# Firearms and Shooting > Shotgunning >  Shooting rules for near a public road

## HazeNZ

How far away from the centreline of a public road do you have to be by law to shoot clays with a shotgun? On 3 acre property with no neighbours surrounded by paddocks but next to a public road?


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## screamO

My thoughts are as long as your not shooting from the main road you should be right, but how you go about the rule frighten or annoy might be a different story.

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## Maca49

Used to be 50 metres I thought?

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## Jexla

Yeah, doesn't work like that, there is no distance you have to be, or distance you can use to make sure you're safe.

The law goes as follows (This is a direct copy and paste from the Arms act and is not personal perception, but legislation): 

Discharging firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near dwellinghouse or public place
Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding $3,000 or to both who, without reasonable cause, discharges a firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near—
(a)a dwellinghouse; or
(b)a public place,—
so as to endanger property or to endanger, annoy, or frighten any person.



Police don't see sport shooting as a reasonable cause either....

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## HazeNZ

I'd be shooting away from the road into nothing but paddocks for miles. Nearest neighbour is about 700 meters away and doesn't mind. Just the public road behind that's the concern as we would be probly 60 meters away. The road is a country road off a main road. 


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## HazeNZ

Yea I've always known it to be 50 meters from the centreline of a public road


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## Jexla

50 Meters isn't going to assure you anything, please be aware of that.
Read the legislation I quoted and make your own decision based on that.
All it takes is for someone to be walking or driving by to say you're annoying them.

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## screamO

> Yeah, doesn't work like that, there is no distance you have to be, or distance you can use to make sure you're safe.
> 
> The law goes as follows (This is a direct copy and paste from the Arms act and is not personal perception, but legislation): 
> 
> Discharging firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near dwellinghouse or public place
> Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding $3,000 or to both who, without reasonable cause, discharges a firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near—
> (a)a dwellinghouse; or
> (b)a public place,—
> so as to endanger property or to endanger, annoy, or frighten any person.
> ...


And that's exactly where the law is open to interpretation. How you overcome it is beyond me, maybe ring the local police and tell them what your doing, put some signs up on the road saying live gun fire. I think it's a bullshit law just to catch people out and there must be more to it otherwise all the gun ranges could  be shut down with one complaint.

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## R93

2 gun clubs I am a member of shoot within 50 m of public roads. One being a main road.

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## Dundee

> 2 gun clubs I am a member of shoot within 50 m of public roads. One being a main road.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900F using Tapatalk


Weber Rd one would be as close too.

I have a rifle or gun on my quad every day and shoot magies from the side of  road daily. Cop car went past and just waved they know who you are in our district.

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## Jexla

> And that's exactly where the law is open to interpretation. How you overcome it is beyond me, maybe ring the local police and tell them what your doing, put some signs up on the road saying live gun fire. I think it's a bullshit law just to catch people out and there must be more to it otherwise all the gun ranges could  be shut down with one complaint.


Exactly the issue. But ranges are exempt as they're purpose designed and had to go through procedures to become a range, if where they were was an issue it wouldn't have made it through those procedures.

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## Marty Henry

> Yeah, doesn't work like that, there is no distance you have to be, or distance you can use to make sure you're safe.
> 
> The law goes as follows (This is a direct copy and paste from the Arms act and is not personal perception, but legislation): 
> 
> Discharging firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near dwellinghouse or public place
> Every person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding $3,000 or to both who, without reasonable cause, discharges a firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near—
> (a)a dwellinghouse; or
> (b)a public place,—
> so as to endanger property or to endanger, annoy, or frighten any person.
> ...


Hopefully it's a matter of interpretation, near is vague but endanger property etc, I think has been in a couple of cases has been interpreted as deliberately intending to damage, annoy or frighten. Get on the good side of your local cop, discuss what they think of occasional target shooting in a controlled environment and go from there.
I sometimes shoot magpies off the verandah, in the trees behind the house. The family only complain if it's the shotty, and before 6.30am

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## Shearer

Just do it and use your common sense.
Erect a screen of some sort between the shooter and the road so people can't see you and don't shoot when someone is driving/walking/riding past.
Then no one should have anything to complain about.
Also, if someone does complain the police will see you have made an effort to minimise the chance of upsetting anyone.

