Can I shoot a .22 in my yard?

Question

i want to know if its illegal to shoot any type of gun in my yard. I live in King County, WA and i'm outside of the city limits if that matters.

thank you

Answer 1

Check with the local police department, there's usually rules about how far you've got to be from the road.

Oh, and I'm sorry about King- they kind of bone you if you don't live in Seattle. Good luck!

Answer 2

Unless your county has an ordinance ageist this it's fine.

In any case the only thing to think about then is safety and noise. .22's are pretty quite unless it is a revolver which can be loud. So you should make sure you aren't annoying or scaring your neighbors.

In any case I used to shoot all kinds of guns off out of my back yard. We lived on the edge of the woods but within the city. I just walked down the hill and blasted away into the hillside.

Nobody ever cared and I was careful to make sure my shooting was contained with a good hillside and I stood in a clearing surrounded by lots of trees on my land. I could see if people were coming so it was very safe. I made sure never to shoot towards houses and also took ricochets into account.

Answer 3

I would think that would be illegal just about anywhere. And besides. A .22 caliber gun is LOUD and it can be heard for at least a mile, which might still be audible to your neighbor. The question is, do you want your neighbor to call the cops on you because he he/she heard gunshots? If you're going to shoot off a gun in the back yard of your property, at least tell the neighbor you're not murdering anybody with it, if you know what I mean!

Answer 4

My understanding is not within 1/4 mile of a residence.

OK I got a ticket in King county for that.
The officer was extremely nice though...
If it was Sherrif Joe down here in AZ I'd prolly have been in tent city.

Pellet Guns don't count and do almost as much damage and are better for target practice.
I used to shoot the heads off prarie dogs in the pastures at the ranch from my back porch with one. Sold the ranch this year though... I miss plucking at those vermin.

Answer 5

Discharging any firearm within city limits in WA is against the law. In an unincorporated area, such as where I live, it is allowed, but then you have neighbors to consider. The lots in my development are heavily treed, but still, from my backyard I could hit at least 5 houses through breaks in the trees. You may still be breaking the law for endangering your your neighbors.

Answer 6

No, you would be discharging a firearm in public. If you accidentally shoot someone, you would be charged with a crime.

(By the way, BB and Pellet guns are very dangerous as well. I have worked several shootings that ended in death for subjects shot in the head with those type firearms. No guns are entirely safe.)


JOY

Answer 7

What you really should be asking is whether you're a complete fool for depending on some losers who have no friggin' idea whether it's legal in your county, and then go and shoot and risk getting your *** taken to jail for it (if you don't kill someone), instead of just calling the damn police and asking.

Answer 8

Probably. In most municipalities, even fairly rural ones, which yours is not, there are minimum distance laws about discharging firearms near residences. Most places I've lived require at least a half mile distance away from a home.

Answer 9

They only way is if your yard is like a farm or something. .22 have an effective range of a mile, so it isn't a good Ideal unless you have a huged back stop.

Answer 10

You should probably check with your local sheriff's office. It might be legal if you are taking proper safety precautions - such as firing into a large hill - to ensure no one gets hurt. But even if it's legal, don't be surprised if you get a visit from the sheriff when a neighbor reports shots fired.