Neighbors shooting range drama (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: Yesterday 6:15:16 PM EDT
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I live in a rural area and I generally believe people should be able to do whatever they want on their own property. However, what I do on my property shouldn't potentially endanger my neighbors. I live on 5 acres that's a nearly perfect rectangle. I have two neighbors to my South and a road to my east and there's a road south of my southern neighbors. The southeast neighbor built a reasonable berm to shoot into on the northwest corner of his property (about dead nuts in the center of my South property line). My southwest neighbor has his horses in the northeast corner of his property(next to the berm, and about halfway up the property line on that side.) The berm has a little leg along the fence line that my two neighbors share but it's not very large. It comes out from the berm maybe 20 feet and is maybe 6' tall at the berm and tapers down to maybe 3' There's places where I can stand and see the muzzle end of his guns while he's shooting. It's a bit concerning. Am I overreacting? |
"Freedom is a messy business." - LaRue_Tactical
I am a sack of blood, held together by un-tanned leather. . .
I am a sack of blood, held together by un-tanned leather. . .
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Originally Posted By DFARM: I live in a rural area and I generally believe people should be able to do whatever they want on their own property. However, what I do on my property shouldn't potentially endanger my neighbors. I live on 5 acres that's a nearly perfect rectangle. I have two neighbors to my South and a road to my east and there's a road south of my southern neighbors. The southeast neighbor built a reasonable berm to shoot into on the northwest corner of his property (about dead nuts in the center of my South property line). My southwest neighbor has his horses in the northeast corner of his property(next to the berm, and about halfway up the property line on that side.) The berm has a little leg along the fence line that my two neighbors share but it's not very large. It comes out from the berm maybe 20 feet and is maybe 6' tall at the berm and tapers down to maybe 3' There's places where I can stand and see the muzzle end of his guns while he's shooting. It's a bit concerning. Am I overreacting? Have you tried talking to them and voicing concerns? Could be that bringing them over to your side will help open their eyes and they'll make the berm taller. |
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Originally Posted By nottooslow: Really going to need an ms paint here.... Originally Posted By tac556: 6’ is not a real berm, but I think we need MS Paint on this one…. It's a lot easier to just take a screenshot out of Google maps with satellite view on... |
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 Blackhawk Down - Common Sense Advice for Anyone |
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Originally Posted By DFARM: I live in a rural area and I generally believe people should be able to do whatever they want on their own property. However, what I do on my property shouldn't potentially endanger my neighbors. I live on 5 acres that's a nearly perfect rectangle. I have two neighbors to my South and a road to my east and there's a road south of my southern neighbors. The southeast neighbor built a reasonable berm to shoot into on the northwest corner of his property (about dead nuts in the center of my South property line). My southwest neighbor has his horses in the northeast corner of his property(next to the berm, and about halfway up the property line on that side.) The berm has a little leg along the fence line that my two neighbors share but it's not very large. It comes out from the berm maybe 20 feet and is maybe 6' tall at the berm and tapers down to maybe 3' There's places where I can stand and see the muzzle end of his guns while he's shooting. It's a bit concerning. Am I overreacting? I don't think you are overreacting. Talk to the guy and work with him on improving the safety of the range ? Also, and I don't mean to be insulting in this, 5 acres with properties as close as you describe isn't rural and there is a strong argument here for the actions of yourself and everyone around you impacting others. I am on just under 5 acres here, and 30 years ago it was barely rural with one house across the street and one next door. Now there are 3 houses across the street, and 2 on either side of me and people insist on calling it rural and it clearly is not a rural area. It is " Low Density Residential ". |
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That’s gayer than Elton John and George Michael dueting on their hit song Don’t Let Your Son Go Down On Me.
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Ehhhh….. most parcels here are 5 acres. Many people shoot, not all in legal accordance with county rules (200 yds away from any neighboring dwelling unless you have written permission), but nobody complains. But also, it isn’t really flat here, so lots of natural berm areas…. And big trees too. I can get about 50 yds shooting across to the other side of my ravine. Used to have a steel cable that I would send targets out on, to save climbing down and up the ravine slopes, til a falling tree took it down… So 5 acres is plenty if you have wooded areas and non-flat terrain. Probably not it is is all level though. And many people build inadequate berms, or don’t use one at all….too many people think the ground is a berm….nope, it is just a way of bouncing bullets onto the neighbors property eventually…. We see it all the time in videos and photos posted here. |
a loaded gun won’t set you free, so you say…
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Originally Posted By Mojo_Jojo: I'd seek some legal advice before helping the neighbor make his range "safe". If SHTF, your assistance may absolve the neighbor of negligence claims, or worse, expose you personally. Sure- spend money on a lawyer, and maybe get into a pissing match with the neighbor, versus just having the neighbor have a safer backstop for shooting! Makes total sense….( In lawyer world anyhow.). FFS- it isn’t like the OP is certifying that the berm is “safe”, it would just be safer. Negligence is still a factor, and in general the bullets with dollar signs attached to them are not the ones that actually hit the berm… |
a loaded gun won’t set you free, so you say…
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Originally Posted By BMSMB: Have you tried talking to them and voicing concerns? Could be that bringing them over to your side will help open their eyes and they'll make the berm taller. They know that we are down range because my wife waved at them before they started shooting this morning. Originally Posted By glocke12: I don't think you are overreacting. Talk to the guy and work with him on improving the safety of the range ? Also, and I don't mean to be insulting in this, 5 acres with properties as close as you describe isn't rural and there is a strong argument here for the actions of yourself and everyone around you impacting others. I am on just under 5 acres here, and 30 years ago it was barely rural with one house across the street and one next door. Now there are 3 houses across the street, and 2 on either side of me and people insist on calling it rural and it clearly is not a rural area. It is " Low Density Residential ". I suppose "low density" works too. There's 350 acres of state forest with a hill on it across the dirt road to the east of me and my neighbor who has the berm where I'll walk over to shoot when I feel like shooting a little bit. I understand wanting a range at home though. |
"Freedom is a messy business." - LaRue_Tactical
I am a sack of blood, held together by un-tanned leather. . .
