Just Bought an Acre Outside the City For a Shooting Range

[CC Hoosier]

20 minutes away with a well, electric, and a 24 x 36 partially finished garage. It's banked on 2 sides from dirt that was dug out of the neighbor's 1 acre pond. Woods on one side and a road on the other. I'm in the process of building an 8 foot privacy fence (over 200 ft with a gate along the road). One garage bay will serve as my shop/reloading station leaving 576 sq ft of living space for a wood burner and air conditioner. All I have to do is finish insulating, add flooring, wall covering, lights, etc. This place is perfect for a pistol range. I should have everything done by Fall. NO MORE GOING TO THE GUN RANGE FOR ME.....YIPPEE!

[b4uqzme]

as long as you can keep them bullets inside the acre it sounds like a dream! good job!

[gb6491]

Congrats!

[ripley16]

Sounds like fun. Any neighbors that may object?

[CC Hoosier]

The dirt banks are over 10 ft tall. The county sheriff lives right down the road and I have already shown him my plans to make sure everything is legal. Indiana rural county gun laws are simple: (1) No shooting across roads. (2) No shooting over houses.... All he had to say was, "I'm gonna get a lot of calls on this one. Nice meeting you."

[CC Hoosier]

Thanks Greg! I've been looking for a long time. A good friend who owns a concrete business and lives 1 mile away is helping me dig up 2 dump truck loads of old concrete embedded in the ground, gravel the driveway with 2 loads of gravel, level the ground, dig 30 post holes, and seed everything for cost of materials. Bobcats are very handy machines.

[CC Hoosier]

I heard the lady who owns the pond and the surrounding land can be a (you know what). I haven't met her yet but I've seen her through the woods on occasion. My wife and I will be introducing ourselves in the near future and my passion for guns and my plans will be the main subject. Whether she objects or not is really not all that relevant to me. I just hope we can be good neighbors.

[b4uqzme]

^^ me too! I was worried when I built a back yard range. Turns out the neighbors ask to come over and practice. Life is good.

[Bill K]

That's really nice. Best of luck with your new piece of property and range.

I have a 50 yard shooting range in my back yard here in CT. I call one neighbor and local police dispatcher before I shoot - no issues ever. Putting the house up for sale next month with the hope of moving to PA. Hope I'll be able to get another piece of property there that will allow me to have a range.

[CC Hoosier]

That's really nice. Best of luck with your new piece of property and range.

I have a 50 yard shooting range in my back yard here in CT. I call one neighbor and local police dispatcher before I shoot - no issues ever. Putting the house up for sale next month with the hope of moving to PA. Hope I'll be able to get another piece of property there that will allow me to have a range.

If the neighbor wouldn't mind me having her phone #, that would be no problem at all. Since the county sheriff has already been alerted of my plans, he will soon realize the gunshots that he hears are mine when target shooting. The right to shoot on my own property is a right. Common sense precautions taken to keep lead from flying outside my range is my responsibility. I'm also going to build a large backstop to capture any lead before it hits the 10 foot embankment of earth on her property. I will have railroad ties and 4 x 4s stacked 7 feet high and dirt in front of that. I will be shooting at steel spinning targets as well as paper.

[ScottM]

Sounds like you're doing all the right things. Might not be bad to call the NRA just to see if they have any additional advice. Good luck and enjoy - I'm jealous!

[b4uqzme]

... I will be shooting at steel spinning targets as well as paper.

Just a caution on that. Choose targets that deflect the bullet down. Sending a ricochet upwards could be real bad. Have fun!!!

[berettabone]

Your a lucky man............................................... ...

[TheTman]

I've seen ranges about that size with large dirt embankment for the backstop. I think you will be real happy with it. I shoot out of my barn occasionally into a much smaller dirt embankment We are only supposed to shoot shotguns now that I've been annexed into the jerkwater little town down the road, but I think shooting from inside the barn diffuses the noise enough that it sounds farther away to the neighbors down the road. No one's called in on me anyway. I bet you enjoy the heck out of your new setup. Congratulations.

[yqtszhj]

You're living my plans. I'm looking at about 3-4 years and having the same thing. Then i build a little place and hopefully sell the house in the city limits (Just have to get the wife to agree to sell.)