After trying dozens of range bags, the Lynx Defense Concord is the best we have found.
I have been using various range bags for many years. Plus, I have talked with a lot of other shooters and reviewed the bags they use at matches and at the range. We discovered that although some shooters have their preferences, the majority have opted for the bags listed here.
I personally started with a cheap range bag, then went to a larger one, and then tried a few others before I found what works best.
After years of experience (and all the experience of our buddies at the ranges), I found that there are a few important tips for picking a range bag.
Keep reading to find my favorites and my tips as well.
Quick Comparison of Our Favorite Range Bags
Best Range Bag
Lynx Defense Concord – Best Overall
- Size: 20” x 12” x 10.5”
- Material: 1000D Cordura
- Exterior Pockets: Four
- Interior Features: Customizable Inserts
- Warranty: Lifetime
- MSRP: $319.00
The Lynx Defense Concord range bag is the best range bag I have ever used.
The material and interior layout options immediately stand out to me.
This bag is made from super tough 1000D Cordura. This is the real Cordura material and not an overseas copy. I didn’t realize there was much of a difference until I tried this bag.
The material feels denser than the typical Nylon bag but at the same time it is more flexible and lighter weight. I have thrown this bag around in my side-by-side and on the ground and I can hardly tell it has been used.
I really like the interior layout options this bag has. Inside, there are large Velcro panels on each side of the bag. Included with the bag are two inserts that I can move around inside the bag. They also act as dividers and help to keep my gear from moving around.
The inserts are very rigid and have a pistol holster on one side and an elastic strap on the other that holds four magazines. Lynx also has a few other options available for these inserts so that I can customize it further and add more if I wish.
I also like how this bag opens with the dual-zippered flap. This allows me to access all sides of the bag with it open. I typically leave it open at the range, and bags with one large flap tend to get in the way.
There are four outside pockets where I like to keep all of my other range tools, ear pro, and shooting glasses. I am not a huge fan of the mesh pockets on the inside of the side pockets. But, they do help to keep things organized and are better than having nothing at all.
This bag is 100% made in North Carolina, USA. It is more expensive than other bags, but the quality, lifetime warranty, and customization set it apart. You will never have to buy another bag and can hand this one down to your kids.
If the price is out of your budget, consider the Lynx Defense Pistol Range Bag, which is similar but doesn’t have two side pockets.
Primary Arms Gear Range Bag – Best Budget Bag
- Size: 17” x 10” x 12.5”
- Material: 600D Cordura
- Exterior Pockets: Six
- Interior Features: None
- Warranty: Lifetime
- MSRP: $44.99
The Primary Arms Gear Range Bag is a good bag for a great price.
While this bag is cheap, it is not cheaply made. The material is 600D Cordura, and it just feels beefy. I have no worries about hurting this bag. I have tossed it around, and it has continued to hold up well.
I like that it has four large exterior pockets and two smaller ones. I use the open-top side pocket for my shot timer, which is easy to access. It is also a good place for smaller paper targets, keeping them from getting bent like they do in my other bags.
The front exterior pocket has six pockets for magazines (each pocket will hold two magazines.) I like having a place to hold my magazines during a match so I can keep them organized. Just chucking them in my bag mixes loaded and empty mags, and I like to know how many I have loaded before going to the next stage.
I like the overall size of the bag. It is big enough for everything I need without being too big. I find that bigger bags tend to be more of a nuisance to lug around.
The front of the bag has Molle straps, and I find it a great place for my IFAK (see our best IFAK guide for my favorites). Not many other bags have this, and it allows me to carry more with a smaller bag, which is great.
My only real negative is that the interior is plain with no internal pockets. There really isn’t a good place to put my handguns without them bumping into each other as I carry them. The front pocket works, although I can only fit one full-size handgun in it.
Recommended for:
The Primary Arms Gear Range bag is a no-nonsense range bag at a great price.
US Peacekeeper Medium Range Bag – Best Small Bag
- Size: 18” x 10” x 10”
- Material: 600D Nylon
- Exterior Pockets: Four
- Interior Features: Two Interior Padded Pistol Pockets
- Warranty: Lifetime
- MSRP: $67.49
I believe I won my US Peacekeeper bag at a match raffle six or seven years ago. I already had a Lynx bag, so I never really looked at it much. A few weeks later, I needed to haul a lot to the range, so I gave it a try. I was surprised by the interior pockets, the number of magazine pockets, and the size.
The interior of the bag has two padded zipper top pockets along the front and back sides. I can fit two full-size pistols in them or four smaller compact handguns. This design really doesn’t add much size to the bag and gives me a nice place to carry my pistols. Otherwise, there are no other interior organization features.
