Club shoots on private land

[Pippin89]

Hi all, I wonder if I can pick the brains of the collective...

We have a small club which we started last year (Home office approved) and we shoot at a local commercial range. However, another opportunity has arisen for us to be able to shoot on a local private farm. The land is signed off for more than we would ever need. However, there seems to be some confusion as to what we need to shoot there. Would we need to have individual permission from the owner, or is blanket club permission acceptable. And would we need shooting over land on our FAC's as apposed to just target shooting? Thanks in advance.

[dromia]

Is the land you wish to shoot on recognised as a shooting range for target shooting or is it just allowed for live quarry and zeroing.

[Blackstuff]

- Blanket permission from the owner for the club, its members and guests
- Liability insurance
- Depending on what guns are going to be used there, the appropriate exemption for you and your members to be in possession of firearms there/for the activities you're doing.

I'm going to presume you're going to be using S1 rifles, so the land needs to be 'signed off' by 'someone' as a 'range', in order to comply with the standard FAC condition covering that type of firearm. It could potentially be as simple as getting a letter/email from your FLD, it could be as complicated as having to physically build a JSP 403 compliant range (that someone from the FLD will come out to see, not have a clue what they're looking at and then either say yes or no - I've seen examples for all three scenarios).

Technically if every member had the Any Other Quarry condition on their personal FACs, which covers 'zeroing', then they could shoot there. Whether or not if the Police wanted to be awkward, that would cover regular target shooting, is another matter.

Since the gradual dismantling of the support structure for setting up ranges/getting land approved it has been increasingly more complicated, and postcode lottery-ish on what you need to do, how to find out how to do it.

You used to be able to get advice from the NRA/NSRA but I don't know if they still do it.

If you manage to get an answer/work out a method that is repeatable, it would be worth posting here.

[Pippin89]

Thanks for your replies. The land is signed off for target shooting and for "up to .338LM". I know that will cause some to say that's not how they are stipulated but that is how it has been described. The only thing making us question it, is that it is private land, and not a commercial/club range. But sounds like to should be fairly straight forward...

[Blackstuff]

The standard condition for target shooting reads;

"The rifles/muzzle loading pistol/revolver and ammunition shall be used for target shooting, and only whilst a member of <insert HO approved club name> on ranges suitable for the safe use of that class of firearm and with adequate financial arrangements in place to meet any injury or damage claim."

This differs from, for example, the shotgun target shooting condition, which reads;

"The smoothbore gun(s) to which this certificate relates shall be used for target shooting on land or ranges where the holder has lawful authority to shoot (adequate financial arrangements in place to meet any injury or damage claim), for disciplines and courses of fire approved by the BWSS or NRA or NTSA or UKPSA."

You say the land has been 'signed off' for target shooting, which assumes they consider the land to be a range. As long as I had that in writing from the FLD (and all other measures mentioned in place) personally I'd be happy to proceed.

[Pippin89]

The standard condition for target shooting reads;

"The rifles/muzzle loading pistol/revolver and ammunition shall be used for target shooting, and only whilst a member of <insert HO approved club name> on ranges suitable for the safe use of that class of firearm and with adequate financial arrangements in place to meet any injury or damage claim."

This differs from, for example, the shotgun target shooting condition, which reads;

"The smoothbore gun(s) to which this certificate relates shall be used for target shooting on land or ranges where the holder has lawful authority to shoot (adequate financial arrangements in place to meet any injury or damage claim), for disciplines and courses of fire approved by the BWSS or NRA or NTSA or UKPSA."

You say the land has been 'signed off' for target shooting, which assumes they consider the land to be a range. As long as I had that in writing from the FLD (and all other measures mentioned in place) personally I'd be happy to proceed.

Thanks for that, that helps a lot. Checking again, it is not currently signed off for target shooting but for zeroing. But the land owner is seeking permission for target shooting so that clubs can use the land. So sounds like it's best to wait until that is in place. Just need to work out what shiny new thing I want to buy to shoot there.... 338LM is out the question based on the cost of ammo. So probably a 300WM.

[Blackstuff]

Best of luck

I've been looking into getting the quarry I shoot PSG in signed off but just for .22 rimfire under the 'miniature rifle range' exemption. I don't want to be able to buy guns/ammo without a certificate, I just want the 'club' covered for using those types of guns at the quarry, we can provide shooting areas that far exceed any fairground 'range' but its an active infill quarry and where we can shoot changes every month so it makes things tricky.

Unfortunately I started making enquiries right after that whole FMJ range thing kicked off and the exemption for miniature rifle ranges came into question. I thought it was actually going to be modified/removed from the 1968 Act but looking at it today its still there. Maybe time to enquiry again...

[Pippin89]

Best of luck

I've been looking into getting the quarry I shoot PSG in signed off but just for .22 rimfire under the 'miniature rifle range' exemption. I don't want to be able to buy guns/ammo without a certificate, I just want the 'club' covered for using those types of guns at the quarry, we can provide shooting areas that far exceed any fairground 'range' but its an active infill quarry and where we can shoot changes every month so it makes things tricky.

Unfortunately I started making enquiries right after that whole FMJ range thing kicked off and the exemption for miniature rifle ranges came into question. I thought it was actually going to be modified/removed from the 1968 Act but looking at it today its still there. Maybe time to enquiry again...

Yeah they didn't do anyone any favours. Best of luck

[IainWR]

Best of luck

I've been looking into getting the quarry I shoot PSG in signed off but just for .22 rimfire under the 'miniature rifle range' exemption. I don't want to be able to buy guns/ammo without a certificate, I just want the 'club' covered for using those types of guns at the quarry, we can provide shooting areas that far exceed any fairground 'range' but its an active infill quarry and where we can shoot changes every month so it makes things tricky.

Unfortunately I started making enquiries right after that whole FMJ range thing kicked off and the exemption for miniature rifle ranges came into question. I thought it was actually going to be modified/removed from the 1968 Act but looking at it today its still there. Maybe time to enquiry again...

The Firearms Act 2023 modifies S11(4) in two ways:
the firearms used must be held on a FAC
the user "possesses" the firearm rathern than just "using" it, which may have implications through a complicated corner of ss 3(2) and 8(2) FA 68.

As far as I know FA 23 is not yet effective - it needs a Commencement Order - but it will happen fairly soon.

[Blackstuff]

I'd still love to know what 'showmen' require/have formerly been required to produce at an RFD which allows them to walk out with a load of ammo and a few rifles, seems crazy!