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FAC question


Adrianp
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Hi all,

like so many others I'm looking at gaining my FAC. Here's my question, when I've sent in my application and the land I've asked for clearance on doesn't for whatever reason meet the criteria. what happens then? do I lose my fee? do I get time to try and find somewhere else?

 

Thanks

 

Adrian

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Thanks Lucky, if only it were that easy. I've been trying to find somewhere to get permission for nearly 18 months. Finally got a sniff and think I will apply and if it's not granted at least I've had a go. waiting this long for an opportunity has been painful. finding a back up seems damn nigh impossible.

 

cheers

Adrian

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When applying for shotgun certificate the police have to give or find a good reason why you can't have one. With fac it's the other way around so if you have or are struggling to find anywhere and good reason to shoot in there eyes you have no valid reason for having one. Sounds harsh but that's just the way the laws are in uk.

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in my opinion I believe it is suitable. the ground is used for horses and the lady who owns it is worried that the rabbits ( of which there is a good head count) are burrowing and that her precious horse might put it's leg down the rabbit hole and do some damage. in total she has around 75 acres. there is a footpath along one part of the land but shooting would be away from that and not towards it. the neighbouring ground has elevation so there is a suitable backstop. But what do I know ! so if the FEO doesn't agree with me what happens next? Has anyone had the experience of being turned down and if so what happens ?

 

 

any help / advise would be appreciated

 

cheers

Adrian

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I would think your FEO would give you the heads up that the ground was not up to it and hold on to your application for a bit to find some more ground, I know mine would.With 75 acres unless it on top of a hill in the middle of a housing estate you should be able to get something even if only FAC air, but that is a start. once you have your ticket and some ground you will find it easier to get more.

 

one more thing you cant use the ground next door as a backstop when shooting the bullets, shot or pellets should not leave your ground!

You can talk to that land owner and say that you plan to shot in that area and would they have a problem with shot falling on their land (easier with shotgun than rifle), It can be good way to get a bit more ground because if they are ok with shot fall then its only a small step to ask (after a bit of time) if you shoot along their side of the boundary etc.

Ive picked up loads of pigeon / rook shooting that way, picked up a whole farm from one tiny bit of barley

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one more thing you cant use the ground next door as a backstop when shooting the bullets, shot or pellets should not leave your ground!

 

Funnily enough, I couldn't find any reference to bullets leaving the boundary in the legislation. It's quite clear for air rifle pellets and shotgun shot but common sense dictates it should be so anyway and you shouldn't rely on next door's ground.

 

I was granted a CF on 10 acres. With 75 acres I would have thought you'd have no problem. Keep us updated!

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I would think your FEO would give you the heads up that the ground was not up to it and hold on to your application for a bit to find some more ground, I know mine would.With 75 acres unless it on top of a hill in the middle of a housing estate you should be able to get something even if only FAC air, but that is a start. once you have your ticket and some ground you will find it easier to get more.

 

one more thing you cant use the ground next door as a backstop when shooting the bullets, shot or pellets should not leave your ground!

You can talk to that land owner and say that you plan to shot in that area and would they have a problem with shot falling on their land (easier with shotgun than rifle), It can be good way to get a bit more ground because if they are ok with shot fall then its only a small step to ask (after a bit of time) if you shoot along their side of the boundary etc.

Ive picked up loads of pigeon / rook shooting that way, picked up a whole farm from one tiny bit of barley

That's sound enough advice, if it was only 75 acres and was used by horses FAC air about 30 ft lb in a .22 PCP airgun is also a very good choice. Once you have a valid FAC it gets a lot easier to find landowners willing to let you on.

 

BTW even falling spent shot from a shotgun breaks the law once its on someone elses ground

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That's sound enough advice, if it was only 75 acres and was used by horses FAC air about 30 ft lb in a .22 PCP airgun is also a very good choice. Once you have a valid FAC it gets a lot easier to find landowners willing to let you on.

 

BTW even falling spent shot from a shotgun breaks the law once its on someone elses ground

 

Following on, if you then get more land and you have an existing FAC, you will find it easier to get more rifles added that are suited to the new land. Start small and grow is a good plan :good:

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I applied for a .223 for foxes on around 50 acres of land. The FEO called me and said that the land wasn't brilliant, as it's very flat, and if there was any chance that I could get any more land. I called in a favour from a friend, and got around 100 more acres of permission. When I had my interview, we had a chat, and I think that he realised that I wasn't a fool, so approved me to shoot on the original 50 acres anyway, with no conditions.

 

Like said, once you've got your foot in the door by actually having a licence, it's miles easier to get permission. The clearance procedure to those on a closed licence is daft though. To say if someone on a closed ticket got permission to shoot on some land, requested a clearance check from the police, and the police said no, it's unsuitable for firearm use, and therefore the applicant may not shoot on it. Whereas someone on an open ticket could take their .308 on the same piece of land and be perfectly legal to do so.

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All ,

many thanks for all the replies.

I think I will ask for .22 rimfire and hope to get it. Failing that FAC Air. So my last question ( for now ) is Should I just put .22 RF on the application and let the FEO suggest .22 Air. or do I put both on the form from the beginning.

 

Thanks in advance.

Adrian

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Put many calibers down then in the future you can always do a free one for one variation.

 

The other thing is when I got my first deer legel centerfire, the land wasn't perfect so the descision was taken to grant the licence but with the condition of high seat only on this particular ground

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Ask for .22LR, .17HMR, FAC air and something like a .223 - I got all those on first application on 10 acres (actually, didn't apply for the FAC air but can't see why I wouldn't have been granted it). You might get it all or you might only get the rimfire - cheaper to do it now rather than on a variation later

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Following on, if you then get more land and you have an existing FAC, you will find it easier to get more rifles added that are suited to the new land. Start small and grow is a good plan :good:

 

Exactly don't give them too much to think about! In my opinion a variation for another gun after is smarter than trying to save £26 and getting refused or silly conditions. One question at a time, make it easy to say yes

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sorry one more question. when the land is vetted by the FEO am I to be there as well to explain how I see it ??

 

Thanks

That's how it used to happen as the guy who takes or passes on the shot is 100 times more important than almost everything about the land, the FEO was hence assessing you not the land and the info gained allowed reason based on fact to open a certificate up not just the applicant having had the guns in the safe and on a range for the three years it took before you could once get an "open". In my findings of late though no not usually, the reason being in many areas the FEO has never actually been out and shot in the field themselves and is hence only doing a tick box exercise, they wouldn't know what to ask or how to ask it let alone know the correct answers (in my area very few FEOs shoot and there seems to have been an active move against it). Does that sound daft or what? If I sound a little cynical don't worry you will also after a good few years, just grin and bear it fill out their forms and be polite and best of luck

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  • 1 month later...

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