Legality of Shooting On Own Land

[TallPine]

One simple solution: ask the neighbors of the prospective property before you buy. Might as well get to know them now because you are going to have to be dealing with them for quite a while.

 

[M2 Carbine]

ColinthePilot

off topic, but I think it fits. Would any of you who do shoot on your own land allow others to shoot there?

Years ago I use to let most anyone shoot on my range. Back then there was mostly open ground for quite a way.
Now there are houses within the distance of a stray bullet, so I'm very selective about who shoots here.

As happens once in a while, if a friend has a relative or friend that wants to shoot, I have them first shoot very close to the berm, about 7 yards or so, so I can see that they are safe.
So far I haven't told anyone they can't shoot.


I haven't seen anything, but Internet rumor, about a 10 acre limit on shooting on your own land in Texas.
But few people can afford enough land that a stray bullet won't leave their property.
It's up to the shooter/land owner to make sure that doesn't happen.

If you ask the local law enforcement about a law don't count on the answer being 100% correct.

 

[M2 Carbine]

TallPine
One simple solution: ask the neighbors of the prospective property before you buy. Might as well get to know them now because you are going to have to be dealing with them for quite a while.

True.


I've been shooting on my ground far longer than any of the neighbors have lived around here.

I hadn't done any shooting for several weeks when a neighbor caught me at the fence and asked me if I have been sick. I said No, why?
He said, "I haven't heard you shooting in a while and I thought you might be sick. I like it when you're shooting. It lets anyone around here know that we have guns and know how to use them".

 

[AF_INT1N0]

I've been shooting on my ground far longer than any of the neighbors have lived around here.

I hadn't done any shooting for several weeks when a neighbor caught me at the fence and asked me if I have been sick. I said No, why?
He said, "I haven't heard you shooting in a while and I thought you might be sick. I like it when you're shooting. It lets anyone around here know that we have guns and know how to use them".

Sounds like a good neighbor to me.. Anyone selling land near you?

 

[Vonderek]

Not a thread hijack but a related issue: For those who purchased land to shoot on during weekends, did you buy it under your own name or did you set up a corporation as the owner of the land? I'm thinking in terms about limiting liability. Let's say during the week some people trespass on your property to shoot while you are away and someone gets hurt. I'm asking because I have been thinking about buying some land here in Florida to shoot on.

 

[antsi]

Regarding how much land is needed, I would say that is highly dependent on the landscape and the neighbors.

My family's "family farm" is not that large and the area is rapidly suburbanizing. There are homes within 1000 yards or so of where I do rifle shooting. However, the neighbors are people don't mind the sound of gun fire. Plus, they are allowed to use our land for horseback riding, so there's a sense of give and take. And unfortunately I don't get to shoot nearly as much as I'd like despite living only 15 minutes from the farm - so it's not like there is constant shooting as there would be with a commercial range.

Also, the landscape is just about perfect. Way back when, when they were building the road, they quarried a bunch of rock off the property. Now the land in that area is shaped kind of like a natural amphitheater, open on one end. If you stand at the open end and shoot into the "bowl," it is a great natural backstop.

Obviously, on flat open land you would need a lot more space.

With anti-gun neighbors, there is no telling how far away you would have to be. I'm sure there are some people out there who would not be willing to tolerate any gunfire ever. Even if you were technically within your legal rights to shoot on your property, it would not be good to have an ongoing fight or resentment with your neighbors.

 

[Zoogster]

I believe its usually the county that would have laws on how far away from other residences you must be to shoot, etc.

In varies by state as well, and further by county.
There is usualy a distance from other structures you must be. Some also have a distance from roads as well. Some locations do not allow recreational shooting such as target practice, but if the distance laws are followed have no say in firing a shot while hunting.

The state may have a law, the county may have a more restrictive law, and the unincorporated area an even more restrictive law. So do your research, just because you find a county law that states you have to be 100 yards away from structures does not mean the unincorparated area does not have ordinance even more restrictive or prohibits discharge of a firearm altogether, or only allows it for occupational or ranching purposes or some such nonsense.

Is this a law? 5 acres backed up to a huge tract of farmland is probably safer than 20 acres backed up to a town line. Hitting clays is less dangerous than someone shooting a centerfire rifle and missing a berm (as unlikely as that is to happen). In any case, 10 acres is less than what I am considering.

