FAC

[Barky 24]

hi guys just after abit of advice im 24 and iv had a shotgun certificate since i was younger, i want to get my first rifle i live on 10acres and iv got 53acres nextdoor which i have permission to shoot on plus i can get more if needed all i want to shot is rabbits the only thing is the 53acres has got a footpath running across it would this effect me? any advice more than welcome atb barky

[stubby 175]

you can shoot over a footpath, as long as no one is using it at the time, It may help, but not a neccessaty if you had a couple of signs made up, along the lines of

BEWARE

rabbit culling in progress

by pest control

ring 0208 888 77777

 

to place at either end of path/or area your shooting, looks good when your FAO visits

[blackfox 9]

Simple answer - no that would not affect. You just need to demonstrate your competence when the fao comes round for the interview of your awareness of the footpath. It also dosent matter how many acres you have, so long as it's not as flat as a pancake as you will need suitabl backstop for all calibres. If it is all flat, you may be able to get away with putting up high seats.

 

Hope this helps

 

Sam

[HUnter_zero 58]

i live on 10acres and iv got 53acres nextdoor, the only thing is the 53acres has got a footpath running across it would this effect me?

 

 

Hi Barky, the police will take a lot of things in to account before they will 'pass' an area of land suitable for firearm use. Backstops is the first things they will be look at, is there any way to shoot in to a safe back stop. 10 & 53 acres isn't very big when it comes to firearms, that said the size of the land shouldn't really matter but it does. If there is a lack of safe back stops, then you could try and implement high seats etc. As for the foot path, yes the police will take it in to account. My very first "permission" was passed for up to .240" which was the normal back then. Due to having three foot paths crossing over the land, the land was reassessed and deemed unsuitable for firearms use. I have accompanied several FEO's on their "land visit", on several areas of land. Each FEO is different with different levels of experience, the only real way is to apply and walk the land with the FEO. Answer all his/her questions and if there are concerns then offer practical solutions to the problems. For example, FEO:" There is a foot path running along there....", You: " Well I don't actually shoot on that part of the farm because..." or FEO : " I can see there is a lot of rabbits here but there isn't a safe backstop..." , : You " Yes, I understand that but I have placed two high seats in that area.... ". You get the idea.

 

Good luck!

 

John

Edited July 23, 2010 by HUnter_zero

[Colster 1]

 

 

 

Hi Barky, the police will take a lot of things in to account before they will 'pass' an area of land suitable for firearm use. Backstops is the first things they will be look at, is there any way to shoot in to a safe back stop. 10 & 53 acres isn't very big when it comes to firearms, that said the size of the land shouldn't really matter but it does. If there is a lack of safe back stops, then you could try and implement high seats etc. As for the foot path, yes the police will take it in to account. My very first "permission" was passed for up to .240" which was the normal back then. Due to having three foot paths crossing over the land, the land was reassessed and deemed unsuitable for firearms use. I have accompanied several FEO's on their "land visit", on several areas of land. Each FEO is different with different levels of experience, the only real way is to apply and walk the land with the FEO. Answer all his/her questions and if there are concerns then offer practical solutions to the problems. For example, FEO:" There is a foot path running along there....", You: " Well I don't actually shoot on that part of the farm because..." or FEO : " I can see there is a lot of rabbits here but there isn't a safe backstop..." , : You " Yes, I understand that but I have placed two high seats in that area.... ". You get the idea.

 

Good luck!

 

John

 

In theory, you accompanying the FEO and showing you are aware of the danger spots "shouldn't" make any difference to whether he passes it, as once it's passed any shooter could use a firearm on there without either demonstrating his knowledge of the patch or perhaps even being aware of the danger spots. This is one reason why BASC oppose the whole practice of land clearing, the responsibility always comes down to the shooter to take a safe shot anyway. I have land passed up to .243 but there are numerous places on it I wouldn't use my LR.

 

Having said that, the time spent with your FEO demonstrating your knowledge of what constitutes a safe shot can only help when you come to ask for your cert to be opened.

[stubby 175]

 

 

Having said that, the time spent with your FEO demonstrating your knowledge of what constitutes a safe shot can only help when you come to ask for your cert to be opened.

 

don't be scared to ask for open straight away, if you don't ask, you don't get, is my motto

 

I asked for an open ticket on first application, showed that I had knowledge of safe shooting, and got an open ticket

[Barky 24]

thanks for the replys i will let you know how things go thanks again

atb barky

[HUnter_zero 58]

In theory, you accompanying the FEO and showing you are aware of the danger spots "shouldn't" make any difference to whether he passes it

 

 

My mate accompanied the FEO around a farm a few years ago, thinking it was best to show what he thought was an unsafe direction to shoot, he said "obviously I can not shoot down towards that direction because there is a motorway". His FAC stated " to shoot over ****** farm but not to shoot in a southerly direction "

The year after that, the police revoked all suitability for firearm use.

 

A lot of things can and do go wrong.

 

I have one area of land I stalk deer over, it was passed as "open", meaning there was no upper limit on suitability. The land is in a different force area (north of my force). My force took an interest in this patch of land, requested that another land visit was made. The force in question, said "No, the land had been visited two years ago " and they then put an upper limit of .308 on the land

 

I have six farms passed for .243" (back up farms) and three for deer (again back ups). I have seen so many issues with the land visits, it pays to be prepared.

 

John

Edited July 23, 2010 by HUnter_zero