Shooting on your own property in NH

@cyndilynnm205 hopefully has read all the posts upthread, especially the discussions about "compact part" and safe backstops.

Sometimes folk new to NH try to sic the cops on their neighbors, I've heard of a couple such incidents in Bedford, which ultimately went nowhere.
My neighbor did that to me two summers ago. Called every time I shot and multiple times per day. I had to talk to the local PD twice one afternoon. The PD knows its safe and legal but having to stop what I'm doing, worried about the new guy is going to be nervous when I walk up to him with my rig on, etc, it was pretty annoying. I've started ramping up my shooting so we will see if the trend continues.
 
After a few years living in NH and thinking I understood the law, I re-read NH RSA's 207:3-a, 207:3-c, and 644:13 and the definition of a "Compact Area" of a city or town is driving me crazy.

"(c) Any contiguous area containing 6 or more buildings which are used as either part- time or permanent dwellings and the spaces between them where each such building is within 300 feet of at least one of the others, plus a perimeter 300 feet wide around all the buildings in such area."

I understand what they were trying to do when they defined this, but it doesn't always make any sense. Five houses clustered very close together would not be a compact area and any of the homeowners could shoot to their heart's content. However, six or more houses spread out in a long line, each within 300' of the next is a compact area and nobody can shoot within a 300' bubble of their own dwelling. In the screenshot I attached, house # 1 is at the end of a dead end but within 300' of house# 2 and so on down the line. This is a compact area and despite the fact that house 1 has a perfect, safe little range out back, he can't shoot within 300' of his own house. Why do houses way down the street or across the street from the direction of shooting factor into this at all?
 

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How far apart is #1 from #2? If you shoot north of building #1 to gain distance from the other houses it shouldn't matter. Just because the house might be inside of 300' that doesn't exclude shooting from other areas of the property if that distance can be achieved.
 
After a few years living in NH and thinking I understood the law, I re-read NH RSA's 207:3-a, 207:3-c, and 644:13 and the definition of a "Compact Area" of a city or town is driving me crazy.

"(c) Any contiguous area containing 6 or more buildings which are used as either part- time or permanent dwellings and the spaces between them where each such building is within 300 feet of at least one of the others, plus a perimeter 300 feet wide around all the buildings in such area."

I understand what they were trying to do when they defined this, but it doesn't always make any sense. Five houses clustered very close together would not be a compact area and any of the homeowners could shoot to their heart's content. However, six or more houses spread out in a long line, each within 300' of the next is a compact area and nobody can shoot within a 300' bubble of their own dwelling. In the screenshot I attached, house # 1 is at the end of a dead end but within 300' of house# 2 and so on down the line. This is a compact area and despite the fact that house 1 has a perfect, safe little range out back, he can't shoot within 300' of his own house. Why do houses way down the street or across the street from the direction of shooting factor into this at all?

so he can't shoot within 300ft of his own house. If that space noted by the red arrow is large enough, can he just walk 300 feet away from his house and shoot in the arrowed direction?
 
so he can't shoot within 300ft of his own house. If that space noted by the red arrow is large enough, can he just walk 300 feet away from his house and shoot in the arrowed direction?

I believe that if all the other rules are followed, he can shoot within 300' of his own house because he can give himself permission to do so just like adjacent owners could allow it near theirs.



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How far apart is #1 from #2? If you shoot north of building #1 to gain distance from the other houses it shouldn't matter. Just because the house might be inside of 300' that doesn't exclude shooting from other areas of the property if that distance can be achieved.

It's something like 260' from house 1 to 2. So if the guy at house #1 is standing more than 300' from house #2, he can shoot? The way I read the compact area definition is that you can't shoot within it at all. The compact area is defined below.

(c) Any contiguous area containing 6 or more buildings which are used as either part- time or permanent dwellings and the spaces between them where each such building is within 300 feet of at least one of the others, plus a perimeter 300 feet wide around all the buildings in such area."

