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Shooting on public land / in the desert?

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  • gunlovincollector

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    Dec 16, 2018
    11
    11
    Phoenix, Arizona
    Hi all,

    I'll be a Texas resident soon and I'm coming from Arizona.

    One of the aspects I really liked about Arizona was being able to just drive 30-45 minutes outside of Phoenix to some BLM land so I could do some outdoor shooting without the hassle of a range and with other people around.

    Is that legal in Texas? Is it possible to find BLM land in eastern Texas or would I need to head west to more of the desert?

    Also, if I was to buy some land, any requirements in terms of acreage or other regulations I should be aware of if I'd like to be able to shoot on my land?

    Thanks!!
     

    lonestardiver

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    Dec 12, 2010
    4,615
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    Eagle Mountain Lake area
    Hi all,

    I'll be a Texas resident soon and I'm coming from Arizona.

    One of the aspects I really liked about Arizona was being able to just drive 30-45 minutes outside of Phoenix to some BLM land so I could do some outdoor shooting without the hassle of a range and with other people around.

    Is that legal in Texas? Is it possible to find BLM land in eastern Texas or would I need to head west to more of the desert?

    Also, if I was to buy some land, any requirements in terms of acreage or other regulations I should be aware of if I'd like to be able to shoot on my land?

    Thanks!!

    In terms of personal land and acreage requirements:
    City and county ordinances apply.
    In many counties the minimum is 10 acres.
    In some counties (unincorporated areas) there are no minimum acreage requirements so it pays to check with the county if you are not going to live in the city.
     

    toddnjoyce

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    Sep 27, 2017
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    Boerne
    There is not a lot of BLM land in Texas. Most of it is in the panhandle.

    Private land is the name of the game here, which means unless you’ve got the land, you’ll probably be at a range somewhere.

    Perspective: East TX to the Panhadle is about 400+ miles or more.
     

    Charlie

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    Mar 19, 2008
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    'Top of the hill, Kerr County!
    In terms of personal land and acreage requirements:
    City and county ordinances apply.
    In many counties the minimum is 10 acres.
    In some counties (unincorporated areas) there are no minimum acreage requirements so it pays to check with the county if you are not going to live in the city.
    Excellent info. Laws and ordinances vary from county to county and from city to city (and sometimes vary by homeowners assn.).
     

    gunlovincollector

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    Dec 16, 2018
    11
    11
    Phoenix, Arizona
    Thanks all! I'll be in Dallas, so sounds like BLM land is a no go as it's a few hundred miles away. I'll look for some cheapish land somehwere, hopefully no more that 100 miles or so away.
     

    BillFairbanks

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    May 8, 2017
    1,626
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    Johnson County, TX
    Thanks all! I'll be in Dallas, so sounds like BLM land is a no go as it's a few hundred miles away. I'll look for some cheapish land somehwere, hopefully no more that 100 miles or so away.

    If you do shoot on private land, please make sure you have a proper backstop and use a map program to make sure you aren’t shooting towards someone’s house.

    I thought this was common sense, until my wife was shot in our own backyard by someone shooting on private property without a backstop.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    popper

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    Apr 23, 2013
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    There is BLM land around Dallas but you have to get permission to shoot. Some of it is open to hunting, by permission only. State and Federal parks are the same.
     

    Inspector43

    Everything I Own Is Paid For
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    Jul 12, 2017
    905
    76
    Colorado County, Texas
    Hi all,

    I'll be a Texas resident soon and I'm coming from Arizona.

    One of the aspects I really liked about Arizona was being able to just drive 30-45 minutes outside of Phoenix to some BLM land so I could do some outdoor shooting without the hassle of a range and with other people around.

    Is that legal in Texas? Is it possible to find BLM land in eastern Texas or would I need to head west to more of the desert?

    Also, if I was to buy some land, any requirements in terms of acreage or other regulations I should be aware of if I'd like to be able to shoot on my land?

