TexasCHLforum.com

For those of you who have built ranges in your "back yards", how much property do you own, and are there houses on adjoining properties?

This is like to know also. I'm looking at buying some property and have been looking at Celina, Pilot Point and Princeton.

I saw on the news not too long ago that the law requires at least 10 acers for a private range. There is a range in Spring Tx that this story is about.
There are homes close to this private range and the neighbors are complaining about gun fire. From the video on new you could clearly see homes around the range. I'm not sure what the results of the stroy was.

IIRC, the 10 acres rule is Texas law that allows counties to regulate activities only on parcels 10 acres or less.

While we were looking to buy homes here in May, we looked at a new home, not even quite finished, on an acre in a gated subdivision up HWY 46 a ways. As we were perusing it, the sound of gunfire could be heard distinctly in the afternoon breeze, very prominent. Sure enough there is a range sign on the highway half a mile or so south.

I predict it will be hard to sell those homes, because of that.

JALLEN wrote:While we were looking to buy homes here in May, we looked at a new home, not even quite finished, on an acre in a gated subdivision up HWY 46 a ways. As we were perusing it, the sound of gunfire could be heard distinctly in the afternoon breeze, very prominent. Sure enough there is a range sign on the highway half a mile or so south.

I predict it will be hard to sell those homes, because of that.

I might think of it as a feature!

I love the sound of gunfire in the morning -- sounds like freedom!

oohrah wrote:IIRC, the 10 acres rule is Texas law that allows counties to regulate activities only on parcels 10 acres or less.

The law is that the county cannot pass regulations on properties of ten acres or greater. Which only applies to properties outside of municipalities.

I was more interested in what people were doing than what the law is. Seemed to be a lot of people talking about shooting on their own property, and I doubt that they all have 10 acres or more. Looked at a 10+ acre lot in Nevada, but it was absolutely bare, and flat as a pancake. Converted farmland doesn't have much "personality".

I've got more than 50 acres. There are neighbors along the south side of it & some more to the north. I often shoot from my back porch to the west. Beyond my 50+ are another 30 that belongs to my family where nobody lives. If anybody gets hit by anything I'm shooting, then they're on my land & trespassing anyway.

I am longing to buy a 250 acres for an exotic-animals ranch, so I can hunt when the weather is nice and cool. Couple Lodges would be built for myself and my guests.
A range to zero my rifles and check and double check accuracy is mandatory on such ranches. I will add couple bays for pistol and carbine matches.

jiannichan wrote:This is like to know also. I'm looking at buying some property and have been looking at Celina, Pilot Point and Princeton.

Princeton would be in Collin County and so are parts of Celina. The county is known to be range "unfriendly". I'm also not a fan of Denton County for other reasons, but I haven't heard anything derogatory about them concerning shooting ranges. I moved up here to Fannin county to get away from the "metro" areas

I have 4 acres surrounded by nothing but flat farmland. Built up a backstop and side berms. Told the County Commissioner what I was doing and he was enthusiastic. Farmer has right-of-way, we cease firing and safe the firearms until he is done. Might not be necessary but it is neighborly.

Nearest neighbor down range is 3 miles and is a former DPS trooper. Only other neighbor is two miles across the field.

I'm following this thread. I would also like to know the appropriate rules/regs on having an outdoor gun range on private property. I am interested in shooting high powered rifles there and sporting clays.

Bullitt wrote:I'm following this thread. I would also like to know the appropriate rules/regs on having an outdoor gun range on private property. I am interested in shooting high powered rifles there and sporting clays.

If you're looking for the laws, look up the following...

LGC 229.001 - 229.004
LGC 235.022
LGC 235.023
LGC 235.025
LGC 250.001

By the way, several of these have wording similar to "...applies to counties containing municipalities with a population of at least 1 million, bordering a county with a population of 5 million" (that was from memory, so it's not the actual wording). It appears to me these are "carve-outs" such that the law applies (or does not apply) to specific cities/counties in the state. But I am unable to decipher the code to determine precisely which locations are included or excluded. If anybody has the secret decoder ring to figure this out, please post!

any special rules for 50 cal.,

sjfcontrol wrote:

Bullitt wrote:I'm following this thread. I would also like to know the appropriate rules/regs on having an outdoor gun range on private property. I am interested in shooting high powered rifles there and sporting clays.

If you're looking for the laws, look up the following...

LGC 229.001 - 229.004
LGC 235.022
LGC 235.023
LGC 235.025
LGC 250.001

By the way, several of these have wording similar to "...applies to counties containing municipalities with a population of at least 1 million, bordering a county with a population of 5 million" (that was from memory, so it's not the actual wording). It appears to me these are "carve-outs" such that the law applies (or does not apply) to specific cities/counties in the state. But I am unable to decipher the code to determine precisely which locations are included or excluded. If anybody has the secret decoder ring to figure this out, please post!

Thanks for the references. Been looking at land west of the Pecos and Devil rivers.