Range Registration - How are people responding

Badarcher

New member
I have he self assessment in front of me and it is a tick box exercise.

Whilst it is a self assessment process I want to be very careful that our club meets all the requirements, not least for insurance purposes should there ever be a problem.

My issue is that we are asked to tick to say the range complies with all the Rules of Shooting. Some of these however are easier to obey in the spirit than in the letter of the rule.

For example

Rule 302d ii ".....the whole of the range as far as the overshoot area line and the side safety areas should be roped off........"

So if we have an impenetrable Hawthorne hedge (say) as a field boundary but don't rope off that side, we should tick the box "Does not comply -if your range does not comply at all" as we can't say it complies with the letter of the rule, and we have no dispensation?

I guess to be