I am a sack of blood, held together by un-tanned leather. . .
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Originally Posted By D_Man: Best I can figure based on the OP. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/157876/2q456jqn451q2nj-3832270.jpg This is dead nuts accurate. The leg on the fence line is much shorter though |
"Freedom is a messy business." - LaRue_Tactical
I am a sack of blood, held together by un-tanned leather. . .
I am a sack of blood, held together by un-tanned leather. . .
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Originally Posted By DFARM: This is dead nuts accurate. The leg on the fence line is much shorter though Originally Posted By DFARM: Originally Posted By D_Man: Best I can figure based on the OP. https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/157876/2q456jqn451q2nj-3832270.jpg This is dead nuts accurate. The leg on the fence line is much shorter though Kind of depends on where your house is then in that diagram, and how much you are using the property where you are concerned they might be shooting towards. If it is some wooded area of yours that you are not in, I would just tell them to double their berm height. If they are shooting towards your house or backyard area, have them re-orient their shooting range. |
a loaded gun won’t set you free, so you say…
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Originally Posted By jimmyjoebob: Build a taller berm on your side of the property line, and shoot bigger guns than your neighbors  Build the same shitty berm on your side. Still shoot bigger guns. |
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Never tell a bride, with dogshit on her dress, to "chillax"
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Attached File I've updated the pic. The emoji is approximately where dude was shooting from and the berm isn't tucked that tightly into the corner, and the leg that runs north/south isn't that long and it's only about half the height of the berm, so the whole driveway area and where our house, outbuildings are are where I would consider to be in danger. Full disclosure, if he shoots the berm and only the berm, I realize that the bullets aren't going to come on my property but at 50,75 or 100 yards away from the berm, we're only talking about several inches of movement of the muzzle and he's pointing guns at my house without a berm in the way. |
"Freedom is a messy business." - LaRue_Tactical
I am a sack of blood, held together by un-tanned leather. . .
I am a sack of blood, held together by un-tanned leather. . .
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The drama at this point is limited to my neighbor with the horses asking if he could get a heads up so he could move the horses and getting cussed out by the shooting neighbors guest. It doesn't really give me the warm fuzzies about how the conversation will go if I go over there though. |
"Freedom is a messy business." - LaRue_Tactical
I am a sack of blood, held together by un-tanned leather. . .
I am a sack of blood, held together by un-tanned leather. . .