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## MassiveAttack

There is no arbitrary distance limit. I have dinner heaps of shotgun shooting next to roads and it's always safer to set up next to the road and shoot away from it. If you are worried about passing motorists then ring the police communication centre and let them know you are doing this. If they receive a complaint they will ring your cell instead of sending out the armed offenders squad.

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## Toby

> I'd be shooting away from the road into nothing but paddocks for miles. Nearest neighbour is about 700 meters away and doesn't mind. Just the public road behind that's the concern as we would be probly 60 meters away. The road is a country road off a main road. 
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



And with that I'd say you'd be fine.

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## madds

I gather the rule must have changed, I'd put my gun on the fact it used to, in my day, be i chain (22 yards) off a road. 
More vague better to be told by policemen their interpretation of what they think the law is.
Our Winter Compak is right beside the road in Waikuku (North Canty) and we've had police cars, family's, kids all watching us and funny no complaints or negative comments.
Remember shooting it is a totally legitimate sport, you are doing nothing wrong unless your being a dick, and are entitled to be their with the landowners permission alone. Not in a built up area though!!!

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## Savage1

Just use common sense, it sounds like a perfectly reasonable place to be shooting clays.

I've said before on some other thread, people over complicate simple law. All prosecutions I've known of for this offence has been where the guy was acting like a comple idiot and committing other offences at the same time.

Do you really think they would send the AOS out to a guy trap shooting where the closest house was 700m away?!

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## Gibo

[QUOTE=Savage1;348436]Just use common sense, it sounds like a perfectly reasonable place to be shooting clays.

I've said before on some other thread, people over complicate simple law. All prosecutions I've known of for this offence has been where the guy was acting like a comple idiot and committing other offences at the same time.

Do you really think they would send the AOS out to a guy trap shooting where the closest house was 700m away?![/QUOTE]

Depends what the called said.

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## screamO

> Just use common sense, it sounds like a perfectly reasonable place to be shooting clays.
> 
> I've said before on some other thread, people over complicate simple law. All prosecutions I've known of for this offence has been where the guy was acting like a comple idiot and committing other offences at the same time.
> 
> Do you really think they would send the AOS out to a guy trap shooting where the closest house was 700m away?!


I would like to think not but you never know.
I would also like to think if your shooting near the road it should be easy to know (if they can see) that you are shooting clay's or targets and there for no one should be reporting you.

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## Jexla

> I would like to think not but you never know.
> I would also like to think if your shooting near the road it should be easy to know (if they can see) that you are shooting clay's or targets and there for no one should be reporting you.


Non gun users don't care what you're doing with a gun. They're just assume you want to hurt someone.


Savage I would love to agree with you, but again, if someone calls saying there's a gun going off and them and their children are scared or annoyed or whatever, the police have no choice but to have an armed response, as you have to treat all firearms related incidents seriously, correct or not?

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## Savage1

> Non gun users don't care what you're doing with a gun. They're just assume you want to hurt someone.
> 
> 
> Savage I would love to agree with you, but again, if someone calls saying there's a gun going off and them and their children are scared or annoyed or whatever, the police have no choice but to have an armed response, as you have to treat all firearms related incidents seriously, correct or not?


Not all 'non-gun users' assume people with guns want to hurt someone. Stop with the broad sweeping statements that are completely unfounded, it's just your paranoid opinion.

No it doesn't always trigger an armed response, the circumstances around it are looked into. The AOS isn't mobilised to every incident involving a firearm and general duties only arm themselves when they believe there is a threat to them or others. So no, you are not correct.

Most of these kinds of jobs are fixed with a simple phone call or two.

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## Marty Henry

Theres another thread on here that outlines how this kind of thing can go all wrong. I suspect not all the facts have been reported but I have been following it with interest.

