Page 38 - Kansas Sportsman

SHOOTING

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE BUILDING
A GUN RANGE ON YOUR PROPERTY

By Hayden Outdoors

For the past 35 years, Clay Owens has been among the top buy land that’s well suited for a home gun range or build one on
names in big game hunting in the U.S. He was an outfitter in land you already own, Clay recommends utilizing heavy topog-
Western Colorado, managing three of the largest operations raphy, such as canyons and hills, for a backdrop. The parcel
in the state for 20 years. Today, he still actively guides hunts should also be a minimum of 40 acres, although simple home
near Steamboat Springs, and in 2018, he applied his deep handgun ranges require less acreage. If your goal is long-range
knowledge of rangelands and Midwest hunting properties to a shooting, the number goes up, with 500 acres being the mini-
different endeavor—recreational real estate agent for Hayden mum land you should look for to ensure success and safety.
Outdoors. Neatly put, Clay knows a lot about building a gun
range on your property. To put this into real world context, Clay is currently oversee-
ing the build and installment of a long range at the Hayden
As a guide on some of the country’s most notable hunting Outdoors Ranch in Nebraska. About as complex and involved
lands, Clay became an expert in setting up long-range shoot- as a personal gun range can get, this impressive amenity will
ing courses. Now he puts that knowledge to good use, helping feature a five-stand shot range for sporting clays, a hand gun
his clients find property that can accommodate a personal gun range with a cliff wall backdrop to prevent any escaped projec-
range, and he’ll be quick to note that when you’re building a tiles, and a 1,550-yard long range with steel plate targets every
gun range on your property, there are several considerations 100 yards. All of this is located in a canyon where shooters can
you should keep in mind. It’s also important to note these practice out of the wind.
considerations are general guidelines, and the specific require-
ments vary depending on your location.
UNDERSTANDING LEGAL AND REGULATORY
REQUIREMENTS
Clay stresses, “It’s crucial to consult with local authorities, le-
gal professionals, and shooting range experts who can provide
Once you have established a workable piece of land for build-
guidance based on your jurisdiction’s laws and regulations.”
ing a gun range on your property, it’s important to check in
With that in mind, he also provided these key factors to consid-
with relevant county officials to ensure you’re complying with
er when setting up a personal gun range.
any permitting, insurance requirements, private gun range
laws, and noise ordinances.
ASSESSING THE SUITABILITY OF YOUR PROPERTY FOR
A GUN RANGE Clay suggests starting by visiting your county website to deter-
mine who the best person to talk to might be. Typically this is
There are a variety of property considerations for home gun the county commissioner or sheriff’s office. And while it’s not
ranges, starting with size and a proper backdrop for the necessary on private land, he also suggests putting up proper
target area. signage around the gun range so visitors know it’s an active
shooting zone.
“The biggest safety factor is your backdrop; it needs to be big
enough to prevent ricochet and bullets from flying past the “Generally speaking, most rural areas are not going to have any
target, typically 20-60 feet high.” Clay explains this backdrop kind of regulation for that type of activity. The closer you get to
can be an established natural feature, such as a cliff wall, or an urban or neighborhood setting, the more you’ll need to take
something you build, like a large dirt bank. If you’re looking to noise and compliance into account.”

38 THE KANSAS SPORTSMAN | SPRING 2024