Land/Home/Range Q?

[igpoobah]

I have been living in town for about 11 years or so now and am ready and financially able to get out in the country somewhere.

I want enough land to where I can set up a decent rifle range. Also important is that I get enough so if people start moving into the area I still have breathing room.

I know this is kind of a goofy question and I'm not even sure that I am looking for a specific answer. Maybe I'm just looking for a sounding board. If anything comes to mind, whatever it may be, sound off.

I am very excited about this because I don't get to shoot often, last time was about 4 years ago. Sad. I'm ready to get back to my childhood where I could shoot off the back porch.

Obviously 'buy the most land you can afford' will probably be said. If I was able to buy 50-100 acres I wouldn't be asking this. I guess if I had a specific question, it would be is 5-10 acres enough?

Is there anyone who is set up on 5-10 acres out there who is shooting there successfully? What do you do about cranky neighbours? (most of the land I see is 300' wide by XX' long, so the possibility of having neighbours to the left and right are possible, either now or in the future)

Thoughts?

 

[wally]

Check your state land use laws. Texas just clarified ours, don't remember the exact details as we're not yet in position to being moving anytime soon, but I think if you have 40 or 50 acres, under the new laws your neighbors can't stop you from shooting on your own land as long as you take care of a few safety related issues.

Arkansas will likely be different.

--wally.

 

[shooter503]

As Wally said it really depends on your local codes. Where I am there is no restriction but safety. Even reasonable noise is considered acceptable and not cause for a neighbour's complaints.

There have been several threads about home ranges you might like to check. From practical experience I can tell you a successful home range depends not only on the space you have available but also on the proper placement of backstops and berms. You can also make some sort of sound baffle for zeroing rifles or shooting from a fixed bench. With a pistol I usually practice with a 22 version of the heavier caliber guns. This keeps the noise down for the neighbours.

 

[igpoobah]

Once I get out in the county, it's fair game, no restrictions.

I was looking more in the neighborhood of size of property for keeping future encroching neighbors at bay.

 

[BigRobT]

My father in law owns an 11 acre hobby farm and we used to go out and sight in our shotguns every October. Even though we were shooting safely and into a hillside, the neighbors would still complain a bit. "Don't shoot at our house" and things like that......... well..... DUH!!! A lot of it had to do with the suburbanites moving to the rural area. I'd really check out the "neighborhood" pretty closely, in addition to all of the other aforementioned land use permits, etc. I'd also check with the state EPA as to some of the problems with using the land as a gun range (lead pollution, etc) Personally, I think that as long as one's shooting safely, it really shouldn't matter. But........ one never knows when & where that squeaky wheel will show itself.

 

[BADUNAME13]

I used to live on 11 acres and had a 100 yard range into a Old Gravel pit.

I had a problem with my neighbors... Every time they would hear me shooting they would grab their guns, jump on their four wheelers and come over to shoot.

Ok, so it wasn't much of a problem.

 

[wally]

I was looking more in the neighborhood of size of property for keeping future encroching neighbors at bay.

Unless you like to gamble, best to check out the local laws before you buy. That's why I mentioned Texas has clarified the situation here.

"Used to....", well people used to be a lot more reasonable about everything, one newbie moving in and raising a stink can ruin your fun. Personally, I'd like the law behind me when I tell them to stuff it.

--wally.

 

[igpoobah]

I hear ya wally, and I will check w/ the local gestapo when the time comes.

 

[Sunray]

"...is 5-10 acres enough?..." Depends on what is within several miles behind the back stop. 5 to 10 acres isn't very big. Five square acres is about 455 yards by 455 yards. Any rifle bullet will go farther than that. Bermed or not you have to know exactly what is behind the back stop.

 

[sacp81170a]

I hear ya wally, and I will check w/ the local gestapo when the time comes.

As one of the "local gestapo", I can tell you that there are no rules in Washington or Madison County. What part of the state are you in?

 

[Mortech]

I live in the middle of a 10K+ acre tree farm so any new clear cut becomes my 300 yard + shooting range with the areas near my house being the pistol range . Unfortunately the timber company has sold large tracts of it for housing development so my shooting areas are getting a little gerrymandered .

 

[igpoobah]

As one of the "local gestapo", I can tell you that there are no rules in Washington or Madison County. What part of the state are you in?

Central, Lonoke County.

 

[BBQJOE]

One thing you might be able to consider is renting a piece of equipment and digging a deep long trench, possibly even roofing it partially.

