The first thing to check is what your county or city zoning laws allow. Many jurisdictions spell out how far from a structure you must be in order to discharge a firearm. Frequently, those laws are NOT based on anything more than what is politically correct; nevertheless, whatever the law says is what will be enforced when the neighbors complain.

 

There are several variables, of course. If you do a little "googling" you can find lots of discussions on shot fall distance for gun ranges. But to answer your question, about 260 to 275 yards is generally the max. Call it 300 yards to be safe.

 

I am mainly concerned about livestock. There is a field I am wanting to shoot skeet in but there are cattle in neighboring fields and I don't want to shower them or the farmer with pellets. I'm also just curious.

 

There are several variables, of course. If you do a little "googling" you can find lots of discussions on shot fall distance for gun ranges. But to answer your question, about 260 to 275 yards is generally the max. Call it 300 yards to be safe.

Thanks. Nothing to worry about then.

 

Since you will likely be shooting shells containing lead shot, a good rule of thumb would be to allow no shot to fall on another person's land, especially where livestock are involved. In addition to the danger of livestock being struck by pellets, there is the possibility they might ingest the lead and that could affect both their health and any products obtained from them (milk, meat, etc.).

 

Good point. I'm so thankful they haven't banned lead here, steel shot is expensive.

 

Hey Joe,
JUst a couple comments.

First, depending on your definition of "range" I'd submit that it is further than most people think. I was shot with a 1 oz load of Walmart's cheapest #8s at a fairly well verified range of 85 yards and was picking pellets out of my body three days later, although molst of them just bruised me or barely broke the skin.

Second, I wouldn't worry about lead ingestion by cattle unless you're going to open a public clays range. Might want to verify with your USDA field office but it's a non issue.

 

Hey Joe,
JUst a couple comments.

First, depending on your definition of "range" I'd submit that it is further than most people think. I was shot with a 1 oz load of Walmart's cheapest #8s at a fairly well verified range of 85 yards and was picking pellets out of my body three days later, although molst of them just bruised me or barely broke the skin.

Second, I wouldn't worry about lead ingestion by cattle unless you're going to open a public clays range. Might want to verify with your USDA field office but it's a non issue.

I'm sure the ingestion thing isn't an issue too. The nice folks who live around the farmlands where I shoot don't mind at all. We follow the hunting regulations around here and you don't have to worry about anything else much. I'm just wanting to hand throw some clays for fun. Here is a view of the field I plan to shoot in.

The cattle are at a lower elevation in that field beyond the first tree line.

 

This can be calculated fairly accurately. To do this, I need:
3-ft velocity (sometimes listed as muzzle velocity)
lead or steel
shot size
temperature
approximate elevation (ft above sea level)
I'll post the result if you supply this information

 

Target loads have shot falls out to 300 yards. I have seen it go more than that with a tail wind and other conditions, but 300 yards is a good rule to follow. Larger shot will go farther.

I agree with Thedogfather about lead ingestion. If the soil is very acid you could have a water issue, but if you keep the shot fall out of the pond and a safe distance from the neighbors and the livestock, you should be OK.

 

HERE YOU GO. ANY MORE QUESTIONS?

HOW FAR WILL A SHOTGUN SHOOT?
By Dick Baldwin
(This article is reprinted with permission from the Gun Club Advisor, Spring, 1994)

Gun club operators have long been asked the age old question, "How far will my shotgun shoot?"

The size of the shot used has much to do with the range of the load. It can be assumed that the same weight of different sizes of shot, propelled by the same amount of powder, will develop identical muzzle velocities. However, small shot lose their effectiveness before their pattern density is lost, while the larger sizes of shot lose their pattern density before their energy and stopping power is lost. No. 6 shot seems to be the intermediate in that it loses its pattern density and penetration effectiveness at about the same point on its trajectory. Another important factor is the angle of elevation when firing. When No. 6 shot is fired from a gun held slightly above the horizontal, the pellet drop will cover an area of approximately 400 feet in length. The nearest shot will fall about 300 feet from the gun's muzzle. While the furthest will land some 700 feet away. When the gun is elevated at an angle of approximately 40 degrees the drop area of the shot is greater, from 400 to 900 feet.

A load of No. 4 shot will carry somewhat further. The nearest pellets striking the ground some 600 feet away. These distances vary from shot to shot as weather conditions, particularly the wind, have an effect on a shotgun's range.

