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When I was a kid we used to go down to the creek bottoms and shoot 22's at bottles and can's. I hesitate to do this anymore especially with a hand gun. Is there a place besides a shooting range in the Dallas Ft. Worth area where it's legal to discharge a handgun other a shooting range? I assume any private property outside city limits but I don't know anyone with private property. Just curious.

In TX, it is tough. 97% of land is privately owned. and the few public land is either state park (limited to hunting) or federal land (no guns). Others please share more info.

Not all federal land is off limits to guns. There are many federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management that allow shooting both handguns and long guns. Unfortunately, I don't think there are any in Texas. Most of their land is in states further west than Texas.

You can NOT shoot in or around public areas (CG's, etc.) in National Forests; otherwise, away.

@Oldgringo:

I hope you do not feel as if I am doubting you, but since I don't have a legal background, I like to look up all the things pertaining to activities that could get me sent to jail or cost me a lot of money BEFORE I go do them...can you please cite the regs or laws saying that shooting in National Forests (plinking, target shooting, etc.) is quite alright as long as you aren't near a camp ground? I would certainly enjoy setting up some tin cans and plinking away, since I am stuck living in a suburb, for now...and shooting ranges only allow flat paper targets and get to be steep on the prices. Of course, I would clean up after myself, though I know for a fact there are those who do not...which is why a lot of places got closed down to plinking or target shooting. And, if it were not written down somewhere that its a legal activity, I doubt any park ranger or game warden would be real sympathetic to me saying I heard about it on a forum. Anyway, I'll keep my fingers crossed and thank you in advance.

Heartland Patriot wrote:@Oldgringo:

I hope you do not feel as if I am doubting you, but since I don't have a legal background, I like to look up all the things pertaining to activities that could get me sent to jail or cost me a lot of money BEFORE I go do them...can you please cite the regs or laws saying that shooting in National Forests (plinking, target shooting, etc.) is quite alright as long as you aren't near a camp ground? I would certainly enjoy setting up some tin cans and plinking away, since I am stuck living in a suburb, for now...and shooting ranges only allow flat paper targets and get to be steep on the prices. Of course, I would clean up after myself, though I know for a fact there are those who do not...which is why a lot of places got closed down to plinking or target shooting. And, if it were not written down somewhere that its a legal activity, I doubt any park ranger or game warden would be real sympathetic to me saying I heard about it on a forum. Anyway, I'll keep my fingers crossed and thank you in advance.

IANAL nor have I ever stayed in a Holiday Inn Express.

I will not attempt to cite or interpret rules and regs of anything except my house and my land. I will invite you to view the various National Forest websites and draw your own conclusions and points of contact for clarification.

Good luck.