I need to hear from people who legally shoot on their property. Details inside

[MostCrucialMarsupial]

so, me and the family are planning a move soon. Tired of living in an HOA neighborhood, tired of the house itself. I want to move into a more rural environment and the family is on board. I would like to be able to shoot on my property but I dont know what the laws are regarding that. It would be awesome if you could answer some questions about where you live

1. where do you live
2. is it a decent area? not rundown
3. what are the rules for shooting on private land? Do you have to have a certain amount of land? etc
4. how affordable is it to live there?

any other input you have would help

I work out of Indy so I would preferably like to stay within half an hour of Indy, but I guess not necessary for the right property

 

[mom45]

The main rule (assuming there are no noise ordinances or ordinances prohibiting shooting in the area) would be to have a proper backstop. You are responsible for any damage done by bullets that leave your property whether that damage is to a person, animal or a tree. If the bullet leaves your property and causes damage, you can be charged with criminal recklessness...which results in the revocation of your license to carry.

My neighbor was charged after causing significant damage to our property, and in addition to losing his carry license, he is prohibited from EVER shooting any firearm on his property for as long as he lives there. That was part of the judge's order. The license revocation was done by the state after the criminal recklessness charge was reported to the licensing board due to the involvement of firearms.

 

[Mgderf]

MCM,
I believe there are a few threads addressing these very questions.
I don't believe there are any state statutes, but many counties/municipalities have their own restrictions, some as onerous as any H.O.A.

You need a safe backstop, but most important is your neighbors.
Even if you are completely legal shooting on your own property, an irate neighbor can bring untold headaches to your doorstep.

When you check out each property, try to check out your potential neighbors if possible.
If they're into it, inviting them to use a range next door may help.

My brother put a 50 yard range in his front yard just weeks after I gave him his first AR15.
He simply built a dirt berm with railroad ties corralling it all in.
We shoot up to .308Winchester and 7mm Mauser without issue.

The neighbors were not consulted in this instance, but my brother has lived there for more than a decade so he knows most of them.
Now, when we start shooting, a lot of the neighbors decide it's a good time for them to shoot as well.

 

[mom45]

I guess I didn't answer all of your questions.

We live in the northern part of the state in a rural area about 7 miles from the county seat.

It's a mixed area as far as housing is concerned. Our immediate neighborhood is mostly houses that have been built in the past 20 years with parcels ranging from an acre to 100 acres. There are some farm fields mixed in.

Rules are as noted above. Don't damage others' property or create an unsafe environment.

Cost of living in our county is rather low, but so is income...poverty level is quite high with a lot of residents receiving some form of government assistance.

 

[dieselrealtor]

Morgan County,

you will find desirable & less than desirable areas in any county.

Outside city limits is a must have to shoot on your property. I recommend outside any buffer zone by at least a few miles as many municipalities have a history of "aggressive expansion", look at Greenwood for an example.

Some other issues have already been addressed in above postings.

You will still need to perform your due diligence on any property you have interest in. I recently reviewed a rural 5 acre parcel that had 27 pages of invasive HOA regulations, no thank you.

 

[MostCrucialMarsupial]

The main rule (assuming there are no noise ordinances or ordinances prohibiting shooting in the area) would be to have a proper backstop. You are responsible for any damage done by bullets that leave your property whether that damage is to a person, animal or a tree. If the bullet leaves your property and causes damage, you can be charged with criminal recklessness...which results in the revocation of your license to carry.

oh, ill make sure I do everything I can to shoot in a safe manner. The neighbor thing is one thing I didnt think of but I guess it can pose a problem even if its legal. What I rellay would like is like small ranch where I wouldnt have to worry about neighbors much, but we just started talking about this move so I have no idea what kind of prices Im looking at for something like that

MCM,
I believe there are a few threads addressing these very questions.
I don't believe there are any state statutes, but many counties/municipalities have their own restrictions, some as onerous as any H.O.A.

You need a safe backstop, but most important is your neighbors.
Even if you are completely legal shooting on your own property, an irate neighbor can bring untold headaches to your doorstep.

