neighbors!

pokey · Post by **pokey** » Sun May 11, 2014 8:20 pm

I've lived on the same place for 20yrs. been shooting in the back pasture the whole time.
no one ever complained, others in the area do the same. this morning while my son and I
were shooting a neighbor stopped and told my wife the noise was causing her grandfather
to have anxiety attacks, so we should stop. her story is, he was in world war II and the
shooting was causing her to take him to the hospital to deal with his panic.

what say the peanut gallery? i am weighing my response, I don't want to fly off the handle,
but i feel like yelling. deep breath , count to ten.....

jnyork · Post by **jnyork** » Sun May 11, 2014 8:28 pm

Story might be true,

rodeo kid · Post by **rodeo kid** » Sun May 11, 2014 8:33 pm

Do unto others. Get a .22 and use cb shorts or longs, almost no noise. God Bless

Centennial · Post by **Centennial** » Sun May 11, 2014 8:36 pm

Check his story and check your Legal distances all around to shoot.

harry · Post by **harry** » Sun May 11, 2014 8:55 pm

1. How long has her dad been there. Has he just moved in with her?

2. What caliber are you shooting that bothers him

3. As stated before get the legal stuff checked out

4. Maybe its her it bothers, maybe you could ask her father over to shoot some. Or just talk to him, she may be pulling your leg.

Post by **Chuck 100 yd** » Sun May 11, 2014 9:06 pm

Buy him some ear plugs??? Call and warn them before starting to shoot???
Bummer.

Thunder50 · Post by **Thunder50** » Sun May 11, 2014 9:10 pm

Is he visiting or is he going to be there permantly?

If temporary, then as said, maybe 22's or smaller caliber until he leaves.

Is there a range near you, if so, then maybe she will pay your range fees, so as to not disturb her grandfather. You hate to run your place differently, just because a neighbor objects. That he might be a WWII vet would carry an amount of weight with me though.

But still, you have been doing it for 20 years and she knows you shoot , yet brought her grandfather to where he might be affected. You are a bit between a rock and a hard place.

Maybe you could call her and tell her you are going to shoot, and she can take her Grandfather for a ride until you are done. If she objects because it is an inconvenience, then remind her about your being inconvenienced because of her.

Have her get Grandfather an MP3 player so he can play some music with earbuds in, so as to not hear your shooting.

I might sound like a Hard-+++ ,but I have a neighbor like that. She moved in and complains about my shooting (fireforming brass or testing a chambering job--maybe 50 shots a year)as it "traumatizes" her horses. I wait until she is gone from the house to do it, and the horses don't seem to mind.

Paladin · Post by **Paladin** » Sun May 11, 2014 9:15 pm

harry wrote:1. How long has her dad been there. Has he just moved in with her?

2. What caliber are you shooting that bothers him

3. As stated before get the legal stuff checked out

4. Maybe its her it bothers, maybe you could ask her father over to shoot some. Or just talk to him, she may be pulling your leg.

I try to be polite to start with so the above is good advice. If you find out she is being less than honest switch to a Browning .50 and start shooting one pound tannerite charges.
If that is not loud enough let me know, ATF made me get a Explosives Manufacturing License and as long as we use what we make everyday we don't even have to do any paperwork.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Sun May 11, 2014 9:26 pm

I suspect it is her and she's using her father as an excuse. Not to say that PTSD isn't really, but after 70 years? Of course, that may be the answer too. If her father is indeed a WWII veteran, and does indeed have panic attacks at the sound of gunfire, I'd let her know that you will switch to quieter shooting (the .22's for example) until he passes (which, at the rate we are losing WWII veterans, probably won't be long) or moves, but that in no way do you intend on forgoing shooting on your own property. She can always move if it really bothers her!

RIHMFIRE · Post by **RIHMFIRE** » Sun May 11, 2014 9:37 pm

invite the old guy to come down and shoot a bit!

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Sun May 11, 2014 9:48 pm

First, I'd apologize politely, even though you're not really doing anything wrong. It may earn you points later on during the resolution phase.

Second, see if you can meet the gentleman in question. He may be a nice guy. There are several possibilities:

a) he is really traumatized by the shooting.
b) he doesn't care at all, but his daughter is 'projecting' her feelings on him.
c) something in between.

IF he is really traumatized, and you can't calm him down a bit, suggest 'masking noise' on their end, in exchange for your phoning to tell them in advance when you plan to shoot. Or his doctor could prescribe some appropriate medication, if he's willing.