The front and rear exterior pockets both have six magazine pockets, for a total of twelve. I like to carry a bunch of magazines with me to a match, and this turned out to be a great way to carry extras. It works great for my match gun and my backup since each has a dedicated pocket for both the gun and the magazines.
I like how the two end pockets are just as big as my Lynx bag, but they are padded on the outside as well. I don’t have to worry about throwing this bag around and damaging my shot timer or ear pro.
This bag comes with what they call a “zippered gun rug insert.” It is really more like a larger pistol case, but I find it just takes up room, and I don’t use it. In fact, I had to dig it out of my gun room as I was writing this.
I don’t really care for the handles. They are nylon with a rounded rubber insert to make a loop. I would much rather have the typical flat nylon and padded handle. But it is not a huge deal, I guess.
I do like how this bag opens similar to the Lynx bags. The full top opens and I can access all of the pockets easily.
Osage River Tactical Range Bag – Best Large Bag
- Size: 18” x 13” x 10”
- Material: 600D Ballistic Nylon
- Exterior Pockets: Six
- Interior Features: Two Moveable Dividers
- Warranty: One Year
- MSRP: $49.95
The Osage River Tactical Range Bag is one of the larger on my list, but that is not the reason I like it (more on the size below).
I really like the large front and rear exterior pockets on this bag. Both pockets have seven magazine pockets and a removable padded handgun pouch. I find that this is great for matches or training when I want to carry two different guns with extra mags and keep everything organized.
The interior of the bag has two dividers, which are the full length of the bag. They are held in place by two Velcro strips on the top and bottom. I think this would have been much better in the other direction, like the Lynx bag. But I can see putting them close together to create a padded compartment for another handgun.
The dividers are not very rigid and have lost their shape over time. When I use this bag I find the dividers are not really useful and pull them out. They just take up a lot of room.
The side pockets are large, and I can cram a lot of stuff in them. So much that it gets hard to find things if I am not careful.
Dimensionally, this bag is similar in size to the Lynx above, but it feels larger. That is the main reason why I typically do not carry it. When fully loaded, the front and rear pockets expand, and it makes it awkward to carry. I can fit a lot into this bag, though, and it typically becomes a secondary bag for extra stuff when I go on long trips.
The zippers are not the best on this bag. They are the cheaper, larger teeth zippers that tend to catch when I try to open and close them. I haven’t had any breaks yet, but I find they get aggravating sometimes.
Recommended for:
The Osage River Tactical Range Bag is for anyone who has a lower budget and needs to carry a lot of stuff. Considering the price, this one is not a bad choice.
Savior Equipment Double Pistol Bag – Best Pistol Bag
- Size: 13” x 9” x 5.5”
- Material: 600D Polyester
- Exterior Pockets: One
- Interior Features: Two Pistol Pockets
- Warranty: Lifetime
- MSRP: $25.99
The Savior Double Pistol Bag is one of the best smaller-range bags we have found.
I use this bag when I want to take a few more pistols with me to the range but don’t want to carry a second bag.
The inside of this bag has two padded pistol pockets large enough for full size pistols with 5” barrels. The center section between the pockets has six loops to hold spare magazines. I find that if I want to carry three pistols, I can just put one in the center section instead of having spare magazines.
I have also used the center area to carry a few boxes of ammo and smaller targets.
The outside pocket has a few internal pockets of different sizes where I can put smaller items like tools, cleaner, and a Sharpie.
I find that I can put my ear pro in this outside pocket if there is nothing in the smaller inside pockets. Shooting glasses will also fit, but I worry about breaking them unless I have them in a separate hard case.
A box or two of ammo will fit in this pocket as well, but I typically do not carry ammo in it unless it is a very quick trip to the range.
The material is the same 600D Nylon that most of the other bags are made from. It is super durable and will likely last forever.
This bag is a great addition to one of the bags above, and the price is great. It is difficult for me to use just this bag exclusively, though, since I can’t carry everything that I need in it.
Recommended for:
The Savior Double Pistol Bag is for anyone who carries more than two handguns to the range at a time but doesn’t want to carry two larger bags.
Tips for Choosing a Range Bag
When I first started going to the range, I carried one of those free duffel bags that you get when you join the NRA. I quickly learned that a cheap duffel bag wasn’t going to work.
It was great for a little bit since I could keep all of my range gear ready to go. But all my stuff was just jumbled up in the main compartment. I could literally hear that thing start to come apart when I had it loaded up with a few guns and 500 rounds of ammo. The center of it sagged terribly with the weight and the shoulder strap was literally a pain. It was ridiculous.