When you check out each property, try to check out your potential neighbors if possible.
If they're into it, inviting them to use a range next door may help.

My brother put a 50 yard range in his front yard just weeks after I gave him his first AR15.
He simply built a dirt berm with railroad ties corralling it all in.
We shoot up to .308Winchester and 7mm Mauser without issue.

The neighbors were not consulted in this instance, but my brother has lived there for more than a decade so he knows most of them.
Now, when we start shooting, a lot of the neighbors decide it's a good time for them to shoot as well.

good to know, thanks

I guess I didn't answer all of your questions.

We live in the northern part of the state in a rural area about 7 miles from the county seat.

It's a mixed area as far as housing is concerned. Our immediate neighborhood is mostly houses that have been built in the past 20 years with parcels ranging from an acre to 100 acres. There are some farm fields mixed in.

Rules are as noted above. Don't damage others' property or create an unsafe environment.

Cost of living in our county is rather low, but so is income...poverty level is quite high with a lot of residents receiving some form of government assistance.

I forgot to mention that I work out of Indy so I would preferably like to stay within half an hour of Indy, but I guess not necessary for the right property

 

[PGRChaplain]

If you find that Perfect Spot contact the Sheriffs Department and see if you can meet with the Chief Deputy (don't want to bother the Sheriff!) get their input on your Range Idea before you "Pull the Trigger" on the Real Estate. Let them know your looking to forward to living in their County.

 

[oldpink]

This right here is one of the best reasons to live well outside city limits on enough land to be able to shoot.
I grew up all the way through high school in the country and we just went shooting whenever we felt like it (during the day, of course!), and we never had any problems at all, but then, we were always careful about what we where shooting, how, and where the bullet/pellets would wind up.
Just be sure that you have a dependable backstop that will be able to absorb more than you intend to shoot into it.

 

[roscott]

We shoot in the middle of nowhere, so it's not too much of an issue, but as stated above:

Have a good backstop. Buy some 5.56 tracer rounds. They will definitely let you know if your backstop isn't cutting it!

After building your range, BEFORE you start shooting,call the local sheriff dept and ask them to come inspect your range. This is not required legally, but it allows you to meet the local law enforcement, and it lets them know there is a legitimate shooting range there. Lots of people call 911 and skew the story in their favor: "There's someone out here shooting! He may be shooting at passing cars, I'm not sure!" Suddenly you are the bad guy, even though you have done nothing wrong. If you make them aware in advance, they should be much less likely to come tell you to stop. Just my 2 cents!

 

[eldirector]

We live in Hendricks County, just outside of Brownsburg. Meaning, I can see Brownsburg from my house (cue your best Palin voice). I assume we will be annexed at some point.

Several folks in the area have backstops, and it is pretty routine to hear gunfire on the weekends. I would guess most of these folks have 5+ acres. I live in a neighborhood (no HOA) on a 2/3 acre lot, so no shooting for me, just due to safety issues and common courtesy. No county ordinances on noise or firing ranges here. We do have a few minor announces with 'city folk' moving here, and then complaining about the very reasons they moved 'to the country'. A couple of neighbors complained about my fire pit, for example. Until I offered to remove a couple of dead trees for them for free, and used the wood in said fire pit.

Nice balance of home costs/values and convenient location. It is easy to get "into town" for whatever you need, and 5 minutes the other direction is nothing but cornfields. I would guess a ranch-style home on 5+ acres would be in the $200-$250K range. A 2-story on 10+ acres is more like $325K. Go just a little farther west into the county, and prices drop a bit.

We really like it.

 

[jasonh31]

Northern Indiana. Range was built by my Dad and friends in the 70s. Backstops of dirt with rail ties on both sides at 25,50,75, and 100 yards. Have been rebuilt since then. Area has all incomes and no new houses since the 80s. We just go shoot whenever. No issues since before I was born. Rounds did impact a neighbors barn. He wasn't sure it was us but just let my Dad know.