I'm betting the daughter is the real objector, and if you get the old man on your side, maybe she'll calm down. He may be of an age where he's irritable or even a bit demented, and lots of things are liable to upset him in that case. If he's with it enough to come visit, or maybe even do some shooting, then that would be cool, but if he's too far gone, you may have to think of another plan.

If you do all your shooting from one place, a freestanding 55 gallon drum with holes in each end, lined with insulation, could muffle muzzle blast significantly, or if you only shoot a couple firearms, you could get a suppressor for them, but if she's really just anti-gun, it won't matter how quiet you are; as long as she knows the noise if from guns, it will still annoy her.

hayabusa · Post by **hayabusa** » Sun May 11, 2014 10:04 pm

pokey, how long has she lived there ? Is she married or live alone or with boyfriend/girlfriend ?
How old would she be ? Might give you an idea of her mindset or her thought process.
You might have a casual talk with the other person she lives with and get a better take on the problem, real or imagined.
Either way, best of luck.

busa

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Sun May 11, 2014 10:05 pm

Is shooting at your place legal? That should answer the question for you.

pokey · Post by **pokey** » Sun May 11, 2014 10:45 pm

BlaineG wrote:Is shooting at your place legal? That should answer the question for you.

unless they changed something, and didn't tell me.

i'm bad at guessing age , so maybe 40ish.

they moved in a couple of years ago, russian/romanov, i don't have alot to do with them.
not that they are bad folks, i'm just a bit of a hermit.

when i moved here i was the last place/end of the road, now i have 5 neighbors.

like daniel boone said, i can see the church steeple it's time to move further out.

Paladin wrote: I try to be polite to start with so the above is good advice. If you find out she is being less than honest switch to a Browning .50 and start shooting one pound tannerite charges.
If that is not loud enough let me know, ATF made me get a Explosives Manufacturing License and as long as we use what we make everyday we don't even have to do any paperwork.

that's an offer i may have to take you up on, even if i had no neighbors at all.

gamekeeper · Post by **gamekeeper** » Mon May 12, 2014 5:55 am

I have weekend neighbors that have just moved in permanently and they now have a newborn daughter, so I no longer fire my 16 gauge out of the bedroom window

I just use CB longs in my 9422 instead......

I think the suggestion to ask the old guy if he wanted to shoot was a good one...

Pisgah · Post by **Pisgah** » Mon May 12, 2014 6:19 am

My dad , a partially-disabled WW2 combat vet, died 2 months ago at age 90. Up until 2 years before his death, when dementia began to set in, loud noises bothered him no more than they did anyone else; but as his mind began to slip fears and anxieties he had suppressed for 70 years emerged with a vengeance. Thunder and lightning (Incoming!), even a train passing by, would send him in to a panic that was heartbreaking to see. I assure you, if he had been your neighbor and had you seen his condition at those times you would suspend your shooting -- assuming you are any sort of decent human being -- and make other, temporary shooting arrangements, or shoot only when you knew no one was at home next door.

This may not be the situation at all in this case, of course, but now is a time to reign in your impulse to assert your rights and check out your neighbors' situation, and work out some sort of compromise if possible. Trust me, if it were your father you would appreciate a kind and understanding neighbor.

mark08 · Post by **mark08** » Mon May 12, 2014 12:06 pm

WW11 from Russia? 1941-1945 the great patriot war!!! I think you may have the same problem I do with a Russian and an Ukrainian neighbor. Their property is theirs and don't even come close to the line or i call law. We have been as accomadating as we could be with all their dislikes. Basely we have ***** footed around them. NOW it is, I don't like your cows. I don't like your service road behind my house. I shoot your cows if you don't get rid of them. Haven't done that yet!! They have blocked the service road a few times. Have now driven up slanted steel rods across the road! This afternoon i am going to take the D-6 and a couple of farm hands and clear the road. May do some shooting also... Days of being nice are over. If one owns 1 acre that does not give you the right to control 600 acres. I will probably tell them that since they don't like it here then go back to Russia........

So my bet is that the Russian element is the base of your problem also. Good luck will using sugar!!?? Didn't work for us.

93marshooter · Post by **93marshooter** » Mon May 12, 2014 1:32 pm

I got neighbors that shoot on all sides. Makes me nervous, but they still ain't invited me over to shoot with them. That would "calm" my nerves.

