OP, Much great info for you this thread already so, I will just add; once you get your berm design nailed down, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO AVOID ANY HASSLES think about investing in a baffle system. Aka - “no blue sky.”
I have a friend who has quite a bit of acreage in Calvert County, MD - depending upon traffic, it is only an approx 45 mins drive up Rte 4 (Pennsylvania Ave) to the White House. Once a very rural (tobacco farm) county, his family shot on their private range for generations. Then, betwixt 2000 and 2010 the county transformed into a Wash., DC bedroom county with all the undeveloped land around their family acreage subdivided for Mcmansions. Despite my buddy’s family taking the high road (welcoming new neighbors, letting them know if they hear shooting it’s being done safely, invit8ng any who enjoyed shooting to possibly join them, etc., etc. Then, even agreeing to certain hours, etc,) some of the new neighbors organized into a “Moms Demand Action” gang and eventually began making life hell for his family.
Well within the distances from property / property line and roadways prescribed by state law and county ordinance, BOTH the Sheriff and any judges that got pulled into the growing mess were all on the family’s side. But, it was obvious the neighbors were going to outspend the family on lawyers, etc.
Once the neighbors‘ attorneys reported back to their clients the family were all well within any county noise ordnances (things got so protracted the court actually ordered the Sheriff to use special measuring eqpt to record decibel levels from all four sides of the family’s property lines while my buddy’s family allowed deputies to shoot handguns and ar’s on their family range!) well then, the neighbors started fabricating stories about rounds “
zipping over our poor children’s heads while they play outside” and all manner of similar bull-hockey. THEN, they succeeded in getting the media (“if it bleeds it leads” mentality) involved!
My buddy quickly tallied up the cost of some concrete footers, some prsr trtd 6x6’s, 2x10’s, etc hardware and lumber were a fraction of what any more legal responses were going to cost his family (it was getting down to them having to start dipping into savings for their kids’ college educations to keep responding to filings by the neighbors’ attorneys!).
Once he had something very similar to the attached photo set up an unexpected consequence occurred. The first time the court saw photos of the baffles he’d put up that judge handed down a decision - in writing - opened the door for my buddy’s family to go after the neighbors in the future, for frivolous lawsuits!!!!!!
That shut-up the transplant neighbors toot quick! And apparently for good, too!
Best of success - I (I’m sure a lot of us) envy you!
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