Emphasis on the ALL. That would include house#1 and mean that he can't shoot anywhere within 300' of it since that's part of the compact area. The funny thing is that this guy certainly does shoot there and is in law enforcement to boot.
so he can't shoot within 300ft of his own house. If that space noted by the red arrow is large enough, can he just walk 300 feet away from his house and shoot in the arrowed direction?
That's how I interpret it. The other part that is stupid is that it is unlawful to DISCHARGE a firearm within 300' of any house in the compact area. He can go 300' away from his house so he is standing outside that area and SHOOT TOWARDS the house and it's legal as far as the law is written since he "discharged" it outside that zone.
 
Who is making the claim that it's a compact area? It's only enforced if some Karen it bitching about it and the town police care enough to enforce it.
I am making this claim based on my reading of the law. I’m in the same situation as the example I posted. I’ve been shooting rimfire in my woods for 3 years and haven’t had any issues at all with neighbors or visits from police, however I want to know what I’m in for if there ever is any issue. I don’t think it’s clear cut at all.
 
Five houses clustered very close together would not be a compact area and any of the homeowners could shoot to their heart's content.
Incorrect. You can't shoot within 300' of any dwelling other than your own, unless you have written permission of the owner.

It could be two houses close together.
 
Incorrect. You can't shoot within 300' of any dwelling other than your own, unless you have written permission of the owner.

It could be two houses close together.
There is a lot of misunderstanding around this it seems. If you aren't in a compact area you can be standing on your land and within 300' of your neighbors house and you are legal. There's also nothing about "written" permission.

Per state law (NH RSA's 207:3-a, 207:3-c, and 644:13), you may not shoot across or within 15 feet of a road, or “within 300 feet of a permanently occupied dwelling without permission of the owner or the occupant of the dwelling or from the owner of the land on which the person discharging the firearm or shooting the bow and arrow is situated.

I will say that being 300' away from someone's house unless you have their permission would make sense and would simply this whole issue. Everyone seems to believe this is the law and so did I until I carefully reread them. Unfortunately the laws as written aren't nearly so straightforward.
 
I am making this claim based on my reading of the law. I’m in the same situation as the example I posted. I’ve been shooting rimfire in my woods for 3 years and haven’t had any issues at all with neighbors or visits from police, however I want to know what I’m in for if there ever is any issue. I don’t think it’s clear cut at all.
If you've been doing it for 3 years with no issues I wouldn't worry about it. "IF" someone makes a big deal out of it you might get a visit from the local PD. Explain you are shooting more than 300' from the neighbor's dwelling. It's up to them to decide if they want to push the contiguous area b.s., if they do they will tell you to stop shooting. The intent of the law is to prevent someone from walking 20' off their back porch and mag dumping because they are just outside of 300' from five or more nearby houses.

If you live in a town where you are worried about the police harassing you for shooting 22lr more than 300' from your neighbor's house, you might want to consider moving.
 
I believe that if all the other rules are followed, he can shoot within 300' of his own house because he can give himself permission to do so just like adjacent owners could allow it near theirs.



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that gives his wife a certain amount of unwanted leverage. "If you don't clean the attic and garage this weekend, don't even think about shooting in the backyard" wink, wink.
 
If you've been doing it for 3 years with no issues I wouldn't worry about it. "IF" someone makes a big deal out of it you might get a visit from the local PD. Explain you are shooting more than 300' from the neighbor's dwelling. It's up to them to decide if they want to push the contiguous area b.s., if they do they will tell you to stop shooting. The intent of the law is to prevent someone from walking 20' off their back porch and mag dumping because they are just outside of 300' from five or more nearby houses.

If you live in a town where you are worried about the police harassing you for shooting 22lr more than 300' from your neighbor's house, you might want to consider moving.

