How many acres do I need for a personal range / Hunting land?

[Gaujo]

1. Can you hunt on a small parcel and also have a shooting range or will it scare off all the deer?
2. Do I need to plan for a crazy backstop if I have a natural valley or build up a berm?

 

[slimshady]

Based on the amount of wildlife that wanders across the shooting ranges around here, they get used to the sound of gunfire and ignore it mostly. Now, come deer season I'd definitely curtail shooting a few weeks or so before firearm season klicks in, just to be sure.

Shooting into a hillside or berm is usually sufficient, although if it is rocky a little buildup on either side might help stop ricochets.

 

[rybread]

5-10 acres for proper distance to neighbors.. it’s not a problem with wild life. We shot tons of subguns, ARs, high caliber revolvers and blew up binary explosives... didn’t deter the deer one bit! Our property had a middle valley so behind the steel target was a steep incline. Never had a problem with errant rounds.

 

[ScottinTexas]

FWIW, here in Texas I've always been told by multiple sources that if you are in an unincorporated area and have 11 acres or more you can shoot whatever you want with no legal issues.

When I was a kid I lived in a fairly undeveloped area on 10 acres and I shot a lot from my back porch, no issues. And then again, one day when I was out doing chores I heard projectiles whistling through the trees and landing near me. My dad and I hopped in the car and found two nimrods about 1/4 mile away shooting frogs on a pond with a .22 rifle. Everyone learned a valuable lesson.

 

[wanneroo]

Deer come out and watch me shoot on my range. It doesn't dissuade them at all.

The easiest thing to do is buy some property with elevation change that will be a natural berm. I shoot right into my mountain.

 

[chili17]

it varies state by state and I would bet county by county

 

[hfoster223]

There is a legal minimum acreage to discharge a firearm, in Texas, i think its 10 acres

Question 1. Yes, shoot and hunt shouldn’t be an issue, suppressed is better, just not on the same day
2. No, as long as your not bouncing bullets past your boundaries, you own every bullet that causes adjoiner damage

 

[chili17]

TX is 10 acres for shotguns I believe. Think it is 100acres for centerfire

 

[bimus]

Up the road from me a man dug a trench with a track hoe at first it was good for pistols and after about a year it was just over 100 yards long 20 feet wide 10 feet deep and with the fill on the sides it was 15 feet deep .

 

[Gaujo]

Deer come out and watch me shoot on my range. It doesn't dissuade them at all.

The easiest thing to do is buy some property with elevation change that will be a natural berm. I shoot right into my mountain.

I've heard people talk about various possessions before, but I think "my mountain" takes the cake. Looking at property aroung Austin and it's pretty flat out there except the west side.

 

[Ready.Fire.Aim]

Texas is 10 acres for pistol, shotgun, or air rifle.

50 acres for centerfire rifles.

I had just checked.

 

[KickStand]

Florida is extremely lenient.
The current state statute says anything with more than one house per acre and your good (or something like that).

A few years ago you could shoot with an 1/8th of an acre lot even in a municipality and they couldn’t do anything about it as long as you had a safe back stop.


I would say 5 acres is good for a really nice shooting range WITH A GOOD BACK STOP.

 

[okpud]

The "100 acre" rule is the most restrictive in Texas. It covers areas (counties) were two or more municipalities have a population over 300k. Think Dallas County and Harris County, for example. You need 100 acres to discharge any weapon in these areas (pistol, shotgun, or rifle). The "10 acre/50 acre" rules covers everywhere else.

This is for private land. There are other statutes for public ranges and private shooting clubs.

https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/LG/htm/LG.229.htm

Sec. 229.004. REGULATION OF DISCHARGE OF WEAPON BY CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES. (a) This section applies only to a municipality located in a county in which the majority of the population of two or more municipalities with a population of 300,000 or more are located.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 229.002, a municipality may not apply a regulation relating to the discharge of firearms or other weapons in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of the municipality or in an area annexed by the municipality on or before September 1, 1981, if the firearm 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 100 acres 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 100 acres 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.

 

[wanneroo]

I've heard people talk about various possessions before, but I think "my mountain" takes the cake. Looking at property aroung Austin and it's pretty flat out there except the west side.

Having your own mountain is the way to go, I highly recommend it.