question about shooting on own land

[v8killerturbo4]

Does anyone know if there is a minimal amount of acreage to have to be able to shoot on your own land. Someone one time told me a min. of 10 acres, can anyone confirm that? How about outside city Limits with no limit on acreage, I have no idea.

Thanks

[txinvestigator]

State law does not address it. Your county or local municipality will. Check each.

[seamusTX]

Generally you have to be 500 feet or 300 yards from any residence, business, etc. The number varies in different counties.

My advice is see it in writing. Don't take anyone's word for it.

- Jim

[HankB]

Once you've determined the legalities of shooting on your land, stand back and ask yourself . . . legalities aside, is it safe to do so here?

One acre with a hill for a backstop may well be safe . . . twenty acres of wide-open flatland, with homes, businesses, or livestock beyond . . . uh uh.

[frankie_the_yankee]

Once you've determined the legalities of shooting on your land, stand back and ask yourself . . . legalities aside, is it safe to do so here?

One acre with a hill for a backstop may well be safe . . . twenty acres of wide-open flatland, with homes, businesses, or livestock beyond . . . uh uh.

State law allows counties and cities to regulate shooting on lots under 10 acres.

Most cities ban shooting inside city limits.

Some counties regulate shooting on less than 10 acre lots. Many (most?) do not. You need to check your county to find out if they do.

Always be sure to shoot at a safe backstop.

My county (Bastrop) is considering adopting shooting regulations. Currently there are none. I have 7.5 acres. When I bought the property, I rented an earthmover and pushed up a nice safe earthen backstop. My firing point is just under 100 yards from my closest neighbor's house. (The direction I shoot in is away from the neighbor's house.)

But I have seen people on small lots shooting at pieces of plywood nailed to trees. Others seem content to use a few bails of hay as a "backstop".



So I'm not surprised that with all the population growth we have going on, there would be a need to regulate what people do.

The county commission is actively seeking input from people who presently shoot on their property. They seem to want to avoid angering the mostly rural population. I have spoken with the county engineer about my situation, and he has told me that someone with the setup I have would not be affected by the proposed rules.

But I have yet to see the final product, so I can't say for sure.

[TX Rancher]

frankie:

Who have you been talking with? Any contact information would be appreciated.

I too live in Bastrop Co and shoot on my own property. My backstop is a dirt berm ~15ft thick, so I don't worry too much about penetration. I don't have any neighbors closer then ~1 mile as the bullet flies, and the next house is probably 3-4 miles away.

I'm also more then 10 acres, so this may not apply to me...but it's worth checking into.

When were they planning on rolling out the regulations?

[frankie_the_yankee]

frankie:

Who have you been talking with? Any contact information would be appreciated.

I too live in Bastrop Co and shoot on my own property. My backstop is a dirt berm ~15ft thick, so I don't worry too much about penetration. I don't have any neighbors closer then ~1 mile as the bullet flies, and the next house is probably 3-4 miles away.

I'm also more then 10 acres, so this may not apply to me...but it's worth checking into.

When were they planning on rolling out the regulations?

I've been talking to Joe Ternus. He is the County Engineer. His office phone number is 512-581-7106. He is a very reasonable guy.

If you have more than 10 acres you have nothing to worry about. None of the proposed rules will touch you. As long as you're not inside city limits, state law protects you.

The county commission has been going back and forth on this for the last few meetings now. I'd expect them to settle on some kind of draft regulation in the next couple of months - maybe sooner.

The latest trial balloon floated is to impose restrictions in certain named subdivisions only.

Rural gun owners seem to be a pretty strong group in this county. I think we're gonna be OK.

[jwp]

State law does not address it. Your county or local municipality will. Check each.

Actually, state law does address it in at least two places, quoted below. Basically, these restrict the way in which municipalities (§229.002) and counties (§235.022) may regulate the discharge of weapons within their boundaries. It appears to me that if you have any amount over 10 acres and are not within the jurisdiction of a municipality you may discharge weapons, except that you can't allow the projectile to cross a property line unless you own both pieces of property (this bit about property lines is from §62.0121, which I have not quoted).
-------------------------
§ 229.002. REGULATION OF DISCHARGE[0] OF WEAPON. A
municipality may not apply a regulation relating to the discharge[0]
of firearms[0] or other weapons in the extraterritorial jurisdiction
of the municipality or in an area annexed by the municipality after
September 1, 1981, if the firearm[0] or other weapon is:
(1) a shotgun, air rifle or pistol, BB gun, or bow and
arrow discharged:
(A) on a tract of land of 10 acres[0] or more and
more than 150 feet from a residence or occupied building located on
another property; and
(B) in a manner not reasonably expected to cause
a projectile to cross the boundary of the tract; or
(2) a center fire or rim fire rifle or pistol of any
caliber discharged:
(A) on a tract of land of 50 acres[0] or more and
more than 300 feet from a residence or occupied building located on
another property; and
(B) in a manner not reasonably expected to cause
a projectile to cross the boundary of the tract.
------------------------------------------------

§ 235.022. AUTHORITY TO REGULATE. To promote the public
safety, the commissioners court of a county by order may prohibit or
otherwise regulate the discharge[0] of firearms[0] on lots that are 10
acres[0] or smaller and are located in the unincorporated area of the
county in a subdivision.
-------------------------------------------------

[govnor]

You can always call your local Sheriff's department and ask them. My experience is that you don't need ten acres, although I live in the city now, unfortunately. Railroad cross ties also can work as a backstop. I prefer dirt though so there's not as much chance of a ricochet. At my friend's property we shoot into a ditch (a deep one) as the backstop and at my parent's old country house we used an empty pond.