Military Camp

Hunt County and Discharging Firearms

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Texas

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • jeepinbanditrider

    Active Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 2, 2011
    842
    46
    Dallas
    Is anyone aware of any County Ordinances that restrict discharge of a weapon outside of city limits? I searched though the Hunt County website but found nothing covering county ordinances.
    Lynx Defense
     

    busykngt

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 14, 2011
    4,730
    96
    McKinney
    Your county sheriff's office could answer your question. I know in Collin County during dove season, the only rule (law?) hunters have to follow is, maintaining a certain distance from houses. I forget what that distance is, but I know a 10 acre square tract of land provided enough distance from new subdivision houses that it allowed hunters with shotguns to discharge their weapons (again, during dove season).
    --
    What we need is more unemployed politicians.
     

    busykngt

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 14, 2011
    4,730
    96
    McKinney
    I shoot pistols, rifles and shotguns on my 20 acres in eastern Collin County - within a couple hundred yards of the Hunt County line. I checked with the Collin County sheriff and all he said was, "just be careful". (Of course, no shooting across roads).
    --
    What we need is more unemployed politicians.
     

    majormadmax

    Úlfhéðnar
    Rating - 100%
    9   0   0
    Aug 27, 2009
    15,841
    96
    San Antonio!
    Read and learn...

    http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/LG/htm/LG.229.htm

    Sec. 229.002. REGULATION OF DISCHARGE OF WEAPON. 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 after 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 10 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 50 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.

    Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 18 (S.B. 734), Sec. 4, eff. May 3, 2005.
     

    jeepinbanditrider

    Active Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 2, 2011
    842
    46
    Dallas
    Read and learn...

    http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/LG/htm/LG.229.htm

    Sec. 229.002. REGULATION OF DISCHARGE OF WEAPON. 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 after 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 10 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 50 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.

    Added by Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 18 (S.B. 734), Sec. 4, eff. May 3, 2005.

    That section places limits on what a city or county is allowed to make ordinances on. It's not the state saying you have to have the much land, it's the state saying if a county or city places ordinances on such things they can't be more restrictive than that.

    The piece of property were closing on is significantly smaller than 50 acres but is long and skinny making a couple of hundred yard range a plausible thing. I'll contact the county sheriff.

    Then again B Tactical range isn't far from the place either might might be worth the cost hassle of building good tall berms.

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    OldCurlyWolf

    Active Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Sep 22, 2010
    212
    11
    Tulia
    That section places limits on what a city or county is allowed to make ordinances on. It's not the state saying you have to have the much land, it's the state saying if a county or city places ordinances on such things they can't be more restrictive than that.

    The piece of property were closing on is significantly smaller than 50 acres but is long and skinny making a couple of hundred yard range a plausible thing. I'll contact the county sheriff.

    Then again B Tactical range isn't far from the place either might might be worth the cost hassle of building good tall berms.

    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    If you have the wherewithal to build berms, including wing walls, it will make you chance of problems smaller and probably increase your peace of mind.
    Please at least 15 feet high and if you are able 20 feet high.
     

    popper

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Apr 23, 2013
    3,000
    96
    IIRC the law changed - couple of years ago. 50 acre or more where population exceeded a limit (like Collin).
     

    busykngt

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 14, 2011
    4,730
    96
    McKinney
    I'll contribute to the thumping!
    --
    popper, I believed the fifty acre limit that you refer to, has to do with a municipality's ability (as they expand their city limits or EJT) to dictate the use of land as a shooting range.
    For instance, a city sweeps in (under their city limits), a 50 acre track of land that was/is being used as a gun range, the city can't force it to close. If it's less than fifty acres, the owners don't get this law's specific protection.
     

    popper

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Apr 23, 2013
    3,000
    96
    Sec. 229.003. REGULATION OF DISCHARGE OF WEAPON BY CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES. (a) This section applies only to a municipality located wholly or partly in a county:

    (1) with a population of 750,000 or more;

    (2) in which all or part of a municipality with a population of one million or more is located; and

    (3) that is located adjacent to a county with a population of two million or more.

    Maybe Charlie could write a compendium of state firearm law that is readable and posted as a sticky.
    I only mentioned it as if the local LE doesn't enforce but someone complains, you could be in hot water.
     

    jeepinbanditrider

    Active Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 2, 2011
    842
    46
    Dallas
    I don't think hunt county falls under any of that either. Population 89,000

    Collin county is the most populous county adjacent to Hunt county and its population is under 1million


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    Charlie

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Mar 19, 2008
    65,572
    96
    'Top of the hill, Kerr County!
    Sec. 229.003. REGULATION OF DISCHARGE OF WEAPON BY CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES. (a) This section applies only to a municipality located wholly or partly in a county:

    (1) with a population of 750,000 or more;

    (2) in which all or part of a municipality with a population of one million or more is located; and

    (3) that is located adjacent to a county with a population of two million or more.

    Maybe Charlie could write a compendium of state firearm law that is readable and posted as a sticky.
    I only mentioned it as if the local LE doesn't enforce but someone complains, you could be in hot water.