I think it could help them to know that someone in the neighbor hood is armed.

jeepnik · Post by **jeepnik** » Sun May 18, 2014 1:14 am

Ysabel Kid wrote:I suspect it is her and she's using her father as an excuse. Not to say that PTSD isn't really, but after 70 years? Of course, that may be the answer too. If her father is indeed a WWII veteran, and does indeed have panic attacks at the sound of gunfire, I'd let her know that you will switch to quieter shooting (the .22's for example) until he passes (which, at the rate we are losing WWII veterans, probably won't be long) or moves, but that in no way do you intend on forgoing shooting on your own property. She can always move if it really bothers her!

Time doesn't heal PTSD. You can learn to deal with it, but it never goes away completely. From time to time, my dad would still pull his head down when a low flying aircraft went over. Not always, but it shows that when one isn't expecting it, old memories can come flying (pun intended) back.

I don't have PTSD. I do have anger over the way our fellow citizens treated us, and from time to time foolish comments can trigger that ire. Seems we can recall bad things much easier than good, and the memories have a schedule of their own.

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Sun May 18, 2014 8:08 am

Another thought is to build a baffle box to shoot through that will absorb a lot of the sound. This is certainly a case where once again we could learn the gun-phobic U.K., where the government actually encourages the ownership of moderators/silencers for the benefit of the neighbors. Totally the opposite of our nutty government.

gundownunder · Post by **gundownunder** » Sun May 18, 2014 8:11 am

If shooting in your back yard aint illegal, I guess you have the right.
That said, do you want to upset a veteran who has stood up for you and your rights.
Invite him over for a shoot so that he can see that you are just an ordinary neighbor, exercising the rights that he fought for.
Failing that, switch from an AK47 to a 32-20 or something else that will not upset the old guy.
If it's her that's the problem tell her to shove it, you're exercising the right her father fought for.

vancelw · Post by **vancelw** » Sun May 18, 2014 11:42 am

If he really was a WWII vet from Russia I would want to go meet him and see what stories he could tell. At 90+ years old, his reported agitation could be very real (my dad is 84 and too young to be a WW II vet, never got deployed in the Korean War, and he gets agitated easily nowadays) It may not be PTSD, it could be dementia or Alzheimers or.....

If he really was distressed by my shooting, I would find a way to make it quieter for a while. In reality, how much longer will it be a problem???

But!!!! as others have said, if she is blowing smoke......Morning, noon, and night....rifles, guns and tannerite.

Streetstar · Post by **Streetstar** » Sun May 18, 2014 12:35 pm

vancelw wrote:, I would find a way to make it quieter for a while. In reality, how much longer will it be a problem???
.

I wouldnt count on that -- plenty of folks hitting triple digits in age nowadays

FWiedner · Post by **FWiedner** » Sun May 18, 2014 12:47 pm

harry wrote:4. Maybe its her it bothers, maybe you could ask her father over to shoot some. Or just talk to him, she may be pulling your leg.

+1

Never take a womans word at face value, for anything.

Maybe you can build one of those 55gal 'mufflers'.

madman4570 · Post by **madman4570** » Sun May 18, 2014 1:25 pm

I might seem harsh but here goes.

I don't think its gramps. Hearing if he went through all that combined with age---na!
Bet it is her. Tell her you guys are avid hunters/shooters and you own that property that being an important reason. Fire off few 460 Weatherbys and say see it could be much worse.

vancelw · Post by **vancelw** » Sun May 18, 2014 1:40 pm

Streetstar wrote:
vancelw wrote:, I would find a way to make it quieter for a while. In reality, how much longer will it be a problem???
.

I wouldnt count on that -- plenty of folks hitting triple digits in age nowadays

Dementia and Alzheimer's tend to prevent that.

Centennial · Post by **Centennial** » Sun May 18, 2014 1:59 pm

I use to have about 10 car tires stacked horizontally on a stand, the sidewalls were screwed together with dry-wall screws.
Using 2 parallel 1" pipes for rails to set them on. Small tire at both ends, but you can experiment.
Shoot with the muzzle inside the tire tunnel. Set it so it could be used from shooting bench and see the target area downrange. IDK how loud it was or wasn't (ear-plugs) but I didn't get any complaints so I quit using it, and still don't get any complaints. But it might make the difference for you.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Sun May 18, 2014 7:18 pm

I made this some years back and it works wonders. If the velocity is below the speed of sound you hear nothing. It's it's above, you hear the sonic crack.