 

[igpoobah]

Fortunately I work for a place I can get plate steel from, will probably be making some large 45 degree backstops out of 3/8" plate.

 

[phantomak47]

Wally do you ever think Carters country in spring will shut down down because of the housing growth around that area?

 

[sacp81170a]

Central, Lonoke County.

Looks like you're OK as far as state restrictions go:

"5-73-127. Possession of loaded center-fire weapons in certain areas.

(a) It is unlawful to possess a loaded center-fire weapon, other than a shotgun, and other than in a residence or business of the owner, in the following areas:
(1) Baxter County:

(A) That part bounded on the south by Highway 178, on the west and north by Bull Shoals Lake, and on the east by the Central Electric Power Corporation transmission line from Howard Creek to Highway 178;

(B) That part of Bidwell Point lying south of the east-west road which crosses Highway 101 at the Presbyterian Church;

(C) That part of Bidwell Point lying west of Bennett's Bayou and north of the east-west road which crosses Highway 101 at the Presbyterian Church;

(D) That part of Baxter County between:

(i) County Road 139 and Lake Norfork to the north and west;

(ii) County Road 151 and Lake Norfork to the north, west, and south in the Diamond Bay area;

(iii) The Bluff Road and Lake Norfork to the west;

(iv) John Lewis Road (Timber Lake Manor) and Lake Norfork to the west and south;

(v) The south end of County Road 91 south of its intersection with John Lewis Road and Lake Norfork to the south and east; and

(vi) County Road 150 from its intersection with County Road 93 south and Lake Norfork to the south and east but not east of County Road 93;

(2) Benton County:

(A) That part of the Hobbs Estate north of State Highway 12, west of Rambo Road, and south and east of Van Hollow Creek and the Van Hollow Creek arm of Beaver Lake;

(B) All of Bella Vista Village;

(C) That part bounded on the north by Beaver Lake, on the east by Beaver Lake, on the south by the Hobbs State Management Area boundary from the intersection of State Highway 12 eastward along the boundary to its intersection with the Van Hollow Creek arm of Beaver Lake;

(3) Benton and Carroll Counties: That part bounded on the north by Highway 62, on the east by Highway 187 and Henry Hollow Creek, and the south and west by Beaver Lake and the road from Beaver Dam north to Highway 62;

(4) Conway County: That part lying above the rimrock of Petit Jean Mountain;

(5) Garland County: All of Hot Springs Village and Diamondhead;

(6) Marion County:

(A) That part known as Bull Shoals Peninsula, bounded on the east and north by White River and Lake Bull Shoals, on the west by the Jimmie Creek arm of Lake Bull Shoals, and on the south by the municipal boundaries of the City of Bull Shoals;

(B) That part of Marion County bounded on the north, west, and south by Bull Shoals Lake and on the east by County Roads 355 and 322 from their intersections with State Highway 202 to the points where they respectively dead-end at arms of Bull Shoals Lake;

(C) The Yocum Bend Peninsula of Bull Shoals Lake bounded on the north and east by Bull Shoals Lake, on the west by Pine Mountain and Bull Shoals Lake, and on the south by County Road 30; and

(D) Those lands situated in Marion County known as the Frost Point Peninsula, not inundated by the waters of Bull Shoals Lake, being more particularly described as follows:

(i) Section Six, Township Twenty North, Range Fifteen West, (Sec. 6 - T.20 N. - R.15 W.), lying south of the White River channel;

(ii) Section One, Township Twenty North, Range Sixteen West, (Sec. 1 - T.20 N. - R.16 W.); and

(iii) East Half of Section Two, Township Twenty North, Range Sixteen West, (E 1/2 Sec. 2 - T.20 N. - R.16 W.); North Half of the Northeast Quarter of Section Eleven, Township Twenty North, Range Sixteen West (N 1/2 - NE 1/4 Sec. 11 - T.20 N. - R.16 W.); and

(7) A platted subdivision located in an unincorporated area.

(b) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to limit or restrict or to make unlawful the discharge of a firearm in defense of a person or property within the areas described in this section.

(c) Any person who is found guilty or who pleads guilty or nolo contendere to violating this section shall be fined no less than twenty-five dollars ($25.00) nor more than five hundred dollars ($500).

(d) This section does not apply to a:

(1) Law enforcement officer in the performance of his or her duties; or

(2) Discharge of a center-fire weapon at a firing range maintained for the discharging of a center-fire weapon."

