What happens when you shoot in your backyard in Mass

[crazymjb]

Someone calls the cops to report gun shots, they stop by and ask whatsup. The landlord tells them his tenents shoot behind the house with his permission. The cops say dont worry about it and leave.

Amazing.

Mike

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

 

[MXD]

Can you give us a rough idea where? I know that would not be the outcome where I live. We are a green town but there is a city ordinance or something about discharging a firearm within city limits. It's a big no no regardless of how much land and permission you have.

 

[Goodstuff84]

I had a similar run in in Attleboro a month or so back. I regularly shoot my Henry .22 in the woods behind my house without issue. I went out there to go shooting with a buddy of mine and he brought his AR out there and apparently the sound from the .223 carries a bit further (who knew? haha) anyways on our way out of the woods we ran into 3 officers on their way out there. Apparently people halfway across town had called in reporting gunshots! whoops! They checked our lisences and basically said stick with the .22 out there so we didnt scare anybody. They hung out for a few and checked out my buddies AR and talked some politics for a bit then went on their way.

 

[Haven]

In our town, police already know who is shooting and won't even bother.

 

[crazymjb]

Western MA, no discharge ordinance. We usually just shoot handguns but we were "testing" my buddies garand the other day. Slowly working on felling a tree.

Mike

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

 

[seth72]

They checked our lisences and basically said stick with the .22 out there so we didnt scare anybody. They hung out for a few and checked out my buddies AR and talked some politics for a bit then went on their way.

Thats messed up. Yet another reason why I got the hell out of that state.

 

[Buryingthesun]

I wonder what the laws are here, my pops took me out in our back yard shooting as a kid in Hopkinton of all places. But when I was a kid no yuppie scum ****ers lived there

 

[Independence Arms]

I would assume, as long as you meet the appropriate set back requirements, everything would be fine.

 

[MXD]

I would assume, as long as you meet the appropriate set back requirements, everything would be fine.

Assuming you mean the set back requirements in the MGL, not necessarily. Double check your town ordinances first.

 

[Obie1]

I shoot in Leverett from time to time behind my dad's farm. The neighbors haveasked him about it but no one has called the cops, yet.

 

[bch1988]

I know I CAN in Westborough, and my immediate neighbors wouldn't care (routinely ask me to get rid of chipmunks in their yards) but fairly certain the noise would bring the cops to my house.

 

[cosmo123]

In MA you cannot discharge a firearm within 500 ft. of any dwelling or other building in use unless you have permission of the owner or legal occupant...assuming the the town does not have even stricter bylaws...correct?

 

[Coyote33]

Can you give us a rough idea where? I know that would not be the outcome where I live. We are a green town but there is a city ordinance or something about discharging a firearm within city limits. It's a big no no regardless of how much land and permission you have.

Your location says it all:

Boston Area

 

[rykid]

im shocked... if i shot a gun on my side of the boro it would be cop central!!

I had a similar run in in Attleboro a month or so back. I regularly shoot my Henry .22 in the woods behind my house without issue. I went out there to go shooting with a buddy of mine and he brought his AR out there and apparently the sound from the .223 carries a bit further (who knew? haha) anyways on our way out of the woods we ran into 3 officers on their way out there. Apparently people halfway across town had called in reporting gunshots! whoops! They checked our lisences and basically said stick with the .22 out there so we didnt scare anybody. They hung out for a few and checked out my buddies AR and talked some politics for a bit then went on their way.

 

[thorin]

I was hunting squirrells off the back porch with my 10/22 last fall when my neighbor's adult son (visiting from NYC) walked into the backyard. When he saw me siting there with a rifle his eyes got all wide and his mouth opened, but no words came out. I said, "Don't see that in NYC too often, huh" and he laughed. I told him out here in the sticks even the Democrats have guns.

 

[AntiHippie]

Pretty sure my city (I live in coastal OR now) has an ordinance prohibiting discharging firearms within city limits, but it happens often and doesn't seem to be an issue. My impression (and I'm not going to try to prove the theory) is that the occasional 'varmint removal' gets ignored, but sustained target shooting gets shut down. No big deal, city limits are small, a few minutes in either direction you can pretty much shoot anywhere suitable.

 

[NRitland2]

Western MA, no discharge ordinance. We usually just shoot handguns but we were "testing" my buddies garand the other day. Slowly working on felling a tree.

Mike

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I727 using Tapatalk 2

"testing" I like that... I very much enjoy "testing" mine also

 

[PaulR]

Next door in Hadley is the same way. The cops know who the shooter is most all the time already based on when and where the call is made. Most of the time they don't bother showing up (or, so I've been told). Sometimes they just call the shooter direct on the cell and ask "is that you?" and then they say ok no problem. LOL

Small town living has its benefits.

 

[JClark]

Can you give us a rough idea where? I know that would not be the outcome where I live. We are a green town but there is a city ordinance or something about discharging a firearm within city limits. It's a big no no regardless of how much land and permission you have.

This is why I think it is best to do your shooting in OTHER peoples backyards. Less hassle to deal with.