    Thanks!!
    The local Game Warden stopped by one day to visit. I asked him that question. He told me that if you are shooting on your land the bullets must not cross the fence line to another property. I have trained all my bullets to stay on my land.
     

    equin

    Active Member
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    Jul 18, 2010
    308
    11
    Waxahachie, TX
    This question gets asked a lot from out of state folks moving to Texas. There’s this misconception that the size of our state means that there must be plenty of free, open public lands not too far from most major metro areas. But nothing could be further from the truth.

    The vast majority of Texas is privately owned. There is supposedly some public land in the Panhandle that supposedly allows it, but I don’t know where it is and it’s about a good 5 to 6 hour drive from Dallas.

    There was (maybe still is?) a spot at the LBJ Grasslands that allows shotgun only shooting about an hour to an hour and a half north of Dallas.

    The Davy Crockett and Angelina National Forests in east Texas do not allow target shooting last I checked and have strict hunting requirements. You aren’t even allowed to stump shoot arrows from a bow last I heard.

    Like the others said, your best bet is to shoot at mostly privately-owned, pay-per-use gun ranges, many of which have certain rules, such as no FMJ or drawing from a holster. There are also some membership-only privately-owned gun ranges which usually offer for more leeway and less restrictions as long as you aren’t reckless or unsafe at the range.

    The membership gun ranges require an annual fee ($75 to over $1000, depending on the range). The less expensive ones usually have a long waiting list of several years before you can apply for membership.

    As others said, your other option is to buy your own land, preferably in a rural area somewhat a ways from the city to keep the costs down. But lots of folks are moving to Texas, especially the DFW area, and land prices have skyrocketed these past few years, even in areas within a two hour drive. Like others said, be sure to check the county laws on the minimum acreage needed to shoot in rural areas (believe most with such minimum acreage require more than 10 acres, but some have no such minimum acreage requirements).

    Anyway, welcome to Texas!
     

    oohrah

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    Jul 24, 2013
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    Heart O' Texas
    There has always been some confusion about the 10 acre law. You can shoot on your property of any size as long as you are not in a city limits that prohibit discharging firearms, or in a county that regulates property. The catch is, the state pre-empts counties from regulating property greater than 10 acres. You can shoot on less than 10 acres, you just have to make sure the bullets stay on your property. If you own more than 10 acres, the county cannot prohibit you.

    Oh and - welcome.
     

    easy rider

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    Jun 10, 2015
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    Odessa, Tx
    Are you moving to Dallas for work or do you just like to be near big cities? The further you are from the big cities the more gun friendly Texas is.

    Welcome to the forum.
     

    Charlie

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    Mar 19, 2008
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    'Top of the hill, Kerr County!
    There has always been some confusion about the 10 acre law. You can shoot on your property of any size as long as you are not in a city limits that prohibit discharging firearms, or in a county that regulates property. The catch is, the state pre-empts counties from regulating property greater than 10 acres. You can shoot on less than 10 acres, you just have to make sure the bullets stay on your property. If you own more than 10 acres, the county cannot prohibit you.

    Oh and - welcome.
    Correct!
     

    equin

    Active Member
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    Jul 18, 2010
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    Waxahachie, TX
    There has always been some confusion about the 10 acre law. You can shoot on your property of any size as long as you are not in a city limits that prohibit discharging firearms, or in a county that regulates property. The catch is, the state pre-empts counties from regulating property greater than 10 acres. You can shoot on less than 10 acres, you just have to make sure the bullets stay on your property. If you own more than 10 acres, the county cannot prohibit you.

    Oh and - welcome.

    Well said. And just to clarify, if it’s 10 acres or less a county can still prohibit or restrict shooting on your own property. Take a look at Texas Local Government Code 235.002:

    1. Sec. 235.022. AUTHORITY TO REGULATE. To promote the public safety, the commissioners court of a county by order may prohibit or otherwise regulate the discharge of firearms and air guns on lots that are 10 acres or smaller and are located in the unincorporated area of the county in a subdivision.
    And as Oorah said, you have to make sure bullets do not cross your property line, even if you have more than 10 acres.
     
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