Howard County Target Shooting Laws

rob · Jan 7, 2018

steveh326 said:
yeah just look at Frederick county and see what is happening/has happened here...

Yup. Most of the 270/15 corridor is now filled/filling with former monkey County libtards fleeing their bad decisions.

Rob

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GTOGUNNER · Jan 7, 2018

rob said:
Yup. Most of the 270/15 corridor is now filled/filling with former monkey County libtards fleeing their bad decisions.

Rob

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More like bringing there bad decisions to Frederick. Don't bother coming to Carroll either. Your wasting your time and money.
Schools suck, taxes going up. Services are non existing.
I could go on..
Sent from the 3rd Rock

fabsroman · Jan 7, 2018

GTOGUNNER said:
More like bringing there bad decisions to Frederick. Don't bother coming to Carroll either. Your wasting your time and money.
Schools suck, taxes going up. Services are non existing.
I could go on..
Sent from the 3rd Rock

Yeah, Carroll is going to end up the same way as MoCo and HoCo, but it will take time. HoCo is going the way of MoCo right now, but it still reminds me of when I was growing up in the more rural parts of MoCo, which are not so rural anymore. I was driving through Carroll the other day and it reminded me a lot of Poolesville, etc. in MoCo. Then again, I looked at a map of Loudon County where I used to deer hunt and there are million dollar homes all over that place now. There was nothing out there in the 80's.

The OP is working in Rockville and his wife is working in Baltimore. If I was stuck with those jobs, I would pick southern Carroll to live in. It is still better than MoCo and about on par with western Howard County.

lazarus · Jan 7, 2018

One thing to rememebr is ALL counties it is 150yds for safety zones for firearms from other occupied dwellings. If you wanted a 50yd range on your property, if the other properties were similar to your and your range was located at the center of your and the neighbor’s houses were all roughly at the center of theirs, figure 8-10 acre properties to have a 150yd buffer from your 50yd range to the nearest neighbor’s houses.

You MIGHT get lucky with good property layouts and manage a smaller property and have 150yds to the nearest occupied dwelling on a smaller property (includes things like garages and could be sheds. Just has to be a structure with a person in it). An acre is 40,000sq-ft. 200x200ft. 5 acres would be 447x447ft or about 150x150yds (75yds from the center to the edge).

The safety zone 150yds is from you, to your target and anything along the path.

Unless you border big farms or park land or something, you aren’t going to find 1-5 acres anywhere you could legally shoot on unless you get a Neighbor or three to give you written permission.

That doesn’t mean your neighbor will care in a rural area, but it just takes one neighbor you piss off and you are in for lots of legal fun if you are violating safety zones. I’d personally buy a property where no matter how much my neighbors hated me, there is nothing they could do rather then rely on thembeing decent people. And your neighbors can always change.

lazarus · Jan 7, 2018

fabsroman said:
Yeah, Carroll is going to end up the same way as MoCo and HoCo, but it will take time. HoCo is going the way of MoCo right now, but it still reminds me of when I was growing up in the more rural parts of MoCo, which are not so rural anymore. I was driving through Carroll the other day and it reminded me a lot of Poolesville, etc. in MoCo. Then again, I looked at a map of Loudon County where I used to deer hunt and there are million dollar homes all over that place now. There was nothing out there in the 80's.

The OP is working in Rockville and his wife is working in Baltimore. If I was stuck with those jobs, I would pick southern Carroll to live in. It is still better than MoCo and about on par with western Howard County.

When I was over in Potapsco in a blind last weekend I could hear someone target shooting over in Carroll county on the other side of the park. Kept it up for about an hour of about 15 rounds per minute with very in frequent breaks. I was jealous as hell.

fabsroman · Jan 7, 2018

lazarus said:
One thing to rememebr is ALL counties it is 150yds for safety zones for firearms from other occupied dwellings. If you wanted a 50yd range on your property, if the other properties were similar to your and your range was located at the center of your and the neighbor’s houses were all roughly at the center of theirs, figure 8-10 acre properties to have a 150yd buffer from your 50yd range to the nearest neighbor’s houses.