I shoot from a spot on my land into a berm on a heavily wooded hillside also on my land. The closest houses that share the 100 acres of rolling terrain woods I shoot into are 425'+ and off to the side. If it weren't for my neighbor across the street in the complete opposite direction of my little range, I'd be 100% legit. Unfortunately his house is 200' away from mine and if you connect the dots from his house to his neighbor, etc. each one is within 300' until you hit six. A couple are like 295' from each other so it's so close to not being a "compact area". My conclusion is that it is not legal to shoot where I do based on how NH law is written, however in practice I've been doing it for three years without incident and don't intend to stop. I can shoot from outside of 300' of that neighbor but I don't think it matters due to the "Compact". I'm also on great terms with him anyway so I doubt he'd care if he even knew. Since I am already in a gray area I limit myself to rimfire only and since I obtained a suppressor I don't think it will EVER be a problem since it sounds like a pellet gun or finishing nail gun.

What I can't do without fear of a lot of trouble is step onto my back deck and mag dump an AK as much as I wish I could! My buddy just bought a house in Canaan that's not within 300' of anything and abuts 300+ acres of forestry land. He can mag dump AKs off his deck.. If I had known at the time I bought that I could eventually work 100% remote I would have moved much further north.
 
I shoot from a spot on my land into a berm on a heavily wooded hillside also on my land. The closest houses that share the 100 acres of rolling terrain woods I shoot into are 425'+ and off to the side. If it weren't for my neighbor across the street in the complete opposite direction of my little range, I'd be 100% legit. Unfortunately his house is 200' away from mine and if you connect the dots from his house to his neighbor, etc. each one is within 300' until you hit six. A couple are like 295' from each other so it's so close to not being a "compact area". My conclusion is that it is not legal to shoot where I do based on how NH law is written, however in practice I've been doing it for three years without incident and don't intend to stop. I can shoot from outside of 300' of that neighbor but I don't think it matters due to the "Compact". I'm also on great terms with him anyway so I doubt he'd care if he even knew. Since I am already in a gray area I limit myself to rimfire only and since I obtained a suppressor I don't think it will EVER be a problem since it sounds like a pellet gun or finishing nail gun.

What I can't do without fear of a lot of trouble is step onto my back deck and mag dump an AK as much as I wish I could! My buddy just bought a house in Canaan that's not within 300' of anything and abuts 300+ acres of forestry land. He can mag dump AKs off his deck.. If I had known at the time I bought that I could eventually work 100% remote I would have moved much further north.
you're way over thinking this, are you a lawyer?
 
I shoot from a spot on my land into a berm on a heavily wooded hillside also on my land. The closest houses that share the 100 acres of rolling terrain woods I shoot into are 425'+ and off to the side. If it weren't for my neighbor across the street in the complete opposite direction of my little range, I'd be 100% legit. Unfortunately his house is 200' away from mine and if you connect the dots from his house to his neighbor, etc. each one is within 300' until you hit six. A couple are like 295' from each other so it's so close to not being a "compact area". My conclusion is that it is not legal to shoot where I do based on how NH law is written, however in practice I've been doing it for three years without incident and don't intend to stop. I can shoot from outside of 300' of that neighbor but I don't think it matters due to the "Compact". I'm also on great terms with him anyway so I doubt he'd care if he even knew. Since I am already in a gray area I limit myself to rimfire only and since I obtained a suppressor I don't think it will EVER be a problem since it sounds like a pellet gun or finishing nail gun.

What I can't do without fear of a lot of trouble is step onto my back deck and mag dump an AK as much as I wish I could! My buddy just bought a house in Canaan that's not within 300' of anything and abuts 300+ acres of forestry land. He can mag dump AKs off his deck.. If I had known at the time I bought that I could eventually work 100% remote I would have moved much further north.
Like Boghog said, you're over thinking it. Keep plinking, get a suppressor. It's a great excuse to go and buy one.
 
Sound like we need to have a NH shoot.

Anyone looking to make friends, we recently moved and are just east of the 93 and 101 split.
Just filed for my first suppressor to go on the SBR’s and will be getting nods soon.
Hey man welcome, send me a message would be happy to
 
Sound like we need to have a NH shoot.

Anyone looking to make friends, we recently moved and are just east of the 93 and 101 split.
Just filed for my first suppressor to go on the SBR’s and will be getting nods soon.

Yes, we should. I miss the NES "Green" shoots at Monadnock.

It sounds like we're neighbors. [wave]


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