FAO surveying ground for big calibre Scotland

[Rich1e1990]

Hello Folks,

I have recently got a wee bit of land to shootover in Scotland and there might be the odd deer to take now and again. I have heard that a firearms officer might have to survey the land before I can use a bigger calibre on it anybody know how true that it?

I have already got have my .308 on with different permissions for deer.

Thanks,

 

[Roestalker39]

Is your ticket not open ?? If it is it shouldn’t make a difference ....

 

[takbok]

@Rich1e1990 I think that Scottish FAC's don't have a restriction on where you can shoot anymore. What does your FAC say?

 

[Utectok]

I’m not certain but I don’t think they clear land for rifles in scotland any more. I think all FACS are open ? Might be wrong though

 

[WH308]

I used to shoot my father in laws farm in SW Scotland, and when I mentioned it to my Staffordshire FEO, he said Scottish police don’t do land checks. They took the opinion (after a court case I believe) that it was up to the man with the gun to decide what is safe, and take the hit if it’s not.

 

[Rich1e1990]

Cheers folks, I will double check my cert to see what it says but its sounding promising.

 

[Dalua]

... that it was up to the man with the gun to decide what is safe, and take the hit if it’s not.

I think this is universally true anyway, whether the ground has been 'cleared' or not.

 

[WH308]

I think this is universally true anyway, whether the ground has been 'cleared' or not.

Well quite, but I think the court case centred around someone having an accident and claiming “the police said it was safe, so it was their fault” as a defence.

 

[Free range rob]

So, if some in england has a closed cert, how would they go about him shooting in scotland i they do not do land checks ?

 

[Dalua]

So, if some in england has a closed cert, how would they go about him shooting in scotland i they do not do land checks ?

If the FAC restricts the holder to 'land approved by the Chief Officer of Police...' then I guess the holder can't shoot in Scotland. The holder would need to get the territiorial restriction removed by the issuing constabulary, I suppose?

 

[Husky]

I guess they would say that they can only use their rifle on a named piece of land in Scotland.

 

[Dalua]

I guess they would say that they can only use their rifle on a named piece of land in Scotland.

In my experience, if the holder of an English-issue FAC is subject to territorial restriction, the named ground will have been 'approved' as well. Though I suppose the Police can do whatever they like, and if they wanted to name some ground in Scotland without first inspecting it, then I guess they could.

Personally, I think that if I had a territorial restriction and was planning on going stalking in Scotland I'd ask the Police to remove that restriction.

 

[Husky]

Yeah, Rich1e1990 could tell his FEO that he has land to shoot over in Scotland and Police Scotland don't do land checks and ask for his certificate to be opened up.

 

[CarlW]

Yeah, Rich1e1990 could tell his FEO that he has land to shoot over in Scotland and Police Scotland don't do land checks and ask for his certificate to be opened up.

According to his profile, I think @Rich1e1990 lives in Dundee and has a Scottish FAC. It should already be 'open'?

 

[r judd]

Cheers folks, I will double check my cert to see what it says but its sounding promising.

Whats a little more concerning is that you dont already know what it says

 

[Vulpes]

Whats a little more concerning is that you dont already know what it says

He could be new to the sport and being from Scotland may not have known the nonsense conditions that occur south of the wall... Try to support your fellow shooter

 

[8x57]

Guys ease up a bit, from his introduction the poor guy has only just moved to Scotland from N.I. where things are entirely different. So I think its fair to assume that he doesn't know the lie of the land yet.

 

[Husky]

According to his profile, I think @Rich1e1990 lives in Dundee and has a Scottish FAC. It should already be 'open'?

Oops never noticed that.

 

[Rich1e1990]

I have just moved over to Scotland from NI so things are slightly different - I thought that it was grand but I was just told that it might not always the case so best to double check rather than assume.

 

[CarlW]

I have just moved over to Scotland from NI so things are slightly different - I thought that it was grand but I was just told that it might not always the case so best to double check rather than assume.

Presumably you had to leave your pistol behind...?