Country Shooting

[Bendrx]

I recently assembled an AR upper and mated it to a complete lower I bought. I've got 2 events this weekend I'm going to. Going to take the AR and a .22 to Appleseed (.22 for back up, and the AR to get familiar with it), then a rifle course down south on Sunday. I want to get a few rounds through it before I take it to a group shoot. I was going to go to Dons as I don't know of another range in the city that allows rifle shooting. Does anyone know one? That's open late? Several folks have also said just go out to the country to shoot off a few.

I really don't want to give Don any money, so the later is tempting, I believe it is legal. Just can't shoot on or on the side of the road and can't shoot over the road or water ways. Am I correct on this? What's your thoughts INGO on going out someplace a bit off the road and shooting 10 or 15 rounds into the ground? I've never done this but know a few folks who have made range days at it - that much seems awfully iffy to me.

 

[Squirt239]

I don't know the legality of it, but if someone was to be shooting on my property without permission, I might shoot back ;-)

Find you a hick buddy that has some ground, buy him a six pack as a thank you and have at it. Stay safe, stay legal, keep your firearms, and your freedom

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Go to Camp Atterbury's range and shoot.

-J-

 

[Eddie]

I've got a couple of nice little places to shoot but if you're on the east side of Indy I'd expect that the drive isn't worth it. Do what the post above said; find you a hick buddy with some land to shoot on and save those range fees.

 

[whiskeytangofoxtrot]

Ditto on what Eddie said, but its probably not worth the drive.

 

[Bendrx]

I've got place I can shoot out near Connersville, but it's a friends dads property and it takes several things to happen to get that planned. I've been working on it, but not much luck as of late. Another buddy has a cousin in the Bloomington area who he's said was going to have us down for a shoot but that hasn't happened yet either.

 

[Foxfire]

+1 for Atterbury range
Stopped in there awhile back. New people running it, very friendly.
Customer service seems to be very important which is Huge +1 these days.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Country property may look empty, but I guarantee someone lives near by. You do that near private property without the owner's permission and you will either get the sheriff called or you may inspire return fire. You may be able to get away with it on unoccupied property, but it's certainly not legal.

You can do this on some public lands such as the Hoosier National Forest, but again, be sure of where you are since the forest is a patchwork with private property mixed around NF.

I swear some city folks think anywhere with a bunch of trees is public land. I have had people argue with me that they had a right to be on some property I help manage because the property is in the classified forest program and had the little CF plaque on the gate.

 

[Bendrx]

...You may be able to get away with it on unoccupied property, but it's certainly not legal....

I swear some city folks think anywhere with a bunch of trees is public land.

"I swear some country folks think anywhere with a bunch of trees is private land." Are you saying that if sombody was shooting near your private property without your permission you'd call the cops? Seriously? When not on your land and they don't need your permission? IF they are shooting unlawfully then okay, but that's not the same as what was said.

Don't know if this was directed at me or not, but if so...please note that I'm asking if anyone knows of good places to shoot. I've also said that I think it can be done legally - which is how I want to do it. I know that not every place in the country is public land, this is why I'm looking for places I can shoot. EDIT: This is also why I will settle with going to Dons guns to shoot off a few rounds if I can't find anyplace else. I could do it in my back yard if I didn't have any regard for the law. In my neighborhood it might go unnoticed.

 

[shibumiseeker]

"I swear some country folks think anywhere with a bunch of trees is private land." Are you saying that if sombody was shooting near your private property without your permission you'd call the cops? Seriously? When not on your land and they don't need your permission? IF they are shooting unlawfully then okay, but that's not the same as what was said.

Most country land in Indiana IS private property. Which is not to say that locals won't also trash other property owner's land, especially when they've been getting away with it for a long time, but they at least do know they are trespassing. Note I said "near private property without the owner's permission". My neighbors and anyone they invite can shoot all they want on their property, but some yahoo pulls off on my clearing and lets off a few (or takes a dump, or dumps their trash, or... which has happened far more than I care to think about) and said yahoo will be met by a very angry landowner who lives far back in the trees on that "empty" property.


You can shoot all you want on someone's property with their permission, but your post made it sound like all you were looking to do was to drive to the nearest empty spot and squeeze off a few. I'm sorry if I sound like a jerk, but after you've had to deal with a whole bunch of jerks treating your property like it was public land you tend to get a little touchy about it.

 

[Bendrx]

You do that near private property without the owner's permission and you will either get the sheriff called or you may inspire return fire.

