Essential tools to have?

[Big bore dinosaur]

Cleaning rod to tap.tap some stubborn ammo.
High vis. Vest if your range goes to distance, with a whistle attached, might help if ya know ye know

[bush1]

Cleaning rod to tap.tap some stubborn ammo.
High vis. Vest if your range goes to distance, with a whistle attached, might help if ya know ye know

I hear ya on the whistle…. Ya know.

[joemanco]

A couple of not-so-obvious tools for newcomers:
$50 bore laser sighter. Batteries are cheaper than shooting. Get sighted-in on paper before loading ammo. Then shoot (and zero).
$3 sharpie pen. Writing is cheaper than shooting. Be systematic: draw on your targets, mark groups, write remarks, improve.

[trebor2880]

Bingo dabber to mark your shots on the paper targets. I use them when pistol shooting at short ranges.

If questioned by a Walmart ringer upper, tell her you're buying it for a friend.

One time when self checkout is advantageous.

[MD]

#13 got it right. Bring a Sharpie or some kind of pen to make notes on the target.

A roll of masking tape. I am really cheap so I make a note on a three shot group, then cover the holes with a patch of masking tape and shoot at the same target. But then again I often use target with five sightng points so use those for fine tuning.

Safety glasses. Ranges won't let you shoot without glasses.

[old303]

Most of the tools are okay with freezing in winter or being in a hot car in summer, but keeping separate bags/boxes that come indoors for water/snacks, for cleaner/oil/loctite, and for electronics can save them. But keep those things separate from each other!