RSO Study Guide 2026

Urgent safety issues require immediate attention from everyone on the range. Communicating loudly and clearly ensures that all participants, even those wearing hearing protection, can hear and understand critical instructions. This allows for a swift and coordinated response to prevent accidents or mitigate dangerous situations effectively.

The primary responsibility of a Range Safety Officer (RSO) is to ensure the safety of everyone on the shooting range. This involves actively enforcing all range rules, identifying and mitigating potential hazards, and intervening immediately to correct unsafe behavior. The RSO's vigilance is crucial in preventing accidents and maintaining a secure environment for all participants.

Shooting ranges produce extremely loud noises and can present risks from ejected casings, ricochets, or muzzle blast. Therefore, mandatory personal protective equipment (PPE) includes eye protection to shield against debris and ear protection to prevent hearing damage. These two items are universally required to safeguard shooters' sensory organs from common range hazards.

Being aware of your target and what is beyond it is a critical safety rule, often known as 'Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.' Bullets can travel significant distances and penetrate various materials, making it essential to identify potential hazards or unintended targets behind your primary target. This prevents collateral damage, injury, or death to innocent people or property beyond your intended target.

In shotgun sports, shooters move between stations. It is a critical safety rule that firearms must be carried with the action open and completely unloaded until the shooter is in position at the designated shooting station and it is their turn to fire. This prevents accidental discharge while moving.

The "click" indicates a potential hangfire, where the primer ignites but the powder charge is delayed. The greatest danger is the round discharging after the action is opened. The RSO's immediate priority is to issue a direct, simple command to stop the unsafe action and enforce the rule of keeping the muzzle pointed downrange for a minimum of 30-60 seconds.