You MIGHT get lucky with good property layouts and manage a smaller property and have 150yds to the nearest occupied dwelling on a smaller property (includes things like garages and could be sheds. Just has to be a structure with a person in it). An acre is 40,000sq-ft. 200x200ft. 5 acres would be 447x447ft or about 150x150yds (75yds from the center to the edge).

The safety zone 150yds is from you, to your target and anything along the path.

Unless you border big farms or park land or something, you aren’t going to find 1-5 acres anywhere you could legally shoot on unless you get a Neighbor or three to give you written permission.

That doesn’t mean your neighbor will care in a rural area, but it just takes one neighbor you piss off and you are in for lots of legal fun if you are violating safety zones. I’d personally buy a property where no matter how much my neighbors hated me, there is nothing they could do rather then rely on thembeing decent people. And your neighbors can always change.

Maryland law only applies while hunting:

Md. Code Natural Resources: 10-410

(g) (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, a person, other than the owner or occupant, while hunting for any wild bird or mammal may not shoot or discharge any firearm or other deadly weapon within 150 yards, known as the “safety zone”, of a dwelling house, residence, church, or other building or camp occupied by human beings, or shoot at any wild bird or mammal while it is within this area, without the specific advance permission of the owner or occupant.
(2) A person, while hunting for any wild bird or mammal, may not shoot or discharge any firearm within 300 yards of a public or nonpublic school during school hours or at a time when a school–approved activity is taking place.

Now, that does not mean that a county ordinance does not prohibit it. I know Montgomery, Howard, and Carroll have their own ordinances pertaining to it. Had a guy tell me 6 or so years ago that he target shoots off of his back porch in Frederick. I had been to his house before and knew it was about 20 yards from his neighbor. So, I looked up the local ordinances and there did not seem to be anything illegal about it.

So, the statewide 150 yard safety zone applies when hunting. However, check your local ordinances to see if they are more restrictive.

danb · Jan 8, 2018

lazarus said:
When I was over in Potapsco in a blind last weekend I could hear someone target shooting over in Carroll county on the other side of the park. Kept it up for about an hour of about 15 rounds per minute with very in frequent breaks. I was jealous as hell.

You sure that was not AGC or the range police sometimes use? noise travels a long way this time of year.

lazarus · Jan 8, 2018

danb said:
You sure that was not AGC or the range police sometimes use? noise travels a long way this time of year.

Not sure where the police range is. Definitely wasn’t AGC. The part of Potapsco I was in is about 5 miles from AGC, the gun fire was roughly a mile away, maybe a little less.

Fabs, well I learned something new (which means I am not dying yet!)

So I guess strike what I said. On the other hand, check county and city ordinances first ( if the property is in one, and double check if it is or not. A lot of counties other than HoCo have dozens of little incorporated towns and some are rural AF, so you wouldn’t know you are in one).

I’d also err on the side of a bigger property in part because you could still get an A-hole Neighbor and even if there is no ordinance about a safety zone, the Frederick example above might still net a citation about an unsafe discharge if a cop was sufficiently pissed at you or was clueless. Time and money to fight.

If no ordinance, going to take a lot I’d imagine for a cop to do anything other then have a chat and make sure you are being safe if you are on 10 acres. Not so an acre. Stupid HoCo ordinances aside, I can’t picture a setup where any halfway intelligent officer wouldn’t cite me on my acre property. My neighbors 5 acre across the street property I could see it maybe being okay with a good berm and a short range (like 25yds) and rimfire. But her property is in a bit of a swallow.

