Private Target Ranges VS Housing Sprawl

Briefly put, what do you do when someone builds a new McMansion about 100 meters from your 25 year old, county approved target range.

I had an agreement with the previous owner of the land next to my target range to buy the land beside my target range but he broke his word and sold it to someone else.

I notified the Real Estate agent about my target range and blacksmith shop next to the land but currently the McMansion is under construction on what used to be woodland owned by my wife's family for 100 years.

My question to other readers is what to do when the new neighbors move into their McMansion and start complaining?
I have always made an effort to get along well with my neighbors but few people enjoy hearing the sound of other people shooting.

Any opinions or suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks,

 

Offer to let them come over and shoot anytime. Maybe you’ll get lucky and they will be gun people.

Tell them the range and sporadic gunfire keeps criminals away.

Inform them you will make less noise if they make a generous donation to your suppressor fund!

Act like a hit man in the movies. They’ll keep their mouth shut.

Seriously I’d find out who they are and start a good relationship and try working it out with them.

 

If the county approved it, then you should be grandfathered in. Is this a commercial range or are you just shooting in your back yard for fun?

 

Thanks for responding.

I'm just shooting in my own back yard for fun where I have been shooting since we bought this old place over 25 years ago
By "this old place" I mean my wife's grandparent's old farm house. My wife's grandparents used to own all the surrounding and including the property on which the new house is being built. Unfortunately, my wife's grandparents gave some of the surrounding land to my wife's greedy & dishonest aunt and uncle who said that they would sell the land to my wife & me but changed their minds and sold the land in question to a developer who wanted to put 5 houses on the land immediately behind my target range and blacksmith shop. After an ugly legal battle, that fell through so we're stuck with just one house but as I said, it's about 100 meters from my target range & blacksmith shop.

When I said "county approved", I meant that the sheriff was satisfied with the dirt impact berm and this county is primarily rural so private target ranges are allowed as long as they're safe.

I've always gotten along very well with my neighbors wherever I've lived and have even written a note to the owner of the new house welcoming him / them to the neighborhood but have not heard back.

I plan on continuing to target shoot but will be as considerate and co operative as possible. Unfortunately, it's not uncommon for people to move from urban and suburban neighborhoods and expect everyone to behave as they do.

Thanks for writing,

 

The McMansion owners will be faced with a choice of three options. Number one will be to ask the neighbor with the gun range and blacksmith shop to stop disturbing them. Number two is to take them to court when they don't stop disturbing your peace and tranquility. This can lead to a lengthy and expensive legal problem. Number three will be for the new owners of the McMansion to move like I did when I had a neighbor out in the country that had five dogs that barked at every critter that came around 24 hours a day.

Actually there is four options and not three. There's the slim, very slim, possibility that he will be glad to have you as a neighbor and participate with you in shooting.

 

Thanks for your suggestions. I imagine that some of them will be more well received than others but I plan on being as friendly and considerate as possible.

As I mentioned in my previous post, I've already written the new owner a note welcoming him / them to the neighborhood but have not heard back so I can't think of much more that I could do.

I've been shooting on this property for over 25 years and have been shooting while the new house has been under construction so my hobby shouldn't shouldn't come as a surprise.

Thanks again for writing,

 

Thanks for writing,

I think that the law is on my side especially since this county permits private target ranges and the Sheriff has already seen mine.

I even called the Real Estate agent who was selling the property to tell them about my 25+ year old blacksmith shop and target range. Both are clearly visible from his property.
I don't shoot that much; maybe 10 - 20 rounds, 2 - 3 times a week at the most and will make every effort to be as considerate as possible.

As you know, some people simply like to be jackasses so there's not much I can do about that.

I'm sorry to hear about your barking dog experience. Most places have ordinances against that sort of annoyances.

 

I guess you can try to find out when they aren't home and shoot during that time. You have already taken care of having a backstop so I am not sure there is anything they or you can do but co-exist. I would probably be more bothered by the hammering in your blacksmith shop personally as I hate the sound of hammering. If someone near me is having a roof put on, I find somewhere else to go for the day

 

I'm sure we'll be able to work out something and I really don't shoot that much.

Actually, I haven't been able to do that much blacksmithing lately after 25+ years of working at it so there won't be that much hammering.
I'm over 70 years old and have lots of orthopedic issues from being a paratrooper in the Army, wrestling, boxing, football, bicycle racing (and wrecks), 4 motorcycle accidents and other dumb stuff.

The most hammering that's been going on lately is the construction of the new house so, lately, I shoot when they're hammering.

 

It all depends on what the local laws are. If you can't discharge a firearm based on where you live (within city limits etc) then you have no legal leg to stand on.

 

Since I live in a rural county just West of Richmond VA, private target ranges are permitted. Even though I have been shooting on my property for over 25 years without a problem and made it clear to the real estate agent handling the sale of the adjoining property that I target shoot from time to time, I simply want to disturb the new neighbor as little as possible.

After all, it was his choice to buy land right next to my existing target range.

Thanks for your input...

 

If your range is visible from the neighbors property, then it seems to me it's too bad for the neighbors if they do not like your range, it's a legal range and they bought the property knowing the surroundings.

If they feel for any reason it is unsafe or annoying, it is on them to solve that problem on their side of the property line.

 

Thanks for writing.

I share the same thoughts you just expressed but at the same time I like to have friendly relationships with all my neighbors.
It's not uncommon for people to move from the city or suburbs to a rural area like this and immediately feel like they have the right to make others bend to their will.
The new house is currently under construction and the noise is almost constant.

I know nothing about the new neighbors and tried to start out on a positive note by writing them and welcoming them to the neighborhood but, after 3 weeks have gotten no response.

An additional irritant is the fact that the land on which the new house sits used to be part of family property. My wife's grandparents gave the land to my wife's greedy & dishonest aunt & uncle. They promised to sell me the land but turned around and sold the land to an equally dishonest developer who wanted to put 5 houses on the 10 acre piece of land.
We fought that and won in court but are still stuck with another McMansion on what used to be beautiful woodland.

So, things could be worse, the law is on my side and I'm trying to keep a positive attitude but at the same time, I've dealt with jackasses before and can deal with them again.

Thanks again for your input.

 

Some of this depends on your zoning and if if you live inside a corporation limit - if you live out on the township and aren't doing anything unsafe or illegal, the onus lies on the newcomer.

 

I think a fair compromise would be suppressors and subsonic ammunition!

 

Great solution but, unfortunately I have neither.

I'm cautiously optimistic that I'll be able to work out some sort of arrangement with my new neighbor and will do my part to be reasonable.
After all, I don't shoot very much these days and would be willing to abandon hosting shooting parties and playing with Tannerite®.
I probably shoot about 20 rounds per week and could do that while he's cutting his grass or running a Weedwhacker.

Thanks for your input.

 

Your new neighbor should buy them for you! IF they give you trouble, you can accidentally leave some tannerite where a weedwhacker or lawn mower might find it!

JK