It is the generally accepted opinion that the No. 7 1/2 shot, used in trap loads, have an extreme maximum range of about 300 yards. Trapshooting ranges should provide this distance for their approximate danger zone.

A French ballistics expert, General Journee, years ago worked out a formula to the effect that the maximum range in yards equals 2200 times the shot diameter in inches. When the gun is held at a horizontal position or only slightly elevated, this formula gives the maximum range of shot sizes as shown below.

No. 2 - 330 yards
No. 4 - 286 yards
No. 6 - 242 yards
No. 7 1/2- 209 yards
No. 8 - 198 yards

Altitude also has an effect on how far shot will carry. Data published by the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers' Institute, for example, indicates the maximum range for No. 7 1/2 shot is 780 feet at sea level but increases to 1,080 feet at high altitude (12,000 ft.).

 

From the NSSF website:
http://www.nssf.org/ranges/resources/fa ... plan10.pdf
http://www.nssf.org/ranges/resources/

 

Thanks for the answers, very useful.

 

Re: Ingestion of lead shot by livestock

I would think cattle, sheep, goats or horses would be unlikely to pick up lead shot while grazing. However, if there was a whole lot of shooting done in a particular field over a long period of time, lead in the soil might be taken up by forage plants and be ingested by livestock grazing there.

I have heard of hogs being pastured on an old trap/skeet range and being poisoned by the lead in the ground which they probably ingested along with roots or grubs they dug up.
Remember, it's not the metallic lead shot which will cause lead poisoning, but the lead salts which result from reactions between metallic lead and other compounds naturally occurring in acid soil.

 

You keep saying "skeet"...are you planning on building an actual skeet field, or by "skeet" you mean getting out with thrower and shooting some clays?

 

You keep saying "skeet"...are you planning on building an actual skeet field, or by "skeet" you mean getting out with thrower and shooting some clays?

Yeah, sorry about any confusion, I did use the term incorrectly.

There is a field I am wanting to shoot skeet in

I've always called the targets themselves skeet not knowing any better, but I am learning.
I just want to hand throw some clays with friends.

I'm just wanting to hand throw some clays for fun.

 

Since you say you're new, it's worth mentioning that I have heard (can't vouch for the truth) that livestock will swallow the targets themselves (some mineral attraction?) and become ill from them.

 

There is (or used to be) a suitable warning on the clay target boxes regarding ingestion by livestock - as I remember it was a warning for hogs.

 

Use BIO`s only no pitch type in someones pasture.

 

Since you say you're new, it's worth mentioning that I have heard (can't vouch for the truth) that livestock will swallow the targets themselves (some mineral attraction?) and become ill from them.

Thanks for the tip, I didn't know this. The targets will not reach the fields with livestock but I don't want the deer to get sick either. I will look for some bio friendly clays. I am surprised to learn that all of them aren't made from bio friendly materials.

 

There is (or used to be) a suitable warning on the clay target boxes regarding ingestion by livestock - as I remember it was a warning for hogs.

The warning on the old clay target box stated that the coal tar pitch used in the manufacture of the targets was toxic to hogs. No mention of other critters. Current "standard" targets made of pulverized limestone bonded together with a petroleum pitch are less toxic.

According to Reagent Chemical's (White Flyer) statements, their biodegradable targets use sulphur as a bonding agent. There has been some concern about the resulting sulfate adversely affecting the soil PH. The company claims that any ill effects can be mitigated by an active range maintenance program and addition of agricultural limestone to restore
proper PH levels to the soil.

DF

Montani Semper Liberi

 

Another neat rule of thumb is that most pastures (at least in Missouri) were originally divided into 40 acre square tracts, which are 1/4 mile, or 440 yards, square on all sides.

So, if you go into a 40 acre field about 40 yards to shoot, you'll have 400 yards to the other end. It's dead safe to shoot birdshot from a shotgun.

 

Maybe I am about to learn something. I know hogs will eat clay pigeons & that they are toxic. I have never heard of a cow or a horse being poisoned by one or eating one. I have shot over a number of horse & cow pastures with no harm done to the critters. My uncle would probably shoot me if I shot any around his hogs.

 

It probably has something to do with the fact that hogs are attracted to things like tar/diesel/creosote and they will eat anything. Cows and horses would rather lick the mineral blocks put out by the farmers.

 

Why take a chance on another mans livestock. I don`t know what a horse or cows will or
will not eat at any given time.Just keep the clays on your side of the fence and have fun.