Structure for shooting

redshooter

redshooter

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I'm thinking of doing some shooting on public land near my house. The firing point would be close enough to a few houses near me that noise could be a problem. Has anyone tried building a small temp structure that could protect you from the weather and reduce the sound in one direction. Is it possible to redirect the sound of the shot? Fully enclosing the firing point would be the way to go but The cost of the materials right now is a problem and less material is less I have to haul. Also by building a structure would that change the rules so to speak? Would the structure now make me subject to regulations I may not be by just shooting off the ground?
 
Having fired from under a tin roof. . . I would advise against it. A .338 lapua will rattle your bones in there. The reverberation was just so strong with all the reflecting surfaces. I found it intensely uncomfortable actually.

How far are the houses? I don't know the Ontario laws, but in Alberta you must be 300 yards from any occupied dwelling before discharging a firearm.

The sound won't be as loud behind you as you'd think. Its the side and front that get the real crack.

As a final point, I believe any construction of permanent structures on crown land without some kind of license is illegal. Temporary may be different, but I know the west coast beaches have lots of driftwood houses taken apart by the RCMP each summer.
 
How far are the houses? I don't know the Ontario laws, but in Alberta you must be 300 yards from any occupied dwelling before discharging a firearm.

Criminal Code says 400 meters for center fire firearms. Any closer and you could end up being charged with Careless Use.

I also hope you're in a gun-friendly neighbourhood. You'd be amazed at how many people freak out when they hear gun shots ... or even fireworks that sound like gun shots.
 
I've been thinking you could make a frame of wood that you could bolt together. Then use blue Dow Styrofoam to fill in the "wall", cover it with a poly tarp for weather proofing. You'd have a nice little structure you could easly break down to move or comply with the rules relating to structures on crown land. If you didn't need to stand in it, it could be quite small. Easy to break down and cover so it would be less likely people would borrow some of the parts. A lean to like structure would be perfect.

400 m would be easy. I'd loose about two hundred yards though, maybe a little more because of the elevation change. The neighbours are use to the noise. There's a few spots near by people shoot. It's not legal though for sure. A mining company controls the land so I know it's not ok. I'm not even sure who is shooting. No one I know, it's close though, come sept you start to hear more then a few zeroing sessions. No one complains so nothing is done. It's only about 100 yds, I'll drive a short distance to the range rather than risk problems over a 1/2 hour drive. But what may turn out to be over 1000 yds a short stroll from the house is just too good to not try and exploit. I haven't walked the full distance because it's an UGLY walk, lots of sharp elevation changes and nasty patches of some sort of currant. :D No worries of some one wandering in to the line of fire.
 
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Alberta is 200 yards, not 300 yards. Section 51 of the Wildlife Act:
Firearms around buildings
52(1) No person shall
(a) discharge a weapon, or
(b) cause a projectile from a weapon to pass
within 200 yards of any occupied building.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to
(a) the owner or occupant of, or the person having immediate
possession or control of, the land on which the building is
situated, or
(b) a person authorized to perform the activity by a person
referred to in clause (a).
You would also have to check with the municipal district to see if they have any applicable bylaws. I have never seen anything about 400 meters from a dwelling. We have no hunting within 400m from a road in a few BC provincial parks.
 
When I lived in the UK we built a wooden range hut with a "cat flap" through which we could shoot. The muzzle was always outside the flap under a small overhang also made of wood. A beam was attached to this overhead which ran at 90 degrees to the building in the shooting direction. From this beam we suspended 15 old car tires, each touching the next, to form a tunnel through which we shot.:sniper: This considerably reduced the blast noise. Hope it helps:D
 
Copy pasted from (http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/stat/rsc-1985-c-c-46/latest/rsc-1985-c-c-46.html):

Careless use of firearm, etc.

86. (1) Every person commits an offence who, without lawful excuse, uses, carries, handles, ships, transports or stores a firearm, a prohibited weapon, a restricted weapon, a prohibited device or any ammunition or prohibited ammunition in a careless manner or without reasonable precautions for the safety of other persons.

Contravention of storage regulations, etc.

(2) Every person commits an offence who contravenes a regulation made under paragraph 117(h) of the Firearms Act respecting the storage, handling, transportation, shipping, display, advertising and mail-order sales of firearms and restricted weapons.

Punishment

(3) Every person who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (2)

(a) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment

(i) in the case of a first offence, for a term not exceeding two years, and

(ii) in the case of a second or subsequent offence, for a term not exceeding five years; or

(b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 86; 1991, c. 40, s. 3; 1995, c. 39, s. 139.

From the Firearms Act (http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-98-209/page-5.html#h-13):

HANDLING OF FIREARMS
15. An individual may load a firearm or handle a loaded firearm only in a place where the firearm may be discharged in accordance with all applicable Acts of Parliament and of the legislature of a province, regulations made under such Acts, and municipal by-laws.

Here in New Brunswick the minimum distance is 400 meters for center fire, 200 meters for shotgun (S. 46(1) and 46(2) of the Fish and Wildlife Act (http://laws.gnb.ca/en/ShowPdf/cs/F-14.1.pdf).

