest, relax, and think about what I'm doing.

Some guys treat their time at the range like they treat their time with a woman: do it fast and get it over with quick. Me? I like to take my time.

 

[Plenty_Pack_556]

I like to load my mags at the range. I like to stand back, scan my surroundings and my objectives as I load, and it gives my perverted horny ass a view to see if any hot women are in the lanes, and if they are, I'd give them the ol' looky loo and maybe ask them if they want to try my guns. Sometimes their guy friend, bf, or husband wants to as well, but give them a firm "no."

 

[Darqhelmet]

still sorting that out now that i’m back. I used to preload and load at the range. I would spend between 3-5 hours there. It was outside and I had a bay with racks to myself all day.

I would bring my carry pistol, my LTT, my mkiv with can, and what ever new pistols I had bought. Carry would get 100-150 rounds,LTT would get 50 (way more if the new guns weren’t fun) new guns would get 100-500 depending on mood, if I liked them, how many I had brought.

10/22 or pcc maybe just for giggles.

rifle range was AR and a bolt gun. at least 100 through the AR and bolt gun depended.

back in the day I would hit the range once or twice a week and run 100 rounds a trip through 1-2 pistols.

5 mags per pistol min. 10 is what I shoot for. I have springs on hand for 92, 75, 1911 mags. lots and lots of springs. Same for recoil springs.

 

[drinktothat421]

I shoot half mags or less to start. To just work reloads and focus. Then finish with full mags for muscle memory. Im not there to just full mag dumps hundreds of rounds cant afford that. But just dial in my grip and target focus. Quality over quantity for me andnmy wallet. 100 round on target and focused, then testing my focus able to shoot 500. Unless its a class.

 

[decius_mus]

I'm curious what people do for a pistol range session:

1. Do you preload all your mags and just run through those and wrap it up?
2. How many mags per pistol do you have?
3. How many mags do you think one should have per pistol?
3. Do you reload at the range? Take a break?

I find reloading kind of a pita and am thinking about just getting a bunch more mags and load the day before or something, but they aint cheap.

1. No. Whenever I go to the range I usually bring 100 rounds per pistol but leave them in the box and either carry them in my range bag or in an ammo can.
2. It depends on the gun. For glocks I have a drawer full of mags. For other guns I generally have around 5-6 total and I tend to only use 4 at a time.
3. At least 4 per gun.
4. What do you mean by reload? Do you mean putting the rounds in the mags? I do that at the range.

It's really not a pita to load mags. Just buy an uplula.

Mags aren't cheap but they also aren't super expensive. Whenever I buy a new handgun I budget out the cost of the gun, 4 total mags, red dot, and a holster. If I can't afford the gun as a package I don't buy it until I can. If you're having trouble affording mags then just buy used guns. You usually get a discount off msrp and you save on taxes. Just use the savings on mags and ammo.

 

[Seeed]

1. No. Whenever I go to the range I usually bring 100 rounds per pistol but leave them in the box and either carry them in my range bag or in an ammo can.
2. It depends on the gun. For glocks I have a drawer full of mags. For other guns I generally have around 5-6 total and I tend to only use 4 at a time.
3. At least 4 per gun.
4. What do you mean by reload? Do you mean putting the rounds in the mags? I do that at the range.

It's really not a pita to load mags. Just buy an uplula.

Mags aren't cheap but they also aren't super expensive. Whenever I buy a new handgun I budget out the cost of the gun, 4 total mags, red dot, and a holster. If I can't afford the gun as a package I don't buy it until I can. If you're having trouble affording mags then just buy used guns. You usually get a discount off msrp and you save on taxes. Just use the savings on mags and ammo.

I have an UpLula. It works well, S&W mags still suck though on that last round. I just find it disruptive with only a couple mags. And with Sig, if want to get 6 mags thats another $300. That is SUPER expensive IMO.. Printer cartridge crap.