If you can't be seen from the road then shooting within 50 ft. of the road centre would be no problem as no-one could say they have been alarmed as they could not have seen you, so long as sudden noise does not come into it. I would imagine using a steel backstop within a few yards could cause alarm.
But even if you are firing directly away from the edge of your property where the road is so that safety is not an issue, it only needs a passer-by to see you with rifle or pistol to be frightened and voilà you have broken the law.
It has been said often enough on here as to how so many people are having a funny turn at seeing a four year old with a cap gun, so I don't suppose it is that far from possible that you could be reported.
The problem is that what most people would think unlikely to cause concern is not the point. It is whether the one person doing the reporting says they were alarmed. If they are anti-gun then they can easily say they were alarmed even when it sounds silly to anyone else!
MikeB
RWS C225 (Black) , Gamo Red Dot
Walther CP88 (Wood/Nickel) , Gamo Red Dot
Crosman 1377 3-9*50 JSR
AA 410 TDR 6-24*56 Nikko
BSA Meteor .22 I've had for 43 years!
“Political correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical minority, and rapidly promoted by mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a piece of shit by the clean end.”
Thank you all for your replies. I cannot be seen from the road but by the houses behind my garden.The gun,which is yet to reach me this week, has a silencer fitted.There is enough backstop and the pellets will not go beyond the target.My neighbours,they frankly do not care about my existence and are out during the daytime which is when I intend to plink a bit.Still,as you mentioned,will check with them.Only thing is,I can be seen aiming the AR by the people in the houses behind mine and they may think that I am aiming at them.Will have to find a way of not being seen.Thank you all once again.
Best-
Locksley
this post may lead readers to suspect either i or members of my club use unlicenced firearms. may i suggest this post be deleted or backed up by fact not fiction if any inference is made. if any comments you may have on the subject might be posted in public so my solicitor can examine the facts prior to libel action being taken.
It seems three words posted by myself have created something of a stir. These three words although innocuous in there own right have been misunderstood to some extent and I therefore have retracted the offending post. My apologies to Tony and ‘his’ club. If anyone understood this post as an accusation of illegalities toward any current or past air gun enthusiasts then I can without fear of retribution, confirm wholeheartedly that at no time was this the intention.
The three words I used in reference to Tony’s post was in relation to the people or persons on the aforementioned corporation owned affordable housing scheme that would inform the appropriate authorities, weather legal shooting was being enjoyed or not (and as if they don’t get up to a few not quite legal pastimes themselves).
Or for those hard of thinking..
I was agreeing with you Tony you daft bat.
Enlightenment is only a click away http://www.rivington-riflemen.org
If a man talks in the woods and nobody hears him, is he still wrong?
I think the 50ft rule has got to be taken in context. If you are shooting on your own property, even if it is within the 50 ft I don't think someone complaining to the Police would result in a prosecution. They would surely have to outline how they felt "endangered", and if you can demonstrate due diligence in how you keep pellets within your boundary a prosecution would be unlikely to succeed.
In a rural area there is also a lot less likelyhood of someone complaining as shooting is usually more a part of life. I've shot 12 bore beside a road, O.K. a road over moorland but the same conditions apply.
As long as common sense is used I can't see a problem arising. There are people who will say I run my gun at 11.999fpe because the chances of getting caught and tested are very remote. The 50 ft rule is similar. For both it only matters if you are caught, or you exercise caution and act accordingly.
ATB
Ray.
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That’s ok Tony no apology needed….
Oh and thanks for the abusive PMs.
Enlightenment is only a click away http://www.rivington-riflemen.org
If a man talks in the woods and nobody hears him, is he still wrong?
The original question has, I think, been answered, and the thread is going nowhere but downhill, so it's locked.
Jim