Mother’s Day is around the corner, so if you haven’t started thinking about what you’ll buy for Mom this year, now’s the time. If your mom loves to hunt or shoot, we’ve got a selection of items in a variety of budgets that’ll be sure to please.
A word of warning: It can be tricky to buy things for Mom (or anyone) that are specific to her gun or her tastes. For this reason, I avoid things like holsters, belts and pants, all of which need to be tried on to really suit each individual. I also stay away from things that I might not know the technical specs/requirements on, including ammo (what load does she like?), red-dot optics (what footprint does her gun have?) and the like. Fortunately, the items on our list of suggestions are pretty universal and should work for any firearms enthusiast.
$10: Fresh Targets
Any range goer knows how quickly you can burn through targets, whether for plinking, training, patterning or sighting in. A fresh pack of targets is a welcome, practical and affordable gift—especially if you offer to accompany Mom to the range to use them. I’m partial to the Shoot-N-C targets from Birchwood Casey, which make it really easy to see your hits without having to walk up to the target. And they start as low as $7.99!
$20: A Tactical Light
A simple, compact flashlight is an incredibly useful everyday carry item. You can find them in a huge variety of price points, but there’s no need to go super expensive on an EDC light. This one from Nitecore offers four brightness settings with a high output 300 lumens, recharges via USB-C, weighs less than half an ounce, and clips to Mom’s keychain, so she’ll always have it handy.
$35: Maglula
If Mom’s a pistol shooter and doesn’t already own this incredibly useful piece of range gear, you might earn favorite-child status with a Maglula semiauto magazine loader. It makes loading mags fast and easy, taking all the pressure off your thumb. I don’t go to the range without one—less time loading means more time shooting! The Maglula fits most single- and double-stack 9mm, .357 SIG, .40 S&W, 10mm, and .45 ACP magazines, plus some .380 mags, and you can pick one up for $35 or less.
$65: A Handy Rifle Sling
Sort of a “holster for your long gun,” a good sling will let Mom safely hold her rifle or shotgun hands-free for range, hunting or home defense use. I’ve been playing with this model from Blue Force Gear and find it fast, versatile and comfortable. As with any sling, it takes a bit of practice to get comfortable with it, but once she’s learned it, Mom will want one on every one of her long guns.
$100: Electronic Hearing Protection
If Mom doesn’t already have a pair of electronic muffs or in-ear hearing protection, this is an excellent gift she’ll appreciate with every range trip when she can finally hear what’s going on around her while still protecting her hearing from the report of gunfire. Axil’s GS Extreme 2.0 in-ear unit is small, discreet and comfortable, and it offers both sound enhancement and hearing protection—as well as Bluetooth audio so she can answer her phone or listen to music while she shoots. Axil also makes muffs, but I personally find a muff interferes with my cheek weld when shooting long guns, so I think in-ear is the way to go.
$130: An EDC First Aid Kit
Every shooter should keep a basic trauma kit in their range bag or vehicle or on their person, and if Mom doesn’t have one, this model from MyMedic is designed to be complete yet compact for everyday carry. At 5.5x5x2 inches and weighing 9.6 ounces, it won’t weigh her bag or pack down too much, and it includes some life-saving medical gear to use in case of emergency: chest seals, gloves, tourniquet, QuikClot, and pressure bandage. A discount code for a free life-saving training course is included, because the gear is no good if you don’t know how to use it.
$200: A Beautiful Purse
Some of my favorite gifts to give are extravagant or beautiful versions of everyday items that the recipient would never splurge on for themselves. This gorgeous distressed leather bag from Gun Tote'n Mamas fits that category—it’s designed for concealed carry use with a built-in holster and slash-resistant straps, and it’s made to carry all your office gear as well as your gun on a daily basis. The brand makes many models in different sizes and price points, so if this bag isn’t Mom’s style, you should be able to find something that is. They also sell gift cards if you think she’d prefer to pick out her own bag.
$250: A Serious At-Home Training Tool
Training at home when you can’t make it to the range is a great convenience, and it’s possible and productive—and a lot of fun—with this ultimate kit from MantisX. Mom can use her own firearm combined with the MantisX sensor and app to do dry-fire drills, get instant analysis and feedback, and track her skill progression. There are less expensive options from MantisX as well, but if you have the money, the $250 X10 Elite Shooting Performance System is the top of the line and can be used with just about any gun using the included adapter.
$300: A Rugged Gun Case
Air travel is hard on a firearm, but Mom’s gun(s) will be as protected as possible in this near-bombproof gun case from Plano. I’ve been using this line of cases for a while and have been very pleased with them. This one is TSA-approved and has wheels, which, trust me, Mom will want if she ever has to haul it through an airport. It holds two tactical rifles, and while this is one of the more expensive cases Plano sells, you don’t want to cheap out on protection when you’re flying to a hunt or a competition.
$500: Secure Storage
If you have the budget, the gift of secure storage would be more than welcome, and the RAPiD Safe AR Gunlocker from Hornady is an excellent mid-priced option. It slides under a bed or into a closet and holds two tactical-length rifles or shotguns securely, utilizing RFID technology for security and quick access. Mom can also program a security code as a backup. Made of 16-gauge steel with an included cable and pre-drilled mounting holes for additional security, this is a compact alternative to a full-sized gun safe that will keep Mom’s home-defense guns close at hand while restricting unauthorized access.
