# Backyard archery range?



## massmanute

Is it possible to set up a safe backyard archery range?

Thanks.


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## Loke

Yes.


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## Finnegan

Depends on the backyard. The key to safety is control. The two most important points are control of the arrow and strictly controlled movement so that the only possible entry to the range is from behind the shooting line. Give me a layout of your backyard and I can be more specific.


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## massmanute

Finnegan said:


> Depends on the backyard. The key to safety is control. The two most important points are control of the arrow and strictly controlled movement so that the only possible entry to the range is from behind the shooting line. Give me a layout of your backyard and I can be more specific.


Thanks for the response and offer to help. I will try to dig up the info on the property, though it might take some time to do this. However, based on my mental picture of the property it might be difficult to deal with the issue of controlling the direction of entry to the range.


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## dkhntrdstn

Just remember it is against the law to shoot in your back yard if you are in city limits.


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## GaryFish

That depends on the city. Each city has different rules about the discharge of weapons within the city limits. And some cities do define a bow as a weapon. Check with your city's website and find out if its legal where you live. 

The other thing - check in with your neighbor and make sure it is cool with them. In fact, if you do put up a target range, invite him over, show him what you have done to make sure your arrow won't come over/around/through the fence. Offer to let him shoot - do whatever you can to put him at ease and know that his wife/kid/dog isn't going to take an arrow. And know too, that one arrow over/around/through the fence will result in the cops showing up at your house. But tell/show your neighbor ahead of time, before he or his wife see you out shooting. It will save you trouble in the long run.


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## swbuckmaster

A few things to make you think its not such a good idea.

This one just happened a week or so ago
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/ ... 16635.html

I think there was a guy in payson or provo a year or so ago that accidentally shot his son in the head and killed him.

There was also a guy in slc that launched an arrow and hit a guy in the leg.

To me its simply not worth the risk. There are quite a few ranges all over this state where you can shoot without the risk of killing your own kid or neighbors kids.

It will also save you a discharging a lethal weapon in city limits ticket. I think this is a felony charge so you might not be able to hunt again.


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## DallanC

Buy an old rubber truck bedliner off KSL to hang as a backstop behind your target.


-DallanC


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## Flyfishn247

I can get 27 yards in my backyard. I have a 6 foot fence and an empty lot behind me. None of my neighbors care if I shoot either. As long as you are conscious of your actions and aren't one of those who has to draw the bow over their head, I don't see an issue with it. I use the backyard to work on form and technique, but if I want to shoot 30 yards and beyond, I have to drive 5 minutes to a more remote location.


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## swbuckmaster

The guy that shot his kid in the head and killed him also thought it was ok to shoot. 

What do you think he would say about it now?


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## Finnegan

swbuckmaster said:


> There are quite a few ranges all over this state where you can shoot without the risk of killing your own kid or neighbors kids.


Wow...

Basic weapons safety applies everywhere. Accidents due to negligence can happen on ANY range...doesn't matter who owns it. The only times I've ever been at risk have been on public ranges.

As I said, control the arrow; control movement. The incident in Wisconsin was an obvious violation of the first rule and that poor guy in southern Utah violated the second.

I've had hundreds of archers, mostly kids, shooting at targets inside and outside all over the state. Never had a single incident of any kind. Never will. I deal with weapons paranoia on a regular basis, too. Didn't expect to bump into it here, though.


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## TopofUtahArcher

The guy who shot his son was in Hurricane, and yes it was legal to shoot in his back yard, but apparently it was not safe HOW he had set up to shoot. The guy in SLC was shot in an industrial complex, where there were no safety precautions taken, and they were also in an area where it was NOT legal to be shooting their bow.

My town just changed the rules on archery equipment so it IS legal to shoot within city limits, however it is still NOT legal to hunt within limits. WE shoot daily outside behind the shop... and many of our shooters are PD, CO's, UHP, etc... but we DO take necessary precautions to prevent injuries from happening.


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## ckamanao

It depends on where you live. Each city has its own laws concerning "dangerous weapons" and "discharge of a weapon" Orem city laws are:

9-2-5. Shooting, hunting.
A. It shall be unlawful for any person to discharge
any firearm or gun of any kind or nature within the City
limits, whether on public or private property. It shall
also be unlawful to discharge or shoot a bow and arrow,
blowgun, wrist rocket, slingshot, or any other type of
instrument designed to propel or throw missiles capable
of doing bodily harm on public or private property
(including developed archery ranges) in such a manner
as to endanger persons or property or to cause the
projectile or missile to cross into property owned by
another when the person shooting the projectile or
missile does not have permission to use such property
for the purpose of discharging the weapon or device.
The provision prohibiting the discharge of firearms
shall not apply to peace officers in the performance of
their official duties, to the authorized use of established
firing ranges or to any other lawful act.

Me, my wife and my three boys- along with some of the neighborhood kids-shoot alot in our back yard. We have never had a problem but then the targets are all foam blocks on the ground and we shoot towards the brickwall of our house. If the kids miss, due to the angle, the arrows bury themselves in the ground about five feet behind the blocks.

"KNOW your target, backstop, and beyond."


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## highcountryfever

This is from the Lehi code:

9.36.020: DISCHARGING FLIPPERS, SLINGS OR AIR GUNS:

It is unlawful for any person to discharge any flipper or sling or air gun within the limits of this city. (Prior code § 19-2-17)

Would a bow be considered a flipper? I know Pleasant Grove, and other cities specifically name bows.


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## swbuckmaster

Finn
I know there are areas where you could probably shoot your bow without killing someone in city limits. I also understand you and I know how to do it properly. I wasnt singling you out in any way with my comments but an accident cant happen if its been eliminated. 

I was making an example of guys I have seen shooting in their back yards. A lot of these guys back stop is a simple vinyl fence and lots of neighborhood houses. These type of guys haven't seen an arrows D-loop break sending arrows hundreds of feet away. They haven't seen release miss fire, or arrows skip off foam targets ect. 

I also know you run the risk of taking an arrow at a range far more then you do in a neighborhood but stuff always seems to happen when you aren't supposed to be doing it in the first place. I think its a karma thing. Example my wife catches me shooting in the garage one day and tells me she doesn't think its a good idea. I tell her is ok. It only took me 30 or so more shots to shoot a hole through the garage wall. Before she told me to not shoot in the garage I hadn't missed the 10 ring in 3 years of shooting in my garage. The whole in the wall reminds me now its not a good idea. lol


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## Huge29

I am with SW, absolutely not! Would you want your neighbor shooting towards your house?


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## xxxxxxBirdDogger

> I am with SW, absolutely not! Would you want your neighbor shooting towards your house?


Well, duh! Who shoots toward a house? _(O)_

I regularly shoot from the comfort of my front yard many evenings. I talk to my police officer next-door-neighbor while doing it. People can only enter my "range" from the rear. If an arrow misses, it flies into a hay field.

Don't shoot toward houses! But, yes, one can make a very safe archery range if the conditions are right.

Here's food for thought on the subject of caution-
I once had a bee fly up my nose while I was drawn back. I swung my head in shock and released my arrow in the process. The arrow harmlessly flew into the aforementioned hay field. Had I been pointing toward a house things could have gotten ugly. We all have to practice safety.


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## Huge29

The topic has come up here before and a few guys talked about how they do just that. The original question was about a backyard range; if it is a real yard there are likely homes in every direction. Unless you live in 2+acres more than likely illegal not to mention totally stupid.


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