Since then, I have used all kinds of different range bags. I bought some that my buddies at the range used, I won a few matches, and some companies have given me a few to try.
Here are my tips on choosing a range bag that I have learned over the years.
Purpose
First, what do you do when you go to the range? Train with your concealed carry handgun, shoot trap or skeet, maybe 3-gun matches?
This will mostly determine what you want to put in your range bag. This will in turn dictate the size you will need.
Next, what type of range do you go to, and how do you move around once you’re there?
Shooting at an indoor range is much different than shooting at an outdoor range with multiple bays.
Maybe you go to all sorts of ranges for different things (like me) and want an all-around workhorse that will do anything.
Keeping purpose in mind as you go through the following list will help you not spend a bunch of money on something that you don’t need.
Typical Items in My Range Bag
Here is some of the shooting gear that I typically carry in my range bag. I need to have enough room to haul all of this while at the same time keeping it organized so I know where things are. If you are new to shooting consider all of these things before you buy your range bag.
- Ammo – I sometimes use a small ammo can
- At least two Handguns
- Extra Magazines
- Electronic Ear Protection (see Best Shooting Hearing Protection for our favorites)
- Ear Plugs (I double up my ear pro at indoor ranges)
- Eye Protection
- Shot Timer
- Wet Wipes
- Small Cleaning Kit
- Small bottle of CLP
- Sharpie
- Staple Gun
- Staples
- Optic Zeroing Tool
- Magazine Loader
- Range Finder
- Target Pasters
- IFAK
- Shooting Glasses
- Towel
- Hand Warmers
Size
The size of your range bag is not as easy to choose as you might think. I initially thought that bigger was better. Why get a smaller one?
Well, once my range bag gets over a certain size it gets awkward to handle. It takes up more room in the truck and more room on the table at the range, and it won’t fit well in my range cart. Plus, it takes up more room at home to store it.
Not only that, but I am also more likely to cram more crap in it because I have the room. Then it becomes heavy and just more to lug around at the range.
So, don’t think the biggest one you can buy is the best. I recommend leaning towards something similar to the Lynx Concord or smaller. If you don’t plan to carry it much then the larger Osage River Bag is a good choice.
Organization
I learned from that old NRA duffel bag that organization is a must. Digging around a big pile of stuff is just a waste of time.
I like my range bag to at least have separate areas to store two handguns. This keeps other items from hitting my guns as I am moving.
I also like to store magazines in separate areas. This is great for matches since I can load up my mags and they are easy to get to.
Sensitive items like my shot timers and eye pro need their own location.
At the same time, I don’t need 100 pockets either.
I find that a large main compartment with smaller outside compartments works well.
Durability
My range bag can get pretty heavy, especially when I start loading it up with ammo. I don’t want to have to worry about breaking the strap. I should be the limitation on how much I want to carry, not the bag.
Sometimes, when I plan to shoot a lot, I will bring a separate ammo can for ammo, but for the most part, I would rather carry it all in one bag.
Plus, I throw it around quite a bit. Back of the truck, around the bays at the range, in the back of a side-by-side.
Look for bags that are made from heavy materials like Cordura. 1000D is what I prefer, but 600D works as well (1000D is heavier.)
Some bags made in low-cost countries will be made from cheaper materials but still claim to be heavy-duty. If a bag is cheap, there is probably a reason, and materials are the main way in which they save money.
Comfort – Duffel vs Backpack Range Bag
I prefer a duffel bag over a backpack. I find that duffel bags will hold more and take up less space overall. I can stack items up in my duffel-style bag, and they generally stay in place. It becomes more challenging in a backpack.
I have also found that with backpacks it is more of a hassle to get to my gear. Some will stand up on their own, but once I take something out, they get top-heavy.
I also do not carry my range bag long distances. I either use my range cart or my side-by-side to move it. If I had to walk a distance to the range or if I had to walk around the range without a cart or other means, I would consider a backpack. Carrying a heavy duffel style bag on my shoulder for very long is no fun.
In the end, I just have not found a backpack that I like, so I did not include one in this list. If you have one you like, let me know.
Get To the Range
Those are my picks and tips on how I chose my range bag. Training at the range should be efficient, and a proper range bag is a big part of that. I can just pull my guns out of my gun safe, grab some ammo, targets, and my range bag, and be headed out in just a few minutes.
Next, be sure to check out our full Concealed Carry Guide. It has everything you need to know including a guide to the Best Gun Cleaning Kit as well as the Best Concealed Carry Holsters. From the Best Red Dot Pistol Sights to a proper Concealed Carry Mindset, we have you covered!