|
Originally Posted By DFARM: https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/78442/1000012321_jpg-3832273.JPG I've updated the pic. The emoji is approximately where dude was shooting from and the berm isn't tucked that tightly into the corner, and the leg that runs north/south isn't that long and it's only about half the height of the berm, so the whole driveway area and where our house, outbuildings are are where I would consider to be in danger. Full disclosure, if he shoots the berm and only the berm, I realize that the bullets aren't going to come on my property but at 50,75 or 100 yards away from the berm, we're only talking about several inches of movement of the muzzle and he's pointing guns at my house without a berm in the way. Yeah, fuck that. Have a chat with him. His direction is OK if he improves the side berming though. Should not be physically possible for him to trip while shooting and accidentally put a round into your house. Just bad planning on his part. Weird how nobody ever puts their berm so they are shooting from the far corner, towards their own house, isn’t it….. |
a loaded gun won’t set you free, so you say…
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Originally Posted By DFARM: The drama at this point is limited to my neighbor with the horses asking if he could get a heads up so he could move the horses and getting cussed out by the shooting neighbors guest. It doesn't really give me the warm fuzzies about how the conversation will go if I go over there though. The guest gave him a hard time? Yeah that would be another point of discussion. If your guest is gonna be an asshole, I am gonna be a hardass with you. Control your guests and relatives…. I am not above correcting the neighbors guests on stupid behavior, like riding motorcycles or atv’s on the shared driveway at high speeds. Guess what- driveway is on the edge of my property, neighbor just has a right of way to access their property, and no right of racing is involved…. So dumb riding = stay off my property entirely. Now if they would not drive like assholes to begin with, those conversations never would have happened, but people can’t control themselves…. |
a loaded gun won’t set you free, so you say…
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Originally Posted By DFARM: They know that we are down range because my wife waved at them before they started shooting this morning. I suppose "low density" works too. There's 350 acres of state forest with a hill on it across the dirt road to the east of me and my neighbor who has the berm where I'll walk over to shoot when I feel like shooting a little bit. I understand wanting a range at home though. Originally Posted By DFARM: Originally Posted By BMSMB: Have you tried talking to them and voicing concerns? Could be that bringing them over to your side will help open their eyes and they'll make the berm taller. They know that we are down range because my wife waved at them before they started shooting this morning. Originally Posted By glocke12: I don't think you are overreacting. Talk to the guy and work with him on improving the safety of the range ? Also, and I don't mean to be insulting in this, 5 acres with properties as close as you describe isn't rural and there is a strong argument here for the actions of yourself and everyone around you impacting others. I am on just under 5 acres here, and 30 years ago it was barely rural with one house across the street and one next door. Now there are 3 houses across the street, and 2 on either side of me and people insist on calling it rural and it clearly is not a rural area. It is " Low Density Residential ". I suppose "low density" works too. There's 350 acres of state forest with a hill on it across the dirt road to the east of me and my neighbor who has the berm where I'll walk over to shoot when I feel like shooting a little bit. I understand wanting a range at home though. It's not about them knowing youre downrange as much as it is showing them how little coverage that berm is actually providing. |
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| The spot I picked for my range, you'd have to be shooting like Ray Charles to "hit anything besides dirt" .... Down range from a 60-80 foot berm is nothing, but houses on both left and right around 100 yards... I couldn't sleep at night with that set up thats posted. |
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Originally Posted By 0100010: Buy / stack / build a concrete wall? https://www.nitterhousemasonry.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Ecology_Block_2.jpg This would be awesome. 3 blocks high around the entire property would be amazing. Lol |
"Freedom is a messy business." - LaRue_Tactical
I am a sack of blood, held together by un-tanned leather. . .
I am a sack of blood, held together by un-tanned leather. . .
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VA, USA
| I'll be the crumadgen. Your neighbor is an idiot. He could be a world class shooter and the berm is still to small. What about other shooters that may use it? Google up the berm requirements the state of Idaho uses in wildlife management areas, and that's in the wilderness. No advice on how to handle it. I understand Idaho has some independent thinkers so take that into consideration moving forward. |
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Originally Posted By 49north: I would be scared if someone was shooting towards me or my animals at that range, regardless of the berm. 5 acres is very small to shoot on. It all depends on the topography of the 5. In this case the OP's neighbor should not have to move his animals to accommodate the neighbors shooting if it not being done safely. |
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I was a bit off on the size of the berm, but I think it doesn't change the situation. I've added a red dot at approximately the spot they were shootingfromAttached File |
"Freedom is a messy business." - LaRue_Tactical
I am a sack of blood, held together by un-tanned leather. . .
I am a sack of blood, held together by un-tanned leather. . .
|
Originally Posted By Lightning1960: 5 acre lot surrounded by other 5 acre lots with homes on them is rather small to be shooting on. Is there any laws/ordinances there about shooting within xxx amount of feet from a dwelling ? Seems like birdshot and sub-25yds pistol rounds on targets along the doodoo berm(s) would be cool. Rifle rounds at distance, where a retard who doesn’t know their gear, is a different story. But the poster above who noted that these types never put their house behind their shitty berm is spot on. Our backyard range has an 8’ tall berm, a thick stand of trees behind the berm, and a literal ridge line as a backstop before it could possibly hit our neighbor’s property 200yds past the property line. And this is in the EP of WV, so not like I’m talking about AZ or CO where you might have a 3000’ tall mountain as a backstop with nothing between you and it. |
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Originally Posted By daveo: The spot I picked for my range, you'd have to be shooting like Ray Charles to "hit anything besides dirt" .... Down range from a 60-80 foot berm is nothing, but houses on both left and right around 100 yards... I couldn't sleep at night with that set up thats posted. Pic of ~70’ tall berm? Does your house back up to an old quarry, haha? 
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Originally Posted By DFARM: I was a bit off on the size of the berm, but I think it doesn't change the situation. I've added a red dot at approximately the spot they were shootingfromhttps://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/78442/1000012324_jpg-3832330.JPG Yeahhh, that’s pretty shitty. Just dumped dirt as a ‘berm’ and called it a day. Guessing it won’t take long for that to be 2/3 the original height and rounds from asshole, unaccompanied, guests will be flying into your property. ETA: ‘muh friend has a range. Let’s take that AR with an EOTech with a 15yd zero and see what it does at distance.’ is gonna put rounds on your property. |