I think this may have been a mistype, based on your reply, but it was said. No hard feelings, I wasnt' sure if you were coming at me or not. I didn't mean to come off too gruff myself. What you discribed is what I do want to do. I want to pull over on the side of the road and fire off 10 or so rounds to ensure that my rifle is in good working order before shooting with somebody in a line, but that's not legal so I'm trying to get as close to that I can can legally. This is the first AR I've built, and while I'm sure it will function flawlessly I don't want the first round to go off with sombody right next to me in case it goes "Boom" and not "Bang". I fully realize that most country property in IN is private. Not much land that anyone can just walk on and be happy aside from the shoulder of the roads. But that isn't game for shooting. Hence the reason I'm on here hoping to find a place that I can. So far it's been nada, so I'll probably end up giving Don 17 dollar to use the same range he charges pistol shooters 15 to use for 30 minutes. Really just don't want to support him, or get shot while there. What I would really like is to actually own the property that is under the house I own. But no...big bad guberment is really freaking hampering my pursuit of happiness, and the best way to express that is by shooting some rounds off into a dirt pile, but my ability to express is also hampered by the city with thier no discharging a firearm rule.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Get yourself a couple of boards you can put up on the firing line on either side of you to stop any shrapnel hitting other shooters in case you grenade your gun when you test fire.

 

[indykid]

Since you are already half way there from the east side, how about going to the DNR range at the Wliber Wright place just north of New Castle. The have 25 and 50 yard ranges but the best part is that it is FREE!!!!

 

[kwatters]

My neighbors and anyone they invite can shoot all they want on their property, but some yahoo pulls off on my clearing and lets off a few (or takes a dump, or dumps their trash, or... which has happened far more than I care to think about) and said yahoo will be met by a very angry landowner who lives far back in the trees on that "empty" property.

Sorry Shibumi but I had to go bad...

 

[shibumiseeker]

Sorry Shibumi but I had to go bad...

*chuckle* yeah, I know.

I wouldn't have any real problem if they at least just went in the woods a little ways and covered it up, but when they do it in the middle of the drive and either leave their underwear they used to wipe or the fast food napkin or whatever, it's pretty disgusting.

I've spent enough of my life cleaning up other people's messes and not getting paid for it, I catch them doing it and they'll be wishing they'd dealt with the cramping.

 

[Cru]

Just be sure if you do shoot at someone's "backyard" that there is adequate backstop, the range on those rounds is pretty long.

 

[Bendrx]

Boards would work, never thought of that. Wilbur is a bit far to fire off 10 rounds and they close at 5pm. I've heard it's a great range, and I would like to make it out there some day.

 

[planedriver]

I have a number of farms here and in Illinois. What you are contemplating is not only illegal it's down right dangerous. If you stopped at my house and introduced yourself, explained your dilemma and asked nicely I would gladly let you burn a few rounds from time to time. If I found you shooting on my property without permission your welcome would be much less than pleasant.

I have not intent of lecturing anyone but just imagine how all of us and our sport (sport that is constantly under attack) will be thought of if you get caught. I can hear the story now.... "So Maude heard shooting down the road so me and the dog went to see what was happening. There he was, Hollywood dude with an M16 machine-gun shooting up my pasture. You know the calves was just over the hill from where he was shooting"....... You get the idea none of us would look like we had one ounce of respect for life, property or privacy... Just my two cents...

 

[Bendrx]

What you are contemplating is not only illegal it's down right dangerous.

....

"So Maude heard shooting down the road so me and the dog went to see what was happening. There he was, Hollywood dude with an M16 machine-gun shooting up my pasture. You know the calves was just over the hill from where he was shooting"

Did you read my posts? How is wanting a place to fire off a few rounds into the ground legally, a dangerous and illegal thing to do? I am aware that rocks could cause richocette, but I'm fail to see beyond that any danger that doesn't go along with shooting at a range. I do however like your story. Though I'm not wanting to post up in a pasture shooting at cows on the horizon. Sorry I started this thread.

 

[planedriver]

Like I said I don't wanna get anything going here. It's just that the Nancy Polozis (sp) of the world are looking for any of us to do something that they can make into what it isn't. The danger is as you describe.. hit a burried rock at close distance. The legality without lots of info could be trespass illegal firearm discharge too close to a road... the list goes on.. In short if a landowner calls the law you are going to loose even if you really weren't doing anything really wrong. Come on up and shoot here and I'll buy you a beer when we are done!