My bad, I didn't know other provinces had shorter distances.
 
damadama said:
When I lived in the UK we built a wooden range hut with a "cat flap" through which we could shoot. The muzzle was always outside the flap under a small overhang also made of wood. A beam was attached to this overhead which ran at 90 degrees to the building in the shooting direction. From this beam we suspended 15 old car tires, each touching the next, to form a tunnel through which we shot.:sniper: This considerably reduced the blast noise. Hope it helps:D
Click to expand...

Now this sounds interesting. Does it increase the muzzle blast experienced by the shooter?
 
Tikka223 said:
Copy pasted from (http://www.canlii.org/en/ca/laws/stat/rsc-1985-c-c-46/latest/rsc-1985-c-c-46.html):

Careless use of firearm, etc.

86. (1) Every person commits an offence who, without lawful excuse, uses, carries, handles, ships, transports or stores a firearm, a prohibited weapon, a restricted weapon, a prohibited device or any ammunition or prohibited ammunition in a careless manner or without reasonable precautions for the safety of other persons.

Contravention of storage regulations, etc.

(2) Every person commits an offence who contravenes a regulation made under paragraph 117(h) of the Firearms Act respecting the storage, handling, transportation, shipping, display, advertising and mail-order sales of firearms and restricted weapons.

Punishment

(3) Every person who commits an offence under subsection (1) or (2)

(a) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment

(i) in the case of a first offence, for a term not exceeding two years, and

(ii) in the case of a second or subsequent offence, for a term not exceeding five years; or

(b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.

R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 86; 1991, c. 40, s. 3; 1995, c. 39, s. 139.

From the Firearms Act (http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-98-209/page-5.html#h-13):

HANDLING OF FIREARMS
15. An individual may load a firearm or handle a loaded firearm only in a place where the firearm may be discharged in accordance with all applicable Acts of Parliament and of the legislature of a province, regulations made under such Acts, and municipal by-laws.

Here in New Brunswick the minimum distance is 400 meters for center fire, 200 meters for shotgun (S. 46(1) and 46(2) of the Fish and Wildlife Act (http://laws.gnb.ca/en/ShowPdf/cs/F-14.1.pdf).

My bad, I didn't know other provinces had shorter distances.
Click to expand...

Thank you.

Nova Scotia's Firearm and Bow Regulations exclusion distances follow:

Firearm and Bow Regulations
made under Section 113 of the
Wildlife Act
R.S.N.S. 1989, c. 504
O.I.C. 89-837 (July 18, 1989, effective August 1, 1989), N.S. Reg. 144/89
as amended up to O.I.C. 2010-244 (June 22, 2010), N.S. Reg. 84/2010

Discharge of firearm/bow near buildings

11 (1) No person shall at any time hunt, take or kill or attempt to hunt, take or kill wildlife with a weapon or discharge a weapon within 804 metres of a school.

Subsection 11(1) amended: O.I.C. 96-460, N.S. Reg. 109/96; O.I.C. 2010-244, N.S. Reg. 84/2010.

(2) No person shall at any time hunt, take or kill or attempt to hunt, take or kill wildlife with a firearm loaded with a rifle cartridge, single ball or slug or discharge a firearm loaded with a rifle cartridge, single ball or slug within 402 metres of a dwelling, playground, golf course, athletic field, woods operation, place of business or public building other than a school.

Subsection 11(2) amended: O.I.C. 95-499, N.S. Reg. 96/95; O.I.C. 96-460, N.S. Reg. 109/96.

(3) No person shall at any time discharge a shotgun loaded with shot, a crossbow or a bow within 182 metres of a dwelling, playground, golf course, athletic field, woods operation, place of business or public building other than a school.

Subsection 11(3) amended: O.I.C. 90-841, N.S. Reg. 178/90; O.I.C. 96-460, N.S. Reg. 109/96; O.I.C. 2008-458, N.S. Reg. 376/2008.

(4) No person shall hunt, take or kill or attempt to hunt, take or kill wildlife that is within 182 metres of a dwelling, playground, golf course, athletic field, woods operation, place of business or public building other than a school.

Subsection 11(4) amended: O.I.C. 96-460, N.S. Reg. 109/96.

(5) Notwithstanding subsections (1), (2), (3) or (4), the owner or occupier of a dwelling or person authorized by the owner or occupier who holds a valid licence may discharge a weapon or hunt, take or kill wildlife within the distances stated if the point of discharge is not within the prescribed distances in subsections (1), (2), (3) and (4) from

(a) any other dwelling; or

(b) a school, public building, playground, golf course, athletic field, woods operation or place of business.

Subsection 11(5) amended: O.I.C. 2008-458, N.S. Reg. 376/2008.


<http://www.gov.ns.ca/just/regulations/regs/wifire.htm>
Click to expand...
 
If you have an atv, or snowmobile to pull a sleigh, a few bales of straw set up in front of the muzzle, say 11 and 1 oclock can really damp out the sound. As for the shelter part.. umm maybe try turning the bales on their sides and skewering them with a couple of poles, and use a canvas tarp or something like it to create a little lean2 type of thing. Would take hardly any time and cost you less than lunch.
 
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