Where do I research this?

[W Turner]

I live in a semi-rural area and and the border of my backyard is a very sizeable pasture. I am looking at preliminary plans to build a small (1-2 target) 50 yard range in the back corner of my property with an appropriate backstop.

Where would I go to research the legality of this? I would call the local sheriff's dept., but I don't know any deputies that are also lawyers and that would be willing to represent me/testify for me in court if it came to that. To give you an idea of the deputies here, my wife's car was broken into about a year and a half ago and the responding deputy told her she should have shot the guy(nevermind the fact he was running AWAY from our house after she turned the porchlight on).

So, other than legal code books, where would I go to find out if there are restrictions enacted by the county?

Thanks,
W

 

[FPrice]

I'm no expert but I would suggest going to your local city/county zoning board or equivalent office and see what your rights and restrictions are. They could probably direct you further.

No offense of any LEOs but this is not the type of question to ask them. You need to ask land use experts and that is the zoning people.

Good luck, I hope to do something similar when I retire and get some land.

 

[Aguila Blanca]

Not just zoning laws. Personal use of the land as a shooting range was probably not contemplated. The town I live in has had zoning ordinances since 1938. It has become a liberal bedroom community, the zoning regs have been revised twice within the past 20 years, and there is still no mention of firearms.

However ... there are other laws/ordinances in the town and on the state level governing discharge of firearms, such as minimum distances from a residence, size of tract required, etc.

Personally, I think it better be a very tall backstop. If I were the farmer who owned that pasture, I'd probably be less than thrilled to be in the line of fire every time I went out to check on the herd.

 

[W Turner]

The backstop will overlook a bare part of the pasture. All of the buildings are about 300yds. east of where the backstop will be. I was looking at the back stop being about 8 feet tall by at least the same wide.

My design is essentially a box with the top front corner (the part facing you) open and filled with sand. This will be for rimfire and pistols only. No rifles.

I am easily outside of any town limits, so I guess the county commission/zoning board is the only option. Do counties have ordninances or something similar like towns/cities do?




W