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Neighbour shooting in garden.


southeastpete
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Hi,

I unfortunately now live in town, in a semi detached house. The gardens are small, about 10m long.

I was out playing with my 3yr old girl in her sand pit when the neighbour got his air rifle out for the grandson to start shooting.

 

I just want to get people views on this?

Below are more details.

He was using a multi pump pneumatic under lever air rifle, pumping it around 12 times per shot.

He was shooting from their patio table, at a range of about 6m at a target hung on a fence. The fence is that thin wood panel type that I know from testing an air rifle will go straight through, even at good range.

About 4m behind that is their rear fence, same type. In that gap is a tin shed, and a metal wheelbarrow.

I don't know if they have hung anything behind the target fence as a shot catcher.

The hedge between us is very thin.

 

My thoughts were misses or ricochets could easily go through any of the surrounding fences or hedges.

 

I will add to this that recently we had our rear upstairs window shot 3 times and broken by an air rifle.

 

Thanks for any thoughts and input,

 

(I brought my girl inside)

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Your neighbour presumably will not thank you, but how happy would you be if your child was hit or another child in another garden lost an eye?

 

If you neighbour is a reasonable person, he should take the advice on the chin and you won't fall out. If he is unreasonable, then you won't lose anything by reporting him.

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Your neighbour presumably will not thank you, but how happy would you be if your child was hit or another child in another garden lost an eye?

 

If you neighbour is a reasonable person, he should take the advice on the chin and you won't fall out. If he is unreasonable, then you won't lose anything by reporting him.

 

 

this or move.....

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I tried to help him before...

I just don't think these size gardens are appropriate for air rifles at all. BB guns, or air pistol maybe.

 

I'll go have a word and ask if he had a backstop behind the fence, and ask him not to do it when I'm in the garden with my girl.

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I tried to help him before...

I just don't think these size gardens are appropriate for air rifles at all. BB guns, or air pistol maybe.

 

I'll go have a word and ask if he had a backstop behind the fence, and ask him not to do it when I'm in the garden with my girl.

Bb guns (steel) are dangerous for a garden. They do ricochet.

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As long as no pellet leaves his property then why not leave him be? He is not breaking any law so calling the police is just a waste of their time. By all means have a friendly chat with him and maybe mention that your Girls are worried - would he consider hanging up an old Carpet behind the target area as BB's, if that's what he's using, tend to ricochet? You might also slip it into the conversation that you are happy to let him shoot away but that you would expect him to stop permanently should any damage occur to your property or people within your boundary and that you would hold him liable in any such event.

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Ask your neighbour to desist. If he doesn't - contact the Police.

***

Dont call the police .for crying out loud .

Like already said if we cant look out for each other then we have no hope .

He is perfectly allowed to shoot in his garden as long as his pellets dont leave his property and dont damage anyone elses .

I would go round and say hi .and gently offer advice on back stops .

Ive a ply box full of sand that i use at 6 yds in my garden i shoot into the one open side .this absorbs all pellets and makes no noise on impact .

 

Ps low powered guns and pistols are more prone to ricochets than 12 fpe ones as the pellet doesnt deform and comes back ..

 

How about you build a pellet trap in your garden and invite him round for a plink and show him the way its done .

 

Ps the easiest pellet catcher is either a concrete block or 2 or a concrete paving slab .

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I think a friendly 'interested in the air gun' conversation might be the best approach first off, as you yourself also shoot air guns.

Enquire about what pellet he uses etc etc and what he uses for a back stop, as you thought you might practise in your garden, rhubarb ...rhubarb ...rhubarb. Amazing what you can discover about a person by such an approach. If he cuts up, then by all means call the police and explain your approach to him but he was not cooperative etc etc. and windows had been broken.

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Some friends of ours sons, 16 and 18 years old were using an air rifle in their good sized garden when their parents were away, next thing the armed response unit is round there and taking them into custody with the 18 year old questioned and kept over night!

This was the reponse when the neighbours at the back complained that pellets had stayed into their garden!

The whole saga went on for weeks!

I would have thought it would have been better for the neighbours to have had a word with the lads rather than going straight to the police. The same with this case - better to talk first!

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Don't worry I'm not after the police yet!

 

It's a pellet rifle, I was thinking a plastic BB gun would be more appropriate for a range of 6m...

 

Thing is I've seen air rifle ricochets shoot off in all directions, and I wouldn't be happy letting my girl play within 4m of a target that someone is shooting at with an air rifle, backstop or not.

 

I'll ask politely that he stops using an air rifle, and ask him to use BB gun, or at least get a decent backstop and not do it when my kids are out. If he's an **** about it then next time it happens I'll ring 101 and they can send a pcso around or something.

Also, they aren't very receptive to ideas, they are older, retired, where I'm 32, and are of the opinion that anyone younger than them any teach them anything..

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I think a friendly 'interested in the air gun' conversation might be the best approach first off, as you yourself also shoot air guns.

Enquire about what pellet he uses etc etc and what he uses for a back stop, as you thought you might practise in your garden, rhubarb ...rhubarb ...rhubarb. Amazing what you can discover about a person by such an approach. If he cuts up, then by all means call the police and explain your approach to him but he was not cooperative etc etc. and windows had been broken.

:good:

 

It is wise to get to know your neighbour. After all you are the one with The Harrier Delux SBS Semi and Bettinsoli. You can never tell how some people will react.

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He is perfectly allowed to shoot in his garden as long as his pellets dont leave his property and dont damage anyone elses .

 

I will add to this that recently we had our rear upstairs window shot 3 times and broken by an air rifle.

 

 

I honestly wonder if people think before they post.

 

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I had a situation years ago where a neighbour was concerned about me shooting in the garden. I had 40+ yards parallel to his garden with a very good backstop. Everything was as safe as it could be, I showed him the set up and we negotiated a solution. If I was shooting I put a little flag on the intervening wall so he knew I was there and what I was doing. His choice then if he let the kids out. If the kids were out first I didn't shoot until they went to bed.

It worked well although both boys used to watch from the bedroom window and the oldest eventually came round to have a go with dads blessing. Try and keep the peace if you can, sensible discussion can avoid a "neighbours from hell" scenario.

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As long as no pellet leaves his property then why not leave him be? He is not breaking any law so calling the police is just a waste of their time.

 

my thoughts exactly. perfectly legal for him to do.

 

he's having fun with his grandson, participating in a perfectly legal activity, as long as no pellets leave his boundary of course.

he has as much right to do that in his garden as you do to enjoy time in your garden with your daughter playing in her sandpit.

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I agree it's legal to shoot in his garden as long as no pellet leaves his boundary.

Do you not think that from time to time there will be a miss or ricochet? I looked behind the fence, there was no backstop to be seen, so I'm not just thinking for my kids but also those behind.

If there was a ricochet, and it came our way, it's only 3m through a couples of leaves and it's in my garden.

 

I don't know which neighbour shot the window, there's one other I know uses one in the back garden.

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From your discription of the set up there is no way that he can be sure that no pellets ricochet out of his garden,therefore its a no brainer its dangerous full stop.! And from what you say theres a fifty percent chance that he has already broken your window 3 times .

Cant get my head around all the comments on this thread, broken windows kids playing within yards and still some clowns think its fine no problem , why not just leave it until a child gets shot YOU ARE RIGHT TO BE CONCERNED .

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