ollie Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 (edited) Hey guys. I always was under the impression that you couldn't discharge a gun within 50 feet of a highway and due to this I have always followed this rule. However, I was reading the February issue of Sporting Gun and there is an article in it which states that this is not the case, in fact it is as follows: "It states that when shooting within 50 feet of the highway, an offence is only commited if a user of the highway is injured, interrupted or put in danger." No in the article it states cleraly the meaning of interrupted etc, so my query is; would I be within the law shooting from the car provided I didn't put anyone in danger, interrupt them or risk injury to them? I am not really interested in shooting from a car but it would be helpful if I knew how I stood. Edited January 7, 2010 by ollie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegasus bridge Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 i read that too, and the bit about being able to cross a public road with a shotgun uncovered and possibly loaded! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sako751sg Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 No,you wouldnt be legal.You would be discharging a firearm from land you have not permission to do so.We shoot at the side of the road,and as long as you are on permission ground and not causing alarm all is good.If a complaint is put in,it has to be a justified reason of interuption and not just because they saw someone with guns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebarrels Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 (edited) i read that too, and the bit about being able to cross a public road with a shotgun uncovered and possibly loaded! But is it really worth the hassle BB I use to shoot a golf course with a quiet dividing road,i use to unload my gun ,put it in the slip and cross the road,someone reported to the police that they had seen someone crossing the road with a gun in a slip,the police attended along with the armed response,Rmp and Mod police and my gun was taken from me,until they established the facts,i had permission to shoot,had booked in with the Rmp duty room,had slipped the gun crossing the road etc etc,had done nothing wrong at all,they eventually let me carry on with my business,but because a member of the public had reported it to them ,they had to investigate. Edited January 7, 2010 by Bluebarrels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdubya Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 as I have posted MANY times my pheasant shoot had a couple stands that were either on the road or alongside and you fired over the road we always withdrew and opened the gun if a car was coming, never had any bother, but then again it was out in the sticks. as the law states if you interfere impede or put in danger? got a fair bit of pigeon and crow shooting that I set up behind hedges running alongside roads, no one knows I am there and no prob if they did! KW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Benellimelody Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 (edited) No,you wouldnt be legal.You would be discharging a firearm from land you have not permission to do so.We shoot at the side of the road,and as long as you are on permission ground and not causing alarm all is good.If a complaint is put in,it has to be a justified reason of interuption and not just because they saw someone with guns. Not saying your wrong here but ive always been told that if you have permission on both sises of the highway/path etc you can discharge the weopon if not causing disruption etc... Edited January 7, 2010 by Benellimelody Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dusk2dawn Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 Hey guys. I always was under the impression that you couldn't discharge a gun within 50 feet of a highway and due to this I have always followed this rule. However, I was reading the February issue of Sporting Gun and there is an article in it which states that this is not the case, in fact it is as follows: "It states that when shooting within 50 feet of the highway, an offence is only commited if a user of the highway is injured, interrupted or put in danger." No in the article it states cleraly the meaning of interrupted etc, so my query is; would I be within the law shooting from the car provided I didn't put anyone in danger, interrupt them or risk injury to them? I am not really interested in shooting from a car but it would be helpful if I knew how I stood. I am sure I have read somewhere the word "alarm" if you caused alarm to a passer by you could be in bother. What you decribe is the keepers curse, roadsiding, the shooting of phezzies from a car which is highly illegal. Cheers Rob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pegasus bridge Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 But is it really worth the hassle BBI use to shoot a golf course with a quiet dividing road,i use to unload my gun ,put it in the slip and cross the road,someone reported to the police that they had seen someone crossing the road with a gun in a slip,the police attended along with the armed response,Rmp and Mod police and my gun was taken from me,until they established the facts,i had permission to shoot,had booked in with the Rmp duty room,had slipped the gun crossing the road etc etc,had done nothing wrong at all,they eventually let me carry on with my business,but because a member of the public had reported it to them ,they had to investigate. i agree - but if taken with a bit of common sense about when and where you cross i think you wouldnt get into any debate about this - until i read the article i always thought that you couldnt cross with an uncovered gun, and so i didnt - but i have a couple of places that are on very quite single lanes - which i will now feel at ease to cross from one side to another (i have permission on both sides ) great article that! ps - just make sure you are a member of BASC et al incase it does go pear shaped and you have to prove your point! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dunganick Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 I read the law that its only a problem if your concerning people/putting people in danger. This means if your shooting a silenced Rifle, Shotgun, or even a shotgun in the right direction so that your not disrupting the people using the road its not an issue. 50 feet is also practically ontop of the road anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebarrels Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 I must admit,if im walking around my permission and see someone i break the gun,take out the carts and reverse the gun so the barrels are facing away from them,and if im in a hide i break the gun lay it on the floor and walk towards them so they know im there,and more importantly i dont scare them ****less just the way i do things BB (a bit off topic but worth a mention) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sako751sg Posted January 7, 2010 Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 Did the article mention the 50ft in regards to England,as Scotland hasnt got that restriction?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted January 7, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2010 What you decribe is the keepers curse, roadsiding, the shooting of phezzies from a car which is highly illegal. Cheers Rob. Just so you know I have no intention of shooting pheasants from a car , we have our own syndicate so don't need to. I just was interested in everyones view on it. Regarding slipping the gun on a highway; I have always walked on highways to shoot or coming back from shooting with the gun in full view, I have had the police drive past me a couple of times and they haven't even stopped. Sako751sg: out of interest, if you were lamping from a highway and the man with the gun stepped over a fence onto your permission you could shoot? No the article wasn't country specific. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sako751sg Posted January 8, 2010 Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 Just so you know I have no intention of shooting pheasants from a car , we have our own syndicate so don't need to. I just was interested in everyones view on it. Regarding slipping the gun on a highway; I have always walked on highways to shoot or coming back from shooting with the gun in full view, I have had the police drive past me a couple of times and they haven't even stopped. Sako751sg: out of interest, if you were lamping from a highway and the man with the gun stepped over a fence onto your permission you could shoot? No the article wasn't country specific. For sure you would be legal shooting over the fence.In Scotland we never had the 50ft rule and as long as you were not causing concern ect then firing from your land is fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted January 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 For sure you would be legal shooting over the fence.In Scotland we never had the 50ft rule and as long as you were not causing concern ect then firing from your land is fine. This is good to know . I don't do a great deal of lamping but at least I know that when lamping from the road the gunman can just step over the fence to take a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tam Posted January 8, 2010 Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 For sure you would be legal shooting over the fence.In Scotland we never had the 50ft rule and as long as you were not causing concern ect then firing from your land is fine. You can legaly shoot from a road in Gods Country as long as you have shooting rights on both sides of the road AS LONG AS YOU DON'T CAUSE ALARM/DISTRESS I would not like to have to define - giving someone a fright in court Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted January 8, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 You can legaly shoot from a road in Gods Country as long as you have shooting rights on both sides of the road AS LONG AS YOU DON'T CAUSE ALARM/DISTRESS I would not like to have to define - giving someone a fright in court This bit confuses me; surely you don't have the shooting rights for the road? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edr Posted January 8, 2010 Report Share Posted January 8, 2010 Why dont you just ask sporting gun again??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dekers Posted January 9, 2010 Report Share Posted January 9, 2010 (edited) Here it is, make of it what you will!! ELIZABETH II Highways (Amendment) Act 1986 1986 CHAPTER 13 An Act to amend the Highways Act 1980 so as to impose penalties in cases where a user of a highway is injured, interrupted or endangered in consequence of the lighting of a fire on the highway or elsewhere. [2nd May 1986] B E IT ENACTED by the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:— 1.—(1) The Highways Act 1980 shall be amended as follows. Amendment of Highways (2) For section 161(2) (penalty for lighting a fire or discharging Act 1980 a firearm or firework within 50 feet of the centre of a highway) 1980 66. there shall be substituted the following subsection— "(2) if a person without lawful authority or excuse— (a) lights any fire on or over a highway which consists of or comprises a carriageway; or ( discharges any firearm or firework within 50 feet of the centre of such a highway, and in consequence a user of the highway is injured, interrupted or endangered, that person is guilty of an offence and liable to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.". Edited January 9, 2010 by Dekers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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