So if you're in a platted subdivision, it appears that you have to have an area designated as a "firing range". Otherwise, you have no state restrictions. Don't know about Lonoke County ordinances, though.

 

[Chuck R.]

I’ve built a home range on 40 acres we bought that gives me 400 meter shots depending on the angle. My plot is square so I’ve got ¼ mile sides. So far, I’ve put in a 30 x 30 meter graveled pistol range and a dug in bench with graveled prone position at 200 meters. I’ve bought armor plate targets, made target stands for IDPA silhouettes, scrounged barrels and made large target stands that double as walls for scenarios.

IF your zoning is Ok, depending on what want to do, size may not be a limiting factor as long as you find or build a suitable backstop. Out in the “country” around my place there’s a lot of shooting that takes place on 5-10 acre areas. I cut into a hill, and use my 175 meter dam as my firing lane, so my backstop is about 60 ft high and a few hundred yards thick.

As for neighbors, I don’t have any nearby, but I only allow shooting when I’m there, this cuts the use down to 2-3 times per week. I also don’t do any low-light training except for fall/spring when it gets dark early enough to be reasonable, nor do I shoot early mornings. Basically, I try to be a good neighbor, even though by county rules I have the right to do what I please.

Chuck

 

[eric.cartman]

My Dad has 5 acres in upstate NY, Katskills Mountains. It's in Flaishmans, on a side of a mountain. We shot in the backyard for 3 days straight, no one complained. I asked the local sherif, he said I need to be 500 feet from another house. That was easy. Although there is a road close in front of the house, and another home behind it, it sort of kinna looked like around 500 feet

If a local sherif showed up, i would have pleaded ignorance. But in all honesty, we hear neighbours shooting all the time, so it's all good.

 

[cola8d8]

Wally, can you point mo to more info on this?
Check your state land use laws. Texas just clarified ours, don't remember the exact details

 

[M2 Carbine]

Is there anyone who is set up on 5-10 acres out there who is shooting there successfully? What do you do about cranky neighbours? (most of the land I see is 300' wide by XX' long, so the possibility of having neighbours to the left and right are possible, either now or in the future)

I have 19 acres total, with a 100 yard range on 11 acres and a backyard range on 8 acres.
I've been shooting here since the mid 60's and expect to continue until I can no longer hold a gun.

Few people can afford enough land to where a fired bullet can't leave their property, so it's the shooter's responsibility to have good backstops and not miss them.

 

[ball3006]

I have 9 acres.....

but I do not feel safe shooting anything larger than a 22. I have a small sandbank for a backstop. As the land is flat, and there are folks living on both sides of me, I limit my shooting. When I move there next year, I am going to pick up some cement culvert pipe to shoot through so a bullet cannot get away from me for my 22s. A bud of mine had 80 acres but he hired a bulldozer to put up a U shaped berm to shoot into. He also made sure there were no buildings down range of the berm too.....chris3

 

[High Planes Drifter]

BBQJoe, thats a pretty good idea. Your sides, and berm would already be in place, and the ground works well as a sound absorber. About the only drawback is in the days after it rains, you'll have to deal with the slop.

 

[igpoobah]

Thanks sacp81170a for the legal info, and the rest of you all for the ideas. Between this and other threads I have searched, I have a pretty good idea of some options I have.

Of course this will be dictated by the surroundings that my future property has. Hopefully I can find one with a hillside. That would be ideal...

Keep the ideas coming!

 

[Griff]

10 acres here, but only 3 cleared. We made a backstop from stacks of old tires filled with dirt, free from a local shop. We usually shoot relatively low-powered stuff like .22s or .38s, occasionally 7.62x39 or 12 gauge, or the odd home defense weapon that a curious military spouse wants familiarization training with.

I went around the neighborhood and asked everyone if they'd have a problem with our little project before hand, and some looked at me like I was crazy for asking but appreciated the consideration. A couple have taken me up on the requisite invite, even. As far as most are concerned here, there's no problem until you make one. I don't complain about their dogs, they put up with me hunting grasshoppers with an air rifle. We love living in the country.

Take care

 

[wally]

Wally do you ever think Carters country in spring will shut down down because of the housing growth around that area?

I've no idea but if they own enough of the land behind the berms, the new clarified law should protect them.

Wally, can you point mo to more info on this?
Check your state land use laws. Texas just clarified ours, don't remember the exact details

I recall reading about it in the TSRA magazine "legislative report". Their web site might be a place to find more info www.tsra.com or the State Gov: www.capitol.state.tx.us

HTH,
--wally.