 

[MostCrucialMarsupial]

We shoot in the middle of nowhere, so it's not too much of an issue, but as stated above:

Have a good backstop. Buy some 5.56 tracer rounds. They will definitely let you know if your backstop isn't cutting it!

what do you mean by that? I dont have an AR yet so it would have to be 7.62 tracers. Good idea to meet the sheriff also

We live in Hendricks County, just outside of Brownsburg. Meaning, I can see Brownsburg from my house (cue your best Palin voice). I assume we will be annexed at some point.

Several folks in the area have backstops, and it is pretty routine to hear gunfire on the weekends. I would guess most of these folks have 5+ acres. I live in a neighborhood (no HOA) on a 2/3 acre lot, so no shooting for me, just due to safety issues and common courtesy. No county ordinances on noise or firing ranges here. We do have a few minor announces with 'city folk' moving here, and then complaining about the very reasons they moved 'to the country'. A couple of neighbors complained about my fire pit, for example. Until I offered to remove a couple of dead trees for them for free, and used the wood in said fire pit.

Nice balance of home costs/values and convenient location. It is easy to get "into town" for whatever you need, and 5 minutes the other direction is nothing but cornfields. I would guess a ranch-style home on 5+ acres would be in the $200-$250K range. A 2-story on 10+ acres is more like $325K. Go just a little farther west into the county, and prices drop a bit.

We really like it.

great answer, thanks

Northern Indiana. Range was built by my Dad and friends in the 70s. Backstops of dirt with rail ties on both sides at 25,50,75, and 100 yards. Have been rebuilt since then. Area has all incomes and no new houses since the 80s. We just go shoot whenever. No issues since before I was born. Rounds did impact a neighbors barn. He wasn't sure it was us but just let my Dad know.

what are the typical prices of the homes? and how far north?

 

[KJQ6945]

Inside Marion county, Franklin Township.










Back stop is 12ft wide, 6'6" tall, and 14" thick.

 

[Kdf101]

I live about 30 miles south of terre haute on 48 acres, mostly woods. What few neighbors I have are mostly farmers. My closest neighbor in 200 yards south of me. East and west closest is about a mile, and nobody north of me for about 10 miles. Still, I like to shoot into a solid backstop, I have made several small berms with my tractor and those are in front of a substantial amount of trees. The key thing is to keep all bullets on your property.

 

[KLB]

I live in Porter County, which is way outside your desired range.

We can shoot as long as we keep our bullets on our property. Around me a lot of people shoot.

The most important thing is make sure your backstop is big enough that you won't miss and that it will stop any bullets shot into it.

The more land you can get the better.

 

[roscott]

what do you mean by that? I dont have an AR yet so it would have to be 7.62 tracers. Good idea to meet the sheriff also

Because tracers will let let you see the flight path of the bullet, even after a ricochet. A dirt berm of insufficient height can often have rounds skip off the top (it's impressive) and steel targets can send rounds zinging off in bizarre directions (it's REALLY impressive).

 

[Roland of Gilead]

Inside Marion county, Franklin Township.




Back stop is 12ft wide, 6'6" tall, and 14" thick.

That looks so good I'd almost not want to shoot it.

 

[KJQ6945]

That looks so good I'd almost not want to shoot it.

its easy to maintain. Pull a single nail, and I can remove any timber in the front row, and rotate or replace as necessary.

 

[sbatten]

I live out in Shelby county on 5 acres and I built a backstop and can shoot when I want. Quite a few of my neighbors shoot around me and the best advice I can give is be respectful of your neighbors. Remember you might have someone who works nights (which I do) so I shoot bigger stuff later in the afternoon. I had a neighbor that would start shooting just before dark when my kids were little and in bed, I had to ask them to shoot earlier and they did. Being respectful goes a long way with neighbors, especially the ones that don't shoot.

 

[kawtech87]

Another vote for Morgan County here. We have 40 acres between Martinsville and Wilbur. Down in the woods with few neighbors. Most of whom also shoot. You'll not find to many anti-gun nuts in the sticks of Morgan County.

Also this may or maybe not go with out saying but if your land is bisected by a county road it is illegal to shoot across the road.