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TX Rancher wrote:frankie:

Who have you been talking with? Any contact information would be appreciated.

I too live in Bastrop Co and shoot on my own property. My backstop is a dirt berm ~15ft thick, so I don't worry too much about penetration. I don't have any neighbors closer then ~1 mile as the bullet flies, and the next house is probably 3-4 miles away.

I'm also more then 10 acres, so this may not apply to me...but it's worth checking into.

When were they planning on rolling out the regulations?

I've been talking to Joe Ternus. He is the County Engineer. His office phone number is 512-581-7106. He is a very reasonable guy.

If you have more than 10 acres you have nothing to worry about. None of the proposed rules will touch you. As long as you're not inside city limits, state law protects you.

The county commission has been going back and forth on this for the last few meetings now. I'd expect them to settle on some kind of draft regulation in the next couple of months - maybe sooner.

The latest trial balloon floated is to impose restrictions in certain named subdivisions only.

Rural gun owners seem to be a pretty strong group in this county. I think we're gonna be OK.

HankB wrote:Once you've determined the legalities of shooting on your land, stand back and ask yourself . . . legalities aside, is it safe to do so here?

One acre with a hill for a backstop may well be safe . . . twenty acres of wide-open flatland, with homes, businesses, or livestock beyond . . . uh uh.

State law allows counties and cities to regulate shooting on lots under 10 acres.

Most cities ban shooting inside city limits.

Some counties regulate shooting on less than 10 acre lots. Many (most?) do not. You need to check your county to find out if they do.

Always be sure to shoot at a safe backstop.

My county (Bastrop) is considering adopting shooting regulations. Currently there are none. I have 7.5 acres. When I bought the property, I rented an earthmover and pushed up a nice safe earthen backstop. My firing point is just under 100 yards from my closest neighbor's house. (The direction I shoot in is away from the neighbor's house.)

But I have seen people on small lots shooting at pieces of plywood nailed to trees. Others seem content to use a few bails of hay as a "backstop".



So I'm not surprised that with all the population growth we have going on, there would be a need to regulate what people do.

The county commission is actively seeking input from people who presently shoot on their property. They seem to want to avoid angering the mostly rural population. I have spoken with the county engineer about my situation, and he has told me that someone with the setup I have would not be affected by the proposed rules.

But I have yet to see the final product, so I can't say for sure.