    Negative on the "compendium" thingy ":green: It's just that every few months folks come along and inquire about shooting on their property, ac. minimums, etc. And our good members start quoting laws and regulations regarding all kinds of property "regs.", etc.) all over the state, etc., etc. The "ten acre" thing is always the first thing that's stated. Then folks think you've got to have ten acres to discharge a firearm. That isn't necessarily true for every area in Texas. And again, what is true for one county may, or may not, be true for another.
     

    Ranger550

    Live Free or Die
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Negative on the "compendium" thingy ":green: It's just that every few months folks come along and inquire about shooting on their property, ac. minimums, etc. And our good members start quoting laws and regulations regarding all kinds of property "regs.", etc.) all over the state, etc., etc. The "ten acre" thing is always the first thing that's stated. Then folks think you've got to have ten acres to discharge a firearm. That isn't necessarily true for every area in Texas. And again, what is true for one county may, or may not, be true for another.

    Quite true. I live in Kookistan, but fortunately in semi-rural northern CA. I have a nice place in the middle of nowhere 20 miles from my home that I practice shooting at, minus any one else. Most ranges near here are **** and some keep your brass.

    There isn't any "dwelling" at all for well over three miles, and the sheriffs don't really care, since lots of people do the same thing there and have for many decades.

    Not all of Kookistan is "bad" and the county sheriffs deputies are not all unused to people like me shooting in rural country land, after all the agricultural workers have all gone home for the day.

    Kookistan is really a "purple" state. You just have to know where you can legally shoot, besides a shooting range which I wouldn't like, even I was living in Texas.

    In some ways, and I dont mean any offense, but I like the fact that some counties in Norcal don't enforce the idiotic gun-laws, like the ten round magazine limits , such as have been mentioned, here.

    Northern and southern CA, really _DO_ need to be divided, but that will never happen no matter what the State of Jefferson advocates seem to think.

    In fact, if we eliminated the coastal, near Pacific Ocean counties, it would be a big win for Red State; Independents and Libertarians, who live in the SAC/S-J valleys and the mountain counties, that are as RED as all hell.
     
    Last edited:

    Ranger550

    Live Free or Die
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    I’m confused.... TEXAS laws ? (And California relates how?)

    Well, I am born and raised in CA, but I understand a state like Texas. The one thing
    that bothers me is that it sounds like if you don't own enough land in TX, you can't just find a place to do some plinking, like we still can here in Northern Kookafornia.

    Maybe I am being misinformed, but I have been "plinking" in places that are "out of the way", so to speak, since I was a kid. Parts of CA are pretty free in that regard.

    If I am mistaken here, you are welcome to inform me. I would like to move to Texas when I retire, but I need a place to plink informally, as I don't think I will have enough money to buy a large enough plot of land where I can do so freely.
     

    jeepinbanditrider

    Active Member
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 2, 2011
    842
    46
    Dallas
    That is one thing I miss about California is the vast amounts of public land.

    Texas really has nothing like that. Most property is private and what is deemed parks and whatnot is pretty tightly controlled on what you can and can't do with few exceptions.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    busykngt

    TGT Addict
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jun 14, 2011
    4,730
    96
    McKinney
    I see. Texas would make a good place to retire (no state income tax). But no, you haven’t been misinformed - I don’t know about west Texas, but generally there is very little “public land” that allows shooting. Most of the land is privately owned. There’s a nice, well developed state park system but again, access to public shooting ranges wasn’t a major consideration when the state parks were developed.
    Charlie is correct in his assessment of what is and is not allowed concerning shooting on private land. It can vary by county and even by city limits (to include ETJs). I always recommend folks check with their county sheriff’s office. The state does offer up some regulations but you may find that local ordinances (county and/or city) are more restrictive. Unless you own the land or have the land owner’s permission (written is best), chances are, you won’t have the ability to just go plinking.
     
    Last edited:

    Ranger550

    Live Free or Die
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    That is one thing I miss about California is the vast amounts of public land.

    Texas really has nothing like that. Most property is private and what is deemed parks and whatnot is pretty tightly controlled on what you can and can't do with few exceptions.

    That's pretty much what I gathered by the posts I have read here and elsewhere.

    I am a very good shot, but the outdoor ranges that were half-way decent, have all dried up due to the "lead pollution" issue, and most being on BLM land as well.

    There is still an "informal" range, about 40 miles from me, but its a real mess, since no one wants to clean up the place. And some of those shooters are not very safe, to make an understatement.

    Used to be, 15 years ago, I could go down one block from where I worked and shoot just outside the city limits and the sheriffs didn't have an issue, (hell they would do some shooting there too, off the clock or duty) but its all been built up with new buildings now.

    Technically speaking, where I and lots of people shoot isn't exactly "legal", since its off a county "road", but its all gravel, not pavement, and there are no dwellings or buildings for miles. You wouldn't want to drive a nice car anywhere near there.

    That said, people have been shooting there for many, many years, or decades. And we pick up our brass. One day someone will build a house or barn near there, and it will be all over for we plinkers who love the site. Such is life I suppose!
     
    Top Bottom