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## SiB

Communication with local constabulary is the key point. Id visit, rather than ring. Face to face is worth gold. Cops respect the trouble you've taken too. 

On a side note some years ago some kids shot at my house with a paint ball gun. I rang the local cops not to dob them in, but to let the police know in case they did recieve a panic call from some old dear down the street who'd also had her house shot perchance. All good.

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## Jexla

> Not all 'non-gun users' assume people with guns want to hurt someone. Stop with the broad sweeping statements that are completely unfounded, it's just your paranoid opinion.
> 
> No it doesn't always trigger an armed response, the circumstances around it are looked into. The AOS isn't mobilised to every incident involving a firearm and general duties only arm themselves when they believe there is a threat to them or others. So no, you are not correct.
> 
> Most of these kinds of jobs are fixed with a simple phone call or two.


Never said anything about AOS.
Sorry Savage, but we've all seen on TV even, that the police go to their meeting point and grab their guns to anything firearm related.
One example I remember, they were going to see some guy who got into some altercation with his family and reportedly owned an airsoft gun.
They armed up turned up and the guy was as calm as could be and they wanted to know where his airsoft gun was, which was sitting away in his car.
This is just one example I can think of.

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## kiwijames

> Never said anything about AOS.
> Sorry Savage, but we've all seen on TV even, that the police go to their meeting point and grab their guns to anything firearm related.
> One example I remember, they were going to see some guy who got into some altercation with his family and reportedly owned an airsoft gun.
> They armed up turned up and the guy was as calm as could be and they wanted to know where his airsoft gun was, which was sitting away in his car.
> This is just one example I can think of.


Your rebuttal begins with "we've all seen on TV"?
You're really going to roll with that?

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## Jexla

Yes, I'm talking about the police shows, not CSI Hawkes Bay m8

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## Frosty

> Yes, I'm talking about the police shows, not CSI Hawkes Bay m8


Do you really watch that crap?

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## Jexla

Honestly, I barely ever watch TV, I download what I want to watch and do so when I please. But sometimes I just watch shit because someone I want to talk to is watching it.
Anyway, you may call it crap but it is quite literally Savage's job.
So, not sure why you call it crap when it's real as real can be...

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## Frosty

> Honestly, I barely ever watch TV, I download what I want to watch and do so when I please. But sometimes I just watch shit because someone I want to talk to is watching it.
> Anyway, you may call it crap but it is quite literally Savage's job.
> So, not sure why you call it crap when it's real as real can be...


Hawaii 5.0 is much better. Savage is cool, he always has good points to make. I hope you dont illegally download? What channel is CSI Hawkes Bay on?

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## Jexla

Of course I "illegally download". CSI Hawkes Bay is actually made up.

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## Savage1

> Never said anything about AOS.
> Sorry Savage, but we've all seen on TV even, that the police go to their meeting point and grab their guns to anything firearm related.
> One example I remember, they were going to see some guy who got into some altercation with his family and reportedly owned an airsoft gun.
> They armed up turned up and the guy was as calm as could be and they wanted to know where his airsoft gun was, which was sitting away in his car.
> This is just one example I can think of.


Have you ever thought that maybe the TV only shows jobs that may be interesting to watch, they certainly don't show jobs that aren't attended. AOS or not, not all firearms jobs are attended, the ones that are attended aren't always attended armed, it all depends on the circumstances. Sorry but TV shows on NZ Police do not give you a complete insight into the running of the organisation.

I've had the 'airsoft' situation many times before, it comes in as "he has a pistol/gun but i think its an air pistol/rifle". Would you take the risk? What harm is done by putting a glock on your hip? I want to go home after every shift and see my wife and two kids, that's more important to me than hurting someones feelings or intimidating somebody by arming up. Domestics are very unpredictable, hindsight is always 20/20 but you'd be surprised at how little or inaccurate the information is that we receive before arriving at a job, but that's the nature of the job.

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## Dundee

Well said Savage

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## steven

Ask your local AO what he thinks is a reasonable distance.

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