Safety of Shooting On Personal Property

[ARNETT44]

I just finished clearing my spot on some acreage I purchased. While the machines were clearing the property I found a spot where I have a little over 75 yards, slightly down hill, and had the cut tree logs stacked 15 feet high. then the dozer and back hoe dumped dirt on it. It not only save me from burning the trees but makes a very nice backstop.

 

[Hungry Seagull]

Next big question.

Will that rain drain properly from it?

Had to ask. Dont let them equiptment get away and have it turn into a lake in a storm.

Ours were cut into the side of a hill with a quarry dozer and it was downhill into the hill itself but the slope was actually slightly uphill so runoff is easy.

Did that make sense?

Does it really matter? That lead and shot will fall down to bottom to be slowly buried by silting water/sediment anyhow.

That leads me to another thought. You have well water? Will any of that run off leach into your water well?

 

[krs]

In most rural areas shooting on your own property is OK with a few qualifiers.

One thing that seems almost universal is that no shooting goes toward a road, or within so and so feet of a road.

General safe practices are the rule - no shooting toward any occupied building even if it seems too far to hit. Make SURE of your backstop.

Other than those two pretty strict thoughts I think it's good to try to be considerate of any neighbors.

I shoot pistols here on my homestead - right out the back door with 25 yards to a target holder I welded up and put against a natural terrain backstop. It works great and I generally don't shoot on weekends or during hours when I think someone might be bothered by the noise. I have three neighbors that I can't see from here but are close enough to hear my gunshots. I try not to bother anyone but I've never gone to check what hours might work best for any of them. I figure to do that would just open the door for them to bitch, and they've got no bitch because I'm completely within the law in what I do here.

I've got room to have 200 yards if I wanted, or even a roving range through the back woods here. There's six acres of woods on my place that I could do whatever I want to with - I don't because I've gotten too old and lazy.

 

[femoralis]

Build a berm.

Here's a sad news story about some folks though trees were a good backstop for an SKS. They are being charged with manslaughter:

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/...90528042/Second+man+charged+in+Essex+shooting

 

[jakemccoy]

http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/article/20090529/NEWS02/90528042/Second+man+charged+in+Essex+shooting

That article is right on point and answers the important questions here.

You may be confident in your shooting ability. However, if your range is inherently dangerous, then you could still be charged with involuntary manslaughter if a less-than-stellar shooter is off target and kills someone.

 

[ScareyH22A]

That would be so dope! I want my own private range! But I'd definitely make a berm backdrop about 8-10' high and to the most unpopulated and untraveled direction. Maybe your neighbors will wanna borrow it sometimes!

 

[X-Rap]

The bottom line is you are responsible for any bullets originating from your property, that for the most part includes guests at least in part (due to you allowing them to shoot on your place).

 

[WinchesterAA]

That's a lot of work you've got ahead of you.. I'll gladly volunteer myself and my vehicle to assist in getting your range going if you let me shoot there occasionally.

Also, I've got a lot of experience in shaping my own firing lanes in dense brush and forested areas for deer hunting.

have you scouted the property yet to see where the best location would be? There's a pretty good chance you can find a natural berm, or atleast an accessible area so you can move whatever material you're going to use.

 

[SMMAssociates]

I keep threatening my sister to move to her "farm" in TX, south of Dallas. She's got about 40 acres, but is a bleeding-heart anti....

I could put at trailer near the road and she'd never know I was there if we didn't drive over to use the pool.... I think she even has a dozer! But if one of the coyotes gets a horse, she may change her mind....

Overall, I'd build the berm, somehow. Although that fish pond "tank" idea may have merit, and using existing ground features isn't a bad idea either.

(I've got 150' behind my house now, which would be a nice pistol range, but the local PD and the guy living at about 151' might object. )

Regards,

 

[toivo]

I'll add to the chorus: Build a berm. Shooting into the woods just isn't a good idea. I've been in the woods when somebody was doing that. Big time bad news. Never been in war, but now I have an idea what it's like to be shot at.

 

[gbw]

It's my range in the photo. Any competent dozer operator could build the same setup (build and shape 10'-12' high vertical front wall 25' wide berm, cut even lanes, and scrape in some drainage, not including the wall and shed) in 3 or 4 hours. Clearing large trees will add significant time / money. Still $1000 or so at the outside, not bad for what you're getting. You can always add the amenities later as you go along and decide what you want. I can't think of much I'd do differently except buy more land when I had the opportunity. A couple of years of carefully publicized political contributions to the local sheriff never hurt either, still being careful to follow the letter of the law.

 

[Lamb of Gun]

gbw: That must be liberating to have a gun-club worthy rage right on your property. Fantastic job.

There is a clearing in the woods behind my house the I shoot at. I don't use a back stop (although I'd like to have one) because I am shooting at about 20 yards, and always in into the ground. I only shoot back there about twice a year or if I purchase a new gun I feel is OK to be shooting in the neighborhood. They don't mind considering the neighbors on both sides of me have backstops and the people accross the street are always shooting large bore rifles.

I don't feel comfortable shooting more then just some small to medium caliber pistols and rifles back there. It would be nice to but it's just not in the cards.

My suggestion would be to build a range that feels like a pay to shoot range (if it's financially viable). You feel safe, secure, and free to do what you like.

 

[fase3]

I am lucky in that I have 600+ acres with a berm of 200 tires filled with dirt as a stop. I step out of the shop for 100-200-300 yd benches. It is almost 2 miles to the back of the farm. Life is good!