Some residents have called the county's planning office with concerns about the range, officials said, including those fearful that a stray bullet might strike a park visitor.

Benson maintains the range won't be a risk to park guests and will be used only by law enforcement. He said the firing range his officers now use near an armory is closer to homes than the proposed range is to the state park.

"We've been shooting over there for years," he said. "And we've never had a problem."

The property in question consists of 10 acres along Ashford Road about 2 miles from the J.A. Cochran Bypass.

Deputies plan to practice shooting handguns and submachine guns at the range, Benson said. The firing range will be in a pit, he said, and two dirt barriers positioned behind the targets should catch any wandering bullets.

"There's just no way it's gonna penetrate it," he said of a stray bullet.

The few property owners around the land have been notified about the range and haven't objected to it, Benson said.

No neighbors could be reached for comment Thursday.

But several people have called the planning office with concerns about the shooting range, said Mack Paul, the county's planning director. He said one man was particularly worried about park visitors dying from errant gunfire.

The sheriff's plan for the range doesn't meet the county's guidelines for that type of facility, Paul said. The zoning board of appeals will consider the sheriff's proposed range during a May 13 meeting.

Benson said the primary problem with the design of the project is the distance between the firing line and Ashford Road. But, he said, the gunfire will be directed away from the road, and he plans to build dirt barriers higher than the zoning rules require.

Paul said the board could agree to the sheriff's project with added safety measures.

"People are getting a little upset," he said. "But commissioners might say, 'Well, let's put a berm there. Add 20 feet to one of the berms ... and see if we can make it work, safe.'"

Although all deputies will be allowed to use the shooting range, Benson said, the officers will only be able to take target practice when a certified instructor is present.

Another plan for the site is an obstacle course where deputies can practice for the course at the state criminal justice academy.

"If they can do it here, they'll be able to do it down there," Benson said.

Built in the 1930s, Chester State Park is 523 acres, including a 160-acre lake surrounded by a pine forest, according to the S.C. state parks Web site.

State park officials are aware of the proposed range and haven't objected to it, Benson said.

A state park spokesman could not be reached for comment Thursday.