Cecil County backyard target practice

ZeroTurn · Oct 3, 2020

Hello all,
This is my first post on mdshooters.com. I have lurked around some before, but decided to join today.

I recently purchased a BullPup shotgun, and want to zero it and ensure it functions correctly. I own a home on four acres between Elkton and Northeast. I was wondering if it is lawful to discharge my shotgun into a dirt mound that is about 4 foot high. I would be shooting #2 steel shot. Do I have to worry about breaking a law?

Thanks for any input.

0

RJRjr · Oct 3, 2020

Hello. I think you have to be a certain distance away from any other homes. Im not sure of the distance. Maybe 150 yds? We shoot all the time at my girlfriends home in Rising Sun, never any problems. There are houses in the area but are hundreds of yds away. We just shoot handguns, shotguns , and 22's. Verify first though.

Darkemp · Oct 3, 2020

Check your county code. Most specify the distances required- would trust that before anyone who answers here who isn’t an official in your county and quoting the code itself.

RJRjr · Oct 3, 2020

Mark392001 said:
Check your county code. Most specify the distances required- would trust that before anyone who answers here who isn’t an official in your county and quoting the code itself.

Yes. Absolutely verify first. Then hopefully have fun.

John from MD · Oct 3, 2020

150 yards from occupied buildings or have owners written permission.

ZeroTurn · Oct 3, 2020

Thank you! Its hard to get hold of a deputy on the phone without calling 911. The Cecil County Sheriff's office has an automated system that basically means you leave a voice mail.

RJRjr · Oct 3, 2020

ZeroTurn said:
Thank you! Its hard to get hold of a deputy on the phone without calling 911. The Cecil County Sheriff's office has an automated system that basically means you leave a voice mail.

When can I expect to hear you shooting. I am also between North East and Elkton. Over by Triton marina. Have fun.

Lane Meyer · Oct 3, 2020

I’ve tried to get real info on this as I’m also in ceciltucky. The 150 yard law is specific to hunting and enforced by DNR. I spoke to someone at the Cecil County sheriff’s office who told me to call DNR and someone at the DNR who told me to call the sheriff’s office. I can find no code related to target shooting.

This is NOT advice, but I know several residents who shoot on their property. A good backstop, common sense, good neighbors, and not overdoing it might be all you need.

There’s always the shotgun area at Elk Neck State Forest.

Good luck!

AntiGun · Oct 3, 2020

ZeroTurn said:
Hello all,
This is my first post on mdshooters.com. I have lurked around some before, but decided to join today.

I recently purchased a BullPup shotgun, and want to zero it and ensure it functions correctly. I own a home on four acres between Elkton and Northeast. I was wondering if it is lawful to discharge my shotgun into a dirt mound that is about 4 foot high. I would be shooting #2 steel shot. Do I have to worry about breaking a law?

Thanks for any input.

0

Why do you need to zero a shotgun with #2 steel shot?

Go to Elk Neck range and shoot some skeet if you're planning to waterfowl hunt with it, otherwise no need to zero unless you're shooting slugs. Pattern it if needed but if this a home defense gun then you're good to go after testing functionality, except upgrading to at least #4 buckshot.

150yds in Harford, probably similar for Cecil, but verify before you do anything.

ZeroTurn · Oct 3, 2020

Thank you all for the replies.

John from MD - Thank you for your service, I am also a Veteran of OIF, but I think Vietnam was much tougher arena of combat. An enemy during the Vietnam war could be 3 feet from you, and you would never know it. In Iraq, you can see them coming from miles.

RJRjr - From where you live, I doubt you could hear the shotgun blasts from here. I am thinking I will try it out tomorrow though. I cannot se how anyone could see shooting birdshot into a dirt mound a public safety issue. I do understand the issue however, with say, a 5.56 from an M4 Carbine. I remember in Basic Training, firing on the Night Fire range, you could see the tracers hit the berm, and then fly into an arc over the berm!

AntiGun - I want to zero a micro reflex site to center mass, so I at least have a reliable site picture. I don't think Elk Neck will let you shoot a shotgun anywhere but the skeet range, and that would not help me to zero the weapon.

It is nice to find a good shooting forum in Maryland. I really appreciate everyone's input.

John from MD · Oct 4, 2020

Make sure there are no rocks in your berm. I shoot steel BB's at 25 yards in my property and have had some come right back at me. It's uncanny that they can ricochet and come back in such a straight line.

AntiGun · Oct 4, 2020

John from MD said:
Make sure there are no rocks in your berm. I shoot steel BB's at 25 yards in my property and have had some come right back at me. It's uncanny that they can ricochet and come back in such a straight line.

You'll shoot your eye out!

John from MD · Oct 4, 2020

AntiGun said:
You'll shoot your eye out!

Having "four eyes" does have it's advantages. :lol:

lazarus · Oct 12, 2020

What’s the neighbor situation like? Both how close are other homes as well as your specific neighbors. Because if one or more of your neighbors is likely to get real pissed, I’d just find somewhere you can sight in your shotgun. There are a few public ranges that have shotgun patterning boards. A lot of public and private skeet and trap ranges have patterning boards. Probably wouldn’t let you shoot #2 at it, but you could get it centered on the pattern with #8 and that should be damned good enough.

A drive, but I know Carroll county gun club has a patterning board and is open Wednesday’s and Sunday's to the public for $4 a round of trap. I don’t think they’d charge you to use the patterning board, but probably be polite to shoot a round or two of trap after using it.

PS one thing to piss off a neighbor a few houses away, but in my limited life experience, don’t piss off your immediate next door neighbors unless you’ve got a real good reason to.

PPS some counties don’t allow ANY target shooting, like Howard. Though I think my county is one of the few that effectively handled target shooting. IMHO, if you can’t find anything with a bit of internet searching about Cecil county Maryland private property target shooting, you are probably okay.

Beyond that, just make sure it is shot in to a safe backdrop even if it is shot. Then make sure you are at least 150yds from any occupied dwelling. I am aware that is DNR code for HUNTING, but I’ve also heard of officers citing that when they’ve had “a the talk” with you when a neighbor calls. Doesn’t mean it’ll hold up, but again, it is one more thing in your corner “well if I was hunting, I’d be well within the law”.

Blacksmith101 · Oct 17, 2020

Also consider joining a gun club for future guns. I live in Cecil and am a member of Southern Lancaster County Farmer-Sportsmen’s Association an active club with multiple ranges. They will be reopening memberships for new members after the first of the new year, see the web site for details scroll down to the bottom of the home page.
Link:
https://www.slcfsa.org/

BossmanPJ · Oct 17, 2020

John from MD said:
Make sure there are no rocks in your berm. I shoot steel BB's at 25 yards in my property and have had some come right back at me. It's uncanny that they can ricochet and come back in such a straight line.

I had a pretty good piece of a 9mm FMJ come back and smack me in the shoulder a while back. I was shooting a steel plate at 12 yards and it came basically straight back and got me. Didn’t penetrate skin but left a pretty good mark.

It happens.

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