Target shooting on own property (Washington County)

[EUGENE the REALTOR]

I'm wondering if someone can help me research restricted shooting areas in Washington County. I've read through the Washington County website and found this restricted shooting map, but it only covers the north side of hwy 26. This can't possibly mean you can shoot on your own property anywhere outside this zone, can it?
http://www.co.washington.or.us/Sheriff/ContactUs/upload/Restricted-Shooting-District-map.pdf

I'm specifically interested in land further west, past Hillsboro. I've also checked the Washington County planning documents and didn't find much help there. Can someone point me in the right direction? I'm considering buying some cheap acreage in a year or two for recreational use or possibly a future home site.

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[pchewn]

"Cheap acreage" in WA Co for a future home site -- good luck with that.

 

[EUGENE the REALTOR]

Lol, I know. I'm not talking hundreds, just a couple or few.

 

[chemist]

That map means there's no legal way to shoot up north of 26, but it doesn't mean that it's open season south of there. All the usual rules of common sense and safety still apply, but in principle at least it's not automatically illegal to shoot down here in Aloha. Frankly, I'm more concerned about the archer who lives near my place than any plinkers. Well, except maybe on New Year's Eve... what the heck gets into people??

 

[Kimber Custom]

166.220 Unlawful use of weapon. (1) A person commits the crime of unlawful use of a weapon if the person:

(b) Intentionally discharges a firearm, blowgun, bow and arrow, crossbow or explosive device within the city limits of any city or within residential areas within urban growth boundaries at or in the direction of any person, building, structure or vehicle within the range of the weapon without having legal authority for such discharge.
(2) This section does not apply to:
(c) Persons discharging firearms, blowguns, bows and arrows, crossbows or explosive devices upon public or private shooting ranges, shooting galleries or other areas designated and built for the purpose of target shooting;
(3) Unlawful use of a weapon is a Class C felony. [Amended by 1975 c.700 §1; 1985 c.543 §1; 1991 c.797 §1; 2009 c.556 §5]

 

[Kimber Custom]

166.220 (b) says you cannot shoot inside the city limits period. So you must be outside of the city limits. It also states that if you are 'within residential areas within urban growth boundaries' you can't shoot 'at or in the direction of any person, building, structure or vehicle within the range of the weapon' unless you own it. (No shooting at the neighbors barn)

You may qualify as exempt from 166.220 under (c) if you build a lane with a backstop specifically for target shooting. I would research permits before I attempted to build a backyard shooting range.

 

[The Cheese]

yeah, where that map is, is fairly densely populated and have fun finding any acreage there that you could shoot on anyway. Go west of cornelius pass, or north of springville and its a different story, and unrestricted according to the map . Frankly I wouldn't want to shoot in that no shooting zone anyway. Too many yuppies and kalifornistan transplants. They would probably call you in as a terrorist or something.

 

[Kimber Custom]

Metro: Urban growth boundary lookup tool

This may be helpful identifiying urban growth boundaries.

 

[EUGENE the REALTOR]

Thanks for the info guys!