The whole unit slides into a 55 gallon drum. Construction is self explanatory in the pic. When cutting out the holes in the baffles, make each one progressively small as you reach the end.----6

If this does not work to please your neighbor, oh well, ..............

I use 1/4" rat wire to hold the insulation in.

MrMurphy · Post by **MrMurphy** » Sun May 18, 2014 8:30 pm

mark08 wrote:WW11 from Russia? 1941-1945 the great patriot war!!! I think you may have the same problem I do with a Russian and an Ukrainian neighbor. Their property is theirs and don't even come close to the line or i call law. We have been as accomadating as we could be with all their dislikes. Basely we have ***** footed around them. NOW it is, I don't like your cows. I don't like your service road behind my house. I shoot your cows if you don't get rid of them. Haven't done that yet!! They have blocked the service road a few times. Have now driven up slanted steel rods across the road! This afternoon i am going to take the D-6 and a couple of farm hands and clear the road. May do some shooting also... Days of being nice are over. If one owns 1 acre that does not give you the right to control 600 acres. I will probably tell them that since they don't like it here then go back to Russia........

So my bet is that the Russian element is the base of your problem also. Good luck will using sugar!!?? Didn't work for us.

Take pictures first, and make a police report.

That's destruction of property, obstruction of right of way, terroristic threats and quite a few other charges I could think of depending on the state you're in.

Tycer · Post by **Tycer** » Mon May 19, 2014 6:01 am

Keep us posted!

JB · Post by JB » Mon May 19, 2014 11:58 am

Learn to speak German so you can scream at the top of your lungs "die communist dog" before turning loose a string of gunfire.

Just kidding.

It's a shame you can't do as you like on your own property, but hard feelings with the neighbors can make for a tough life.

Canuck Bob · Post by **Canuck Bob** » Mon May 19, 2014 1:10 pm

Every vet, Canadian, Brit, American, German, or Russian is the list so far, responded warmly to a genuine approach of respect and admiration for the horrible experiences many of them had regardless of uniform.

One thing is that I would be very suspicious of her approach. Unless you can verify her story, I would insist on it, there would be no major change to my behaviour if legal. If she is unwilling to allow access to him, bring him over, or a professional consultation I would explain that I am unwilling of change. I might avoid rapid fire with 444 hunting loads and a couple hundred clay targets in an afternoon though. It might be a style of shooting that excites his problem. My uncle was a bit jumpy around thunder, reminded him of artillery coming. Loved the sound of a 303 Lee Enfield, reminded him of healthy Canadians watching his flank.

How would your local council or law enforcement view this. The RCMP would likely make your life a hot spot here, even with legal activities.

jazman · Post by **jazman** » Mon May 19, 2014 4:28 pm

Sixgun wrote:I made this some years back and it works wonders. If the velocity is below the speed of sound you hear nothing. It's it's above, you hear the sonic crack.

The whole unit slides into a 55 gallon drum. Construction is self explanatory in the pic. When cutting out the holes in the baffles, make each one progressively small as you reach the end.----6

If this does not work to please your neighbor, oh well, ..............

I use 1/4" rat wire to hold the insulation in.

I was hoping you would bust these pics out, I remember them from back in the day, and still like the whole thing!
Another vote here that it's the woman, unless the Father just moved in. If he has been there the whole time he must know the entire hospital staff really well by this time!

gundownunder · Post by **gundownunder** » Mon May 19, 2014 7:32 pm

How do you say dumbkopf in six different languages. I hadn't read the bit about them being Russian.
They leave Russia to come to a free country and then think the freedom only applies to them.
They would have known that America has a very strong gun culture even before they left mother Russia.
I'd say go ahead and exercise your rights, you owe them nothing.

7.62 Precision · Post by **7.62 Precision** » Mon May 19, 2014 9:05 pm

You want to talk the the guy, of course, and hear his stories from WWII.

You want to have him over to see some of your WWII era guns (you have some, of course?).

You will likely find that he has no problem with you shooting, or maybe so, who knows.

When we were blasting at Bird Creek, a lady called the police every time we blasted. She survived the '64 earthquake and the blasting gave her flashbacks. Plus it knocked everything off of her shelves and she was suffering severe anguish as a result.

So we quietly walked up her driveway and installed a seismograph next to her house before the next shot. Sure enough she called the police again - this time she had a major flashback and a serious setback in her PTSD. Plus, this time we cracked the foundation of her house and broke a bunch of dishes and stuff in her house. She was going to have to insist on major monetary compensation.