I have a friend who shoots in his 7 acres and he has a legitimately safe setup with parkland across the stream on the border of his property right in to a hillside, his house up on a hill and both neighbors to his side up on hills. So he has a good safe valley he could setup a berm on and at least 200yds to either neighbor’s house and in theory about 2 miles through the park before any buildings that direction. I won’t mention what county, but his neighbors don’t care and they shoot on their property occasionally too.

PS to add, things can always change. Is it Cecil county where the county exec is looking in to an ordinance about shooting on your property? You could get screwed like HoCo where it just isn’t possible no matter the size of your property (a big property, out of sight and a silencer fixes that). AnywY, a bigger property is more likely to still be okay if your county decides to pass something that says you have to have a 100, 150 yard or whatever safety zone.

rbird7282 · Jan 8, 2018

Every once in a while HCPD shoots their .50 at the quarry near AGC

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danb · Jan 8, 2018

lazarus said:
Not sure where the police range is. Definitely wasn’t AGC. The part of Potapsco I was in is about 5 miles from AGC, the gun fire was roughly a mile away, maybe a little less.

Almost all of Patapsco is within 5 miles of AGC (based on Google). The only part that isn't is the eastern part in Eillicott City. I dont think you would have been hearing anything in Carroll County, north of Ellicott City is Baltimore County.

But if you were on the west side of AGC in Patapsco, you were a lot closer than you think. The other range is NW-ish of AGC.

lazarus · Jan 8, 2018

danb said:
Almost all of Patapsco is within 5 miles of AGC (based on Google). The only part that isn't is the eastern part in Eillicott City. I dont think you would have been hearing anything in Carroll County, north of Ellicott City is Baltimore County.

But if you were on the west side of AGC in Patapsco, you were a lot closer than you think. The other range is NW-ish of AGC.

River road section of Potapsco, which is the furthest west section of the park. As the crow flies, google maps shows about 4.5 miles. Where as Carroll county is maybe .75 miles away and is due north from the spot.

Adolph Oliver Bush · Jan 8, 2018

fabsroman said:
Maryland law only applies while hunting:

Md. Code Natural Resources: 10-410

(g) (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection, a person, other than the owner or occupant, while hunting for any wild bird or mammal may not shoot or discharge any firearm or other deadly weapon within 150 yards, known as the “safety zone”, of a dwelling house, residence, church, or other building or camp occupied by human beings, or shoot at any wild bird or mammal while it is within this area, without the specific advance permission of the owner or occupant.
(2) A person, while hunting for any wild bird or mammal, may not shoot or discharge any firearm within 300 yards of a public or nonpublic school during school hours or at a time when a school–approved activity is taking place.

Now, that does not mean that a county ordinance does not prohibit it. I know Montgomery, Howard, and Carroll have their own ordinances pertaining to it. Had a guy tell me 6 or so years ago that he target shoots off of his back porch in Frederick. I had been to his house before and knew it was about 20 yards from his neighbor. So, I looked up the local ordinances and there did not seem to be anything illegal about it.

So, the statewide 150 yard safety zone applies when hunting. However, check your local ordinances to see if they are more restrictive.

^^^^^this. Shooting is not hunting. Unincorporated towns have a sound limit at the property line, that's it.

danb · Jan 9, 2018

lazarus said:
River road section of Potapsco, which is the furthest west section of the park. As the crow flies, google maps shows about 4.5 miles. Where as Carroll county is maybe .75 miles away and is due north from the spot.

Have not been over to that end in a while. Yep, it would be good to be in Carrol Co. :party29:

mattjans · Jan 9, 2018

jkeys said:
Carroll County

Thanks!

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mattjans · Jan 9, 2018

fabsroman said:
Carroll County followed by Frederick County with you working in Rockville and your wife working in Baltimore.

Like you, I always thought Howard County was less restrictive than Montgomery County. Moved to Howard County in 2011 and found out that was no longer the case. Kind of pissed me off. So, after much debate and with the kids doing well in school here, we have decided to buy a larger house here and then look for land/farmhouse in north Carroll, north Frederick, PA, or elsewhere. Would really like to buy something on the eastern shore, but with 4 kids, the drive would be too much just to hunt a day or two, and I hate not being with my family at night. Two long term goals are pretty much set in stone now.

