Anyone Bought Land for a Shooting Range?

[Handgunther]

I'm considering purchasing some raw land in the high desert - 5 acres or so - as a place to setup my own outdoor shooting range and ORV playground. Has anyone here purchased raw land for that purpose and did you run into any complications?

I'm looking at unincorporated property that is adjacent to BLM land so that I can orient the range well away from any people and use it for an extended play area. I live about two and a half hours away on the coast and have no desire to live in the desert, but it's a fun place for a weekend. At most, I might put a temporary structure on it. I figure it would be a throwaway $20K investment if I leave it undeveloped and eventually sell it or gift it in about 20 years when I'm dead.

[tabascoz28]

In the future, it might have too much lead, unless you capture every time you shoot including clay? So during sale when someone runs an environmental report on that land it would require cleanup. 5 acres even if it was lined up would be 300yds? Interesting though.

[Surf & Turf]

I might be interested in going in on it with you .... and make it 10 acres!

[rodralig]

Interesting idea!

Following...

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[Handgunther]

In the future, it might have too much lead, unless you capture every time you shoot including clay? So during sale when someone runs an environmental report on that land it would require cleanup. 5 acres even if it was lined up would be 300yds? Interesting though.

Good thought. I'd probably shoot into a controlled shooting area (maybe make a sand berm) so there's not lead and garbage everywhere, and if I want to go really long, i can extend my range into BLM land as long as I want! (I could shoot skeet over it! ) I don't have any super long range guns tho. 200 yards is about my max.

I have a spot picked out I'm going to look at on Monday. I'll post again if anything materializes. I bet I could even AirBnB it!

[Misterclick]

Meh. I have 4 acres with a ravine and no neighbors close or that care.

[Handgunther]

I might be interested in going in on it with you .... and make it 10 acres!

Thanks! I'm not looking for help, but I'll keep it in mind...

[Handgunther]

Meh. I have 4 acres with a ravine and no neighbors close or that care.

Lucky you! Nothing like that in San Diego. Did you buy it for a range or is that just where you live?

[d33pt]

I'm considering purchasing some raw land in the high desert - 5 acres or so - as a place to setup my own outdoor shooting range and ORV playground. Has anyone here purchased raw land for that purpose and did you run into any complications?

I'm looking at unincorporated property that is adjacent to BLM land so that I can orient the range well away from any people and use it for an extended play area. I live about two and a half hours away on the coast and have no desire to live in the desert, but it's a fun place for a weekend. At most, I might put a temporary structure on it. I figure it would be a throwaway $20K investment if I leave it undeveloped and eventually sell it or gift it in about 20 years when I'm dead.

Man..you just put a bug in me too. Now I want some desert land by BLM. What site are you looking on?

[still919]

Yep. Is it serviced by any type of road? Folks will illegally dump on it. Any and all sorts of garbage. Why should you care? The government will hold you legally accountable for clean up. Yes, even out there.

That being said...do it. Get the right price. Those properties have a tendency to be extremely negotiable. Original speculation didn't pan out.

[edgerly779]

Make sure no neighbors with structures within 100 yards. 5 acres not very big area.

[hunterb]

My brother and I looked into this same thing years ago.
The only bad part is the land would be around 2 hours from the LA area.

Plenty of worthless desert land in Mojave for sale for cheap. Do it OP!

[cudakidd]

shooting range at my driveway base, graded, bermed, measured out, fenced and gated.

[audiophil2]

Between me and my friends we have 70 acres. Behind us is landlocked 1000+ acres no one can go on but us. We camp, do night shoots, long range out to 2000 yards. All kinds of stuff. Behind out land are caves. It's a gunners paradise.

just about everything in front of the firing line is our to play on



some of my machine guns

[Tom_SoCal]

I'm considering purchasing some raw land in the high desert - 5 acres or so - as a place to setup my own outdoor shooting range and ORV playground.

OP....

1st....5 acres is not even close to the space you will need for either hobby.
I would call 30-40 acres a minimum.

2nd.....I would be careful doing this in California....
And also investigate any county ordinances you may encounter.

3rd....if you do go through with it....look for land that is along boundaries with blm land, national forest, etc.

4th...if you start a non-profit "camping foundation", you can file for a 501c3 and write off quite a few things during you ownership of the land.
Then any investors into this will have the same benefits too.