That may be true, but the irony is that shooting clay will often be illegal while shooting a high powered rifle that could travel a long distance and remain deadly into a berm is legal.
What would make the skeet illegal is if any projectiles leave your property in some locations. A single pellet falling at a harmless velocity onto someone else's property can be a serious offense, while the shots going into the berm from the rifle even with a whole neighborhood as the backdrop are perfectly legal even if an errant shot could or was even likely to result in deadly consequences.
In many locations your right to shoot ends at the property line (laws about distances from occupied structures/structures, roads, etc in addition), and it does not matter if it is #9 shot out of a .410 falling blown by the wind and falling harmlessly down on another person's property, or a .50 BMG round direct fired into thier property. Both are unwelcome firearm projectiles illegaly leaving your property and no different under the law in many such locations.

The law and common sense and personal resonsibility about firearm safety are two very different things. Don't get the two confused. What is legal can be very dangerous, and some perfectly safe things are illegal.

 

[Magnuumpwr]

I live in Buna, TX or southeast texas and own 30 acres. On this land I have a covered shooting platform that can be moved with my tractor, any where from 25 yds to 150 yds. I have a 12' dirt berm that is 25' across as a back stop. I have yet to deny anyone access, but as M2 said I will move the platform to about 50 yds to observe them in action before letting them take shots @ 100 or 150. Also on this range I shoot everything from 22's to my 50 BMG rifles and on weekends Friday or Saturday evenings are my favorites. In the evening hours it's tracer time, I just love watching tracers. By the way I have only had the cops show up one time and that was when I first started, since then no one else has called the cops or even mentioned anything to me about the shooting.

 

[damien]

I live in Buna, TX or southeast texas and own 30 acres. On this land I have a covered shooting platform that can be moved with my tractor, any where from 25 yds to 150 yds. I have a 12' dirt berm that is 25' across as a back stop. I have yet to deny anyone access, but as M2 said I will move the platform to about 50 yds to observe them in action before letting them take shots @ 100 or 150. Also on this range I shoot everything from 22's to my 50 BMG rifles and on weekends Friday or Saturday evenings are my favorites. In the evening hours it's tracer time, I just love watching tracers. By the way I have only had the cops show up one time and that was when I first started, since then no one else has called the cops or even mentioned anything to me about the shooting.

Now that's the sort of story I like hearing. Anyone else with a similar story, please post! Heck, if you have a horror story about Texas, post that too. I am mostly interested in what people have to say about Texas because that is where I am planning on moving.

As for the posters pointing out that it is not wise to solicit legal advice on the Internet, I understand where you are coming from. I am trying to get a general sense of what is allowed and what is not and when I have a county selected I will talk with the sheriff personally prior to purchase to make sure that I will not be breaking any laws. I will also look into using a buyer's agent to purchase the property, which is a really good piece of advice.

 

[M2 Carbine]

AF_INT1N0

Sounds like a good neighbor to me.. Anyone selling land near you?

Yes, but you wouldn't believe the price. Among other things going on there's a big gas drilling boom going on in the DFW area.

A friend just sold 14 acres near town for over two million.

 

[Rugermeister]

My father has about 300+ acres north west of Sherman. We have a pistol range with a covered area right behind his barn. We also have a 650 yard range in the south pasture that backs up to a 90+ foot rock formation. All the neighbors are cattle and horse people that appreciate us culling the rodent population. We have several "friends and associates" that we share bulk bullet and powder purchases with. They shoot at the property and we are developing a reloading center at the bunkhouse.

I visit about once a month and there is usually a pig roast of some sort with an accompaning shoot. We are always investigating new and challenging targets, currently spring loaded steel at longer ranges and bowling pins hanging on lanyards at pistol ranges. There is a special competition for women but last weekend my wife took the 600 yd pin shoot with her new Ruger #1v stainless in .270! She is going to be tough to live with. We commute from Phoenix and use the neighbors airstrip.

It just takes time and money to find the right place to shoot.

 

[winchester62]

The county CAN restrict you if you have 10 acres or less:

§ 235.022. AUTHORITY TO REGULATE. To promote the public
safety, the commissioners court of a county by order may prohibit or
otherwise regulate the discharge of firearms on lots that are 10
acres or smaller and are located in the unincorporated area of the
county in a subdivision.

One county that DID take advantage of this law is Collin county. And in 1999, some jerk state congressman tried to double the acreage amount but failed. He also tried to take the subdivision part out so that only the size of the parcel mattered - not how that parcel was made or developed. Let's hope it doesn't change for the worse anytime!

 

[springmom]

Vonderek, we bought it under our own names, of course. We also have liability insurance for just such a situation. You should always check with a lawyer and/or insurance agent about the situation in your own state, of course.

Springmom