Target Shooting
Targets, backstops & cleanup
The backstop is the rule the others rest on: you own every bullet until it stops. Get the backstop and the target right, pack out what you bring, and most of the danger goes away — wherever you're shooting.
A target is only as safe as what's behind it. Before you talk about which target to use, settle the backstop — because a bullet doesn't stop at your target, and it doesn't stop at your property line. The simplest safe choice for most people is a staffed MDC range, where the backstop is already built and the rules are posted.
The backstop — most important
Always shoot into a solid earthen berm or dirt hillside. Open air, brush, water, and thin wood are NOT backstops. Know what's beyond your target — you own every bullet until it stops.
Proper targets
Use proper targets only: paper or cardboard (on the provided holders at MDC ranges), clay for shotgun, and steel only if it's made for shooting, rated for your caliber and distance, and hung properly. Never shoot at glass, cans, appliances, electronics, road signs, living trees, rocks, or water.
Exploding targets
Exploding and binary targets are banned on national forest land (the fire rule) and at MDC ranges. They're a real wildfire and injury risk. On private land they're legal in some places and restricted in others — check local rules, and never use them in dry conditions.
Fire risk
Fire is the big risk. Dry grass and leaf litter, tracer and steel-core rounds, and exploding targets can all start a wildfire. In a dry spell or a burn ban, don't shoot into dry vegetation — and on the national forest, exploding targets, tracers, incendiary rounds, and fireworks are flat-out prohibited.
Clean up — pack it out
Pack out everything — spent casings, targets and holders, packaging, and trash (yours and what others left). Littering is illegal on public land, and trashed-out spots get closed to shooting.
Lead: a few simple habits
Wash your hands and face before eating after shooting, and don't eat, drink, or smoke on the firing line. Change or brush off your clothes before holding small children, keep kids away from your range gear and spent brass, and shoot indoors only where there's good ventilation.
Before you shoot
Missouri Porch explains; the law and the landowner decide.
Last checked: 2026-06-18. Firearm law is serious and changes by city and county — and ranges, fees, and fire restrictions change too. Check the current rule for where you're standing, lead with safety, and when in doubt, use a staffed MDC range.
This is a plain-English summary — not legal advice. Firearm law carries serious penalties and varies by city and county. Check your local ordinance and current state law, and when in doubt, use a staffed MDC range. In an emergency, call 911.
Heads up: A backstop is a solid earthen berm or dirt hillside — open air, brush, water, and thin wood are not backstops. Exploding targets are prohibited on national forest land and at MDC ranges; on private land they're allowed in some places and restricted in others, so check local rules. When in doubt, use a staffed MDC range.
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