We pulled the seismograph and guess what it showed? Nothing. It registered no vibration (we knew it wouldn't, she likely could not even hear the shot from that distance).

Many immigrants from Russia or eastern Europe have a big hangup with guns. They have seen guns used only by their own governments to repress the people. They have no concept of the use of firearms to repress an out-of-control government.

Many others are quite pleased with the rights and freedoms that they have found in this country, and a very vocal about defending them. They know what it is to live under an oppressive regime. Up here, I find a majority of Russians who immigrated from Russia to Alaska (many during the cold war to escape communism, and others immediately afterward) are very pro-gun and very supportive of our other rights, such as 1st Ammendment rights. Most Russian immigrants (up here I would be talking specifically about those who emigrated directly here from Russia, not the russians who have been in AK for generations or the Old Believers in this context) will be pretty good people, and easy to get along with.

When people move to the US form foreign countries, they tend to do one of two things; try to become part of society, or try to mold society into what they left, be it ever so bad. People from any culture can do either, though it seem more and more today that everyone expects us to become what they left, and are not willing to accept American society for what it is.

GonnePhishin · Post by **GonnePhishin** » Mon May 19, 2014 9:11 pm

jazman:

How do ya screw it onto the end of the barrel?? How do you manage to keep the barrel end up with all that weight on the end of it????

pokey · Post by **pokey** » Mon May 19, 2014 9:47 pm

Sixgun wrote:I made this some years back and it works wonders. If the velocity is below the speed of sound you hear nothing. It's it's above, you hear the sonic crack.

The whole unit slides into a 55 gallon drum. Construction is self explanatory in the pic. When cutting out the holes in the baffles, make each one progressively small as you reach the end.----6

If this does not work to please your neighbor, oh well, ..............

I use 1/4" rat wire to hold the insulation in.

We've laid off shooting for the last couple of weeks, have tried to catch someone home to talk to
no luck yet, or they won't come to the door.?

I think we will build a 55 gallon drum muffler . thanks for the pics.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Tue May 20, 2014 5:24 am

well said, 7.62.

Every now and then I'll let loose with a semi-auto burst from the AR and the cops show up everytime. They know the drill....its legal to shoot here as long as you can show you are using a backstop of some sort.

My point is that some kinds of shooting annoy people and other kinds don't. Lots of shooting in rapid sucession tends to pee people off while occasional subsonic shooting does not. I have never had the cops show up when shooting subsonic
ammo from .22 to 45-70, even when not using my giant silencer.

Another thing to keep in mind is WHEN you shoot. Shooting in the morning or later in the evening on nice sunny days tends to pee people off. I have found that rainy, crummy days are best. Try not to shoot on Sundays when people are having company or outside picnics, or just relaxing around the pool. I'm probably the only person around here who does not have a pool so I try to understand.

Its not easy being a redneck in Yuppie land, but the way I see it, I was here first. I'll give a little, but not a lot---your neighbors should be the same way.------------6

Rusty · Post by **Rusty** » Tue May 20, 2014 6:27 am

I've been in the same rural area for 34 years. When we first moved here we used to shoot a lot. As the years have past not so much. I don't shoot much any more not because I'm worried about someone's feelings, it's more because I don't like to advertise the fact that I might have a lot of guns. For that reason I have been seriously considering getting a suppressor.

msmith1228 · Post by **msmith1228** » Tue May 20, 2014 9:28 am

Screw them, they probably wouldn't do it for you.

jazman · Post by **jazman** » Tue May 20, 2014 12:04 pm

UncleBuck wrote:jazman:

How do ya screw it onto the end of the barrel?? How do you manage to keep the barrel end up with all that weight on the end of it????

You'll have to ask Sixgun...but if anyone on here has a gun to screw that baby on to it will be him. Plus it will be very old, in perfect condition, and something we all want.

Old Time Hunter · Post by **Old Time Hunter** » Thu May 22, 2014 10:24 am

Sixgun wrote:I made this some years back and it works wonders. If the velocity is below the speed of sound you hear nothing. It's it's above, you hear the sonic crack.

The whole unit slides into a 55 gallon drum. Construction is self explanatory in the pic. When cutting out the holes in the baffles, make each one progressively small as you reach the end.----6

If this does not work to please your neighbor, oh well, ..............

I use 1/4" rat wire to hold the insulation in.

How do you get the dog to stay in the barrel when you shoot?