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It also kind of depends on your neighbors. One of my friends in Missouri has a three-acre lot and he shoots his 22s on it. His neighbors come over and use the range he's set up too. If he had neighbors who would be disagreeable to the shooting, though, he'd not be able to shoot on the land at all.
12 acres in what configuration? A square? A rectangle (1 acre wide, 12 deep)?
I've been shooting on a gun range that was being leased by the the State of Texas for the last 40 years. It's a 10 acre patch in the middle of no where with nothing but virgin ranch land in any direction, 35 miles south of me. About the only thing you MIGHT see is a cow, coyote, quail, etc. Because the local County created an ordinance of 12 acres or more to be able to shoot or hunt, the State had to close the place up. The patch was only 10 acres and was oddly shaped. The longest shot we had available to us was 100 yds as it was set up. So the question is irrelevant considering I don't make the laws, the country folks in the area make them as they see fit. They said 12 acres, no other description needed or required. Now I'm having to drive 75 miles one way to shoot. Sure cuts into the range time and expense. The biggest reason for the distance......I have several ranges that are within 10 minutes of the house. But they do not offer a 25 yd bench range for pistols and no offhand shooting allowed at 25 yds. The rifle ranges as they are set up, does not allow you to keep your brass. Your pistol brass goes into the steel grating you're standing on. I reload and brass is far too expensive to not pick it up after shooting.
Depends om what you're shooting, lol. I have 5 or so acres and I can shoot my .22's here. There's a field in front of full of prairie dogs and I pop-shoot them a time or two. I'll occasionally burn a .257 AI at them, but rarely.
However I also target shoot at 300-500 yards, obviously not here. I'm fortunate in that we have an excellent range about 25 miles from the house with 50,100,200,300 and 400 yard targets. I can also go about 1.5 miles due north and be on National Forest ground. I can shoot anywhere there.
Needs for safety depend on caliber, what distance you want, and lot configuration, not size
Quote:
Originally Posted by brrabbit
I am afraid some towns (if not most) might have ordinances prohibiting shooting at all.
This varies at least from state-to-state; for example New Hampshire has statewide preemption, so counties and towns cannot pass/enforce their own restrictions on firearms, shooting, or target ranges.
excape appears to live in/near Cloverdale, California.
Quote:
Originally Posted by excape
I was curious if anyone knows how large your lot needs to be in order target shoot on it.
What you need to operate safely depends more on what caliber you are using, what distance range you want, and lot configuration, not how many acres total. You might do a 100 yard range on a 12 acre square but could fit 500 yards if the lot is long and skinny (and has no houses nearby).
Last edited by Nonesuch; 04-30-2018 at 12:25 PM..
Reason: Cloverdale, California
Here in Eastern WA, there is no specific amount of land necessary. The point is that you don't make a nuisance of yourself with projectiles leaving your property.
I have 13 acres, and shoot .22 and smaller handguns on site.
Reduced loads with cast bullets do tame down 30-06 and larger rifles so they can be shot about like .22s. I have been shooting my old Model 70 (1948 year) '06 with the old Lyman 3118 bullet (115 grain plain base) and light charge of Unique for about 1300 FPS muzzle velocity, and have had people at the range ask me "What kind of .22 Magnum is that anyway?"
I have 3 acres. I have a shooting range marked out 25, 50, 75, 100 and 200 yards. Have a levee as a backdrop at the 202 mark and rice/crawfish fields beyond that. We shoot whatever, whenever. Except at night. I figure to give the neighbors SOME quiet time. Thankfully our neighbors are spaced out. Friends and family come out to zero in their rifles and have some friendly competition.
I was curious if anyone knows how large your lot needs to be in order target shoot on it.
it truly depends on the state you live in. in some states you have to have a minimum acreage and in some states you can just open the back door and go outside to shoot.
it truly depends on the state you live in. in some states you have to have a minimum acreage and in some states you can just open the back door and go outside to shoot.
Or just open the bathroom window.
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Needs for safety depend on caliber, what distance you want, and lot configuration, not size