Good luck on your search for a new place.

Sorry Howard didn't work out for you. Keep voting! Thanks for the insight.

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fabsroman · Jan 9, 2018

mattjans said:
Sorry Howard didn't work out for you. Keep voting! Thanks for the insight.

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If they would let me vote twice, I would. lol

fabsroman · Jan 9, 2018

Adolph Oliver Bush said:
^^^^^this. Shooting is not hunting. Unincorporated towns have a sound limit at the property line, that's it.

The sound ordinance isn't the only thing to worry about. Some counties have passed distance ordinances (i.e., safety zones) too. I've had a friend get a citation over the sound ordinance because of his truck. Another friend for motorbikes in the backyard. lol

2A Maryland · Jan 21, 2018

lazarus said:
Not sure where the police range is. Definitely wasn’t AGC. The part of Potapsco I was in is about 5 miles from AGC, the gun fire was roughly a mile away, maybe a little less.

Fabs, well I learned something new (which means I am not dying yet!)

So I guess strike what I said. On the other hand, check county and city ordinances first ( if the property is in one, and double check if it is or not. A lot of counties other than HoCo have dozens of little incorporated towns and some are rural AF, so you wouldn’t know you are in one).

I’d also err on the side of a bigger property in part because you could still get an A-hole Neighbor and even if there is no ordinance about a safety zone, the Frederick example above might still net a citation about an unsafe discharge if a cop was sufficiently pissed at you or was clueless. Time and money to fight.

If no ordinance, going to take a lot I’d imagine for a cop to do anything other then have a chat and make sure you are being safe if you are on 10 acres. Not so an acre. Stupid HoCo ordinances aside, I can’t picture a setup where any halfway intelligent officer wouldn’t cite me on my acre property. My neighbors 5 acre across the street property I could see it maybe being okay with a good berm and a short range (like 25yds) and rimfire. But her property is in a bit of a swallow.

I have a friend who shoots in his 7 acres and he has a legitimately safe setup with parkland across the stream on the border of his property right in to a hillside, his house up on a hill and both neighbors to his side up on hills. So he has a good safe valley he could setup a berm on and at least 200yds to either neighbor’s house and in theory about 2 miles through the park before any buildings that direction. I won’t mention what county, but his neighbors don’t care and they shoot on their property occasionally too.

PS to add, things can always change. Is it Cecil county where the county exec is looking in to an ordinance about shooting on your property? You could get screwed like HoCo where it just isn’t possible no matter the size of your property (a big property, out of sight and a silencer fixes that). AnywY, a bigger property is more likely to still be okay if your county decides to pass something that says you have to have a 100, 150 yard or whatever safety zone.

Howard County Police Range
2200 Scott Wheeler Drive
North of I70 and West of Marriottsville Road

fabsroman · Jan 21, 2018

2A Maryland said:
Howard County Police Range
2200 Scott Wheeler Drive
North of I70 and West of Marriottsville Road

That explains the gun fire I hear when I am at Alpha Ridge Landfill. I believe there is also some training facility down there because I see a lot of LEO vehicles coming from Scott Wheeler and they are from more jurisdictions than just Howard County.

MJD438 · Jan 21, 2018

fabsroman said:
That explains the gun fire I hear when I am at Alpha Ridge Landfill. I believe there is also some training facility down there because I see a lot of LEO vehicles coming from Scott Wheeler and they are from more jurisdictions than just Howard County.

The James N. Robey Public Safety Training Center (talked about in this article - http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/ba...county-police-training-center-text-story.html) Fire/Rescue and LE training facility for Howard County.

I have been there for recertification courses offered by MIEMSS and MFRI. Nice campus.

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