shooting regulations?

**GRoutdoor** · November 18th, 2012, 09:49 PM

Can anyone give me information or forward me a link on shooting laws/regulations in PA? Schuylkill county if it changes that much per county. Im looking for information regarding target shooting, like what distance you have to be from structures and if and when required a berm to shoot into.I have always followed general rule of thumb rules, but they sometimes don't apply to certain situations. I just want to make sure the area i want to shoot at is safe and also legal.

**FJRMarty** · November 20th, 2012, 08:12 AM

I am also curious about this. Never really thought about it, I go to ranges that are identified as ranges, usually at outdoor sportsman's clubs and a couple of indoor ranges in SC.

Is there a legal definition of a "range?" I know of one place nearby in the woods that folks have used for years that is really just a small clearing off a dirt road in the middle of the Allegheny National Forest. It may even be on federal land - hard to tell without knowing where the exact property lines are in the Forest.

Folks in the townships surrounding my small town shoot sometimes in their backyards. Is that a "range" and is it supposed to be under some state regulations?

**soberbyker** · November 20th, 2012, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by GRoutdoor

Can anyone give me information or forward me a link on shooting laws/regulations in PA? Schuylkill county if it changes that much per county. Im looking for information regarding target shooting, like what distance you have to be from structures and if and when required a berm to shoot into.I have always followed general rule of thumb rules, but they sometimes don't apply to certain situations. I just want to make sure the area i want to shoot at is safe and also legal.

Check with your local township/borough. The discharge of firearms is the only thing allowed to be locally regulated and can vary greatly from one town to the next.

**ungawa** · November 20th, 2012, 08:56 AM

Like soberybiker said.

Since we are not talking about hunting, it seems any regulations about actually firing a gun or conducting target practice on your property boil down to local municipal ordinances, if any exist. Around here it seems that the majority of boroughs and cities have some sort of discharge prohibition or limitation and the majority of townships do not. But that's just an observation and not a rule.

I actually called my township police about this several years ago. A police opinion is worth what you pay for it, but I think this call was worthwhile. The old timer (chief?) told me there are no ordinances against it but they like to see a berm of a certain size to help keep me out of trouble if they respond to a complaint. He told me the NRA website has good guidelines on home ranges.