Home range requirements

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  • EvilKidsMeal

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    Move if this is better suited elsewhere.

    Are there any legal requirements for backstop construction on a home range?

    I have a friend in an unincorporated area, with a good amount of land who was thinking about constructing a 1 or 2 lane range in his backyard.

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    cce1302

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    Back down south
    I have not seen any state law regarding a range on one's own residential property. All I can think of is city/twp regs regarding discharge of a firearm X ft from a dwelling. May be some hunting regs as well, but I can't think of what you're asking.

    Have fun & be safe.

    For the state law, 14-22-31 is where you want to start but I don't think it's what you're asking for.
     

    EvilKidsMeal

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    I have not seen any state law regarding a range on one's own residential property. All I can think of is city/twp regs regarding discharge of a firearm X ft from a dwelling. May be some hunting regs as well, but I can't think of what you're asking.

    Have fun & be safe.

    For the state law, 14-22-31 is where you want to start but I don't think it's what you're asking for.
    Simply asking if there are any legal requirements on constructing a private range at home. Unincorporated area.

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    eldirector

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    No state laws. Likely no county ordinances. Depends on exactly where said friend's property is located. Some counties cite distances from property lines or dwellings, others have noise ordinances. Some few even have discharge ordinances.
     

    EvilKidsMeal

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    No state laws. Likely no county ordinances. Depends on exactly where said friend's property is located. Some counties cite distances from property lines or dwellings, others have noise ordinances. Some few even have discharge ordinances.
    He's in Lowell, (Lake County), but I don't know where, so not sure on those things.

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    lonehoosier

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    There is a Lake County ordinance. I’m having a hard time finding it, it has been posted on INGO before. I doesn’t talk about building a range but it does tell you how far it has to be from building and property size.

    Found it. Also lake county is looking at more stringent laws for private rangers

    Home range lake county
    ATTENTION N.W.Indiana residents who want to shoot on your own land, I have posted this information in several threads in response to questions, figured that the NWI thread may be a good place to deposit this information too:


    LAKE COUNTY has a shooting ordinance. NOT every county has one. YOU must check with your county to see if there are any rules. However, in LAKE COUNTY the actual ordinance that PASSED is1314B, it was PASSED on August 11th, 2009.


    The passed and signed ordinance actually reads:
    "That the Lake County Council now prohibits the discharge of a firearm for the sole purpose of target shooting or practice shooting within 200 feet of the property lines of a platted, approved and developed multi-lot subdivision of one acre lots or less, as defined in the Lake County Code."
    ALSO, be aware of NOISE ordinances that will affect the shooting TIMES that are legal (these same times apply to all loud noises like lawn mowing, fireworks, etc.
     

    eldirector

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    So, likely in Lake County?

    American Legal Publishing - Online Library
    DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS
    [FONT=&amp]
    ui-bookmark.gif
    § 131.15 DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS ; TARGET PRACTICE OR PRACTICING SHOOTING.
    [/FONT]

    [FONT=&amp] (A) The term firearm shall be given the definition as stated under Indiana Code, and Indiana case law.
    [/FONT]
    [FONT=&amp] (B) For the purpose of this section on firearms include weapons which shoot shotgun shells and bullets.
    [/FONT]
    [FONT=&amp] (C) The Lake County Council now prohibits the discharge of a firearm for the sole purpose of target shooting or practicing shooting within 200 feet of the property lines of a platted, approved, and developed multi-lot subdivision of one-acre lots or less, as defined in the Lake County Code.
    [/FONT]
    [FONT=&amp] (D) Notwithstanding, this section does not apply to organized clubs, veteran associations, or commercial ranges which have a firing range, approved by Lake County.
    [/FONT]
    [FONT=&amp] (E) This section does not impose any additional restrictions on hunting which are already covered by state law and local ordinance.
    [/FONT]
    [FONT=&amp](Ord. 1312A, passed 6-9-2009; Ord. 1314B, passed 8-11-2009) Penalty, see § 131.99
    [/FONT]
    ui-bookmark.gif
    [FONT=&amp]§ 131.99 PENALTY.[/FONT]


    Also interesting.... illegal to carry a knife longer than 2" in pretty much any public space. Gotta love Lake County.
     

    EvilKidsMeal

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    I believe he is on more than an acre, and I don't think he's in a subdivision. He's only talked about one neighbor.

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    Mgderf

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    One acre is VERY small to be setting up a range, but it sounds as if your friend has more ground than that.
    I'm sure he would know if he was in a subdivision of any sort and would likely not even being considering a range if he were.

    As long as he doesn't have any neighbors to complain, I'd say it sounds like he's good to go.
    No matter what size the property is, just tell him to make sure that no rounds, ZERO, leave his property.
    It should not be that difficult to construct a backstop to catch whatever you want to shoot, but I always advise people to go the extra mile.

    If you think you need a berm 5 feet tall, try to make it 10, if possible.
    Also, layout can help or hurt.
    My property has a hillside that I can shoot into. The hill rises about 80 feet, so I don't have any worries about shooting over the hill. I just keep the targets at the bottom of the hill.
    Better yet, I can sit at the top of the hill and shoot down with no berm needed.

    Just be safe, and like I said, don't let a single round leave the property.
     

    EvilKidsMeal

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    One acre is VERY small to be setting up a range, but it sounds as if your friend has more ground than that.
    I'm sure he would know if he was in a subdivision of any sort and would likely not even being considering a range if he were.

    As long as he doesn't have any neighbors to complain, I'd say it sounds like he's good to go.
    No matter what size the property is, just tell him to make sure that no rounds, ZERO, leave his property.
    It should not be that difficult to construct a backstop to catch whatever you want to shoot, but I always advise people to go the extra mile.

    If you think you need a berm 5 feet tall, try to make it 10, if possible.
    Also, layout can help or hurt.
    My property has a hillside that I can shoot into. The hill rises about 80 feet, so I don't have any worries about shooting over the hill. I just keep the targets at the bottom of the hill.
    Better yet, I can sit at the top of the hill and shoot down with no berm needed.

    Just be safe, and like I said, don't let a single round leave the property.
    Yea I'll have to ask him why his lot size is. I know he's near a bunch of corn so I'm sure it's not a subdivision.

    He was asking about a backstop because he said some of his neighbors overgrown land hooks behind him and I believe its wooded beyond that. That's why he asked if there were any rules about a backstop. His neighbors land behind him isn't inhabited, but he still wants to be responsible, because he can't see forever beyond it.



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    Mgderf

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    Another idea, either instead of a berm, or in conjunction with a berm, tell him to construct an elevated platform to shoot from.
    An elevation of just a few feet can make all the difference in the world when you're talking about trajectory, and the more elevated your shooting position is, the less tall the berm should need to be.
     

    Leadeye

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    I've got a private range and started out by considering it from the point of view of the people around me. I think that strategy pays off down the road.
     

    cg21

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    Yea I'll have to ask him why his lot size is. I know he's near a bunch of corn so I'm sure it's not a subdivision.

    He was asking about a backstop because he said some of his neighbors overgrown land hooks behind him and I believe its wooded beyond that. That's why he asked if there were any rules about a backstop. His neighbors land behind him isn't inhabited, but he still wants to be responsible, because he can't see forever beyond it.


    Surrounded by corn in Lowell??? He will be paying an HOA soon. No corn is safe in NWI all turning into something.

    ]\
     

    Tactically Fat

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    This is not from a "legal in Lake County standpoint"...

    But if he's gonna do it on a small-ish parcel of land, I'd go at it with the understanding of "pistols only"... (including pistol caliber rifles).

    And I'd want an extra high soil backstop and extra high sidewalls. That's gonna be a LOT of soil brought in. More than you'd originally think, too, because A) it'll settle, and B) it'll erode some before the ground cover gets started. And he'll need a good ground cover on it to keep the soil in place.
     

    Mongo59

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    "That the Lake County Council now prohibits the discharge of a firearm for the sole purpose of target shooting or practice shooting within 200 feet of the property lines of a platted, approved and developed multi-lot subdivision of one acre lots or less, as defined in the Lake County Code."

    By this ruling, if you owned a 4 acre square and were able to set up your range in the exact center of it, it could legally be no more than 18 feet long.

    (1 acre is 209 feet by 209 feet)

    So how could you shoot on a 1 acre lot or less?
     

    EvilKidsMeal

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    "That the Lake County Council now prohibits the discharge of a firearm for the sole purpose of target shooting or practice shooting within 200 feet of the property lines of a platted, approved and developed multi-lot subdivision of one acre lots or less, as defined in the Lake County Code."

    By this ruling, if you owned a 4 acre square and were able to set up your range in the exact center of it, it could legally be no more than 18 feet long.

    (1 acre is 209 feet by 209 feet)

    So how could you shoot on a 1 acre lot or less?
    That specifically mentions developed subdivisions though. By that wording I would think a non-subdivision in an unincorporated area is exempt, regardless of lot size.

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