As far as the dEEP is concerned, there is no minimum. They only enforce laws for hunting. There could be town specific ordinances. Also, if you are close to a neighbor that doesn't approve they may call the cops, and the cops will definitely show up...

Target shooting is not something we control unless it's on DEEP owned property. If you want to target shoot in your yard (or on someone else's property with permission) it's up to the town where you want to shoot.

The 500 foot rule only applies if you are hunting. There is no state law or regulation that defines or controls target shooting.

I ran into this myself about 6 moths ago. A friend of mine owns almost 70 acres of private land and a bunch of us were target shooting in one of the fields. Of course the cops show up after about 30 minutes and tried to hit us with the 500' rule, (lazer range finder had us at 487ft). The officer seemed aggrivated when I said that was a hunting law and doesnt apply to what we were doing. So he called DEEP and was proptly told that we cannot be charged for what we were doing, and that we are to be released. Mind you my friend (the land owner) and I were sitting in the back of the crusier for an hour and a half at this point, all guns locked in the trunk.

Some cops just dont get it. I understand they are doing their job, but how can you try to impose rules that dont apply? In the end, no harm no foul, but we were warned that they would be back if anyone called, and would shut us down on noise complaints. Good times.

Same thing happened to me several times, and if someone politely points out what the law is, why the attitude?? Are the academies teaching that you can never be mistaken?? I watched a state cop pull into the state forest parking lot and tell an out of state avid bowhunter that he couldn't hunt there...Why..because of noise complaints from surrounding homeowners!! This was after the licensed hunter holding his compound bow informed the "officer" that he was bowhunting. Honest!!! When I politely tried to point out that this Fairfield county state forest was probably one of the most heavily hunted areas on the planet earth(not using that venacular), I was told to sit there and be quiet, which I did. Luckily one of my hunting partners is an enconn officer and I had to give him an earful which I believe he passed on. Never saw that SPO again and don't miss him.