[timberdoodle12]

Does anyone know if the PGC has any authority over a private shooting range? I am talking about a makeshift one on a hunting camp property. Is there any specifications or usage regulations?

We have an adjacent camp that mounded up some dirt and use it the weekend prior to gun season. It sits about 20 yards off the road we use to get to our new building. We went over to get something out of the building and they were shooting as we approached their camp. They stopped as we drove by on our road but then started shooting once we parked and then kept on shooting the whole time we were there.



Thanks for any info.

 

[Woods walker]

No they don't, with one exception and that is shooting during the big game season as per the following.

(a) General rule. - It is unlawful for any person during the open season for the taking of any big game other than turkey to:

(1) Shoot at any mark or target other than legal game or wildlife with a firearm of any kind or a bow and arrow.

(2) Discharge at any time any firearm or release an arrow at random in the general direction of any game or wildlife not plainly visible for the purpose of routing or frightening them.

(3) Discharge at any time any firearm or release an arrow at random or in any other manner contrary to this section.

(b) Exceptions. - This section shall not be construed to apply in any manner to:

(1) The discharge of any firearm for the sole purpose of signaling for aid or assistance while in distress.

(2) The use of rifle, pistol or archery ranges owned, leased or maintained by a State or Federal military or police organization or by any regularly organized rifle, pistol, shotgun or archery range, shooting association or club while shooting at a regularly established and properly safeguarded range or to any public shooting exhibition properly safeguarded and conducted under the direction of any organization for the promotion of marksmanship.

(3) The discharge of a muzzle-loading firearm at a proper target for the purpose of safe transportation of the muzzle-loaded firearm.

(4) Shooting at a properly constructed target or mark or a dead tree protected by a natural or artificial barrier so that the ball, bullet or arrow cannot travel more than 15 yards beyond the target aimed at, after making due allowance for deflection in any direction not to exceed an angle of 45 degrees. Target shooting shall only be lawful when it is done:

(i) Upon property owned by the shooter or by a guest of the property owner.

(ii) Within 200 yards of the camp or other headquarters where the person shooting is quartered or is an invited guest or visitor.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I am a little surprised that there aren't more regs about ranges on private property. I have one. I have a back stop a few feet higher than the target holder and behind that is a hill totally on my property. It is another 800 ft beyond that to the property line and according to aerial photos, a little over a mile to the nearest house that is even cloe to being in line with my shooting lane. I also only shoot black powder pistols on my range. Down the road folks who have 2 acres have a 50 ft range on level ground. Their back stop is only three feet high. and about 10 feet long. directly behind their back stop about 100 yds is a new house and garage. These folks often shoot semi autos and rifles. The lack of common sense is scary.

Three years ago, I was down in the hollow loading up firewood that I had cut the week before. A neighbor kid stood at the top of the ravine on the neighbor's property and sprayed the ravine with bullets from his semi suto 22. He claimed he was just shooting at trees. When the firing stopped I jumped in the truck and flew up an old trail out of there. I actually beat him back to his parents house. His response. "I wasn't on your property so you can't do anything."

It wasn't the first time that neighbors have set up shooting ranges and had bullets flying down through my woods, or across my fields.

One Sunday, I kept hearing gun fire. Took me a while to find it. Neighbor's kid got a shot gun for his birthday and they were shooting it to test the pattern. Just that they were shooting at a piece of cardboard at the end of the property, the back stop was my corn field. There was a path cleared by shot into the corn field where all the stalks and ears had been perforated or shot off. That neighbor and I are on good terms now, but you can't imagine how PO'd I was then.

Hunter safety courses cover this, but apparently it just doesn't occur to some folks to think past what is in the foreground.

I am certainly not in favor of more gov't regs, but folks get killed over stupid carelessness.

 

[Keystonepaul]

wonder if shooting ranges would be covered by building codes in terms of feet off the property line, minimum number of acres to have one etc, or some other building codes, local or otherwise. Keystonepaul

 

[zimmerstutzen]

About ten years ago, a guy kept bouncing rifle bullets out across a farmers field. After months of complaints and warnings he was charged with misdemeanor trespassing and reckless endangerment.

I have checked my local code. Keeping recreational uses at least 50 feet from the boundary line is about the only restriction I found here. But that is for established recreational uses, like a "range" as opposed to somebody walking through the woods shooting at stumps.