Range Attire: What to Avoid

[rg115]

Just wondering what everyone wears to the range on a casual day. I'm not talking about full-on tactical gear, just everyday clothes.

I've been out a few times lately, and I'm starting to notice trends. Like, I've seen quite a bit of camo, and it kind of stands out in a way I didn't expect. I get it's part of the culture, but it feels a bit much for just popping off a few rounds.

Lately, I've been sticking to neutrals: plain jeans, a simple shirt, and boots. Comfortable and safe, right? I mean, sandals are a hard no—who would wear those? But I kind of want to blend in while I'm shooting.

Is it just me? Do you guys think about what not to wear, or am I over-analyzing this? What's everyone's go-to range outfit?

 

[VenomBallistics]

nah ... tacticool is a SUBculture. You will see these boys with various interpretations of tactical gear and little else.
Then there are Fudd's. He's running his grandpa's 30-30 winchester that has been in the family since his grandfathers first deer hunt in 1942 .... It may not have seen a cleaning rod since it was new off the hardware store shelf.
This is another subculture.
then there are the skeet and trap guys. Think 12 gauge golf. You guessed it, another subculture.
There are, of course, more subcultures and some stand in bitter disagreement with others.
Fudds and tacticool meal team 6 are good for some heat while they blame eachother for the state of gun laws.
a few of us are universal gun guys. We have something to offend everyone and only turn our noses up at a gun if it truly sucks. I suppose we too are a subculture.
As far as dress code ... I come as I think I am, Sometimes in my Rogue River Pharmacy shirt reading "GUNS AND DRUGS". If your range is stuck in an extreme ... it might be wise to seek out other ranges that better fit you.
Personally, I like a healthy mix. You get to see a cross section of things in service that you normally wouldn't look at. Some of that stuff is useful

 

[the_leper_colony]

FWIW, I'll mention something that happened to my brother-in-law, when he was shooting my Beretta 92 clone. Now, normally he wears a nice pair of cowboy boots, a button-up western shirt with collar, and a cowboy hat. At the range that day, he set the cowboy hat aside, and put on a baseball cap so he could wear his earmuff-type hearing protection. The problem occurred when (for some reason unknown to me, because I had never seen it happen before) one of the empty brass cases ejected straight back over the top of his head, and dropped down inside his shirt collar. Those things are HOT - which resulted in some pretty fancy footwork, as he danced around (holding a loaded 9mm) trying to get that burning hot piece of metal out of his shirt!

Fortunately, we both survived - and that is why I almost always wear a t-shirt to the range (with or without something over it)...

As always FWIW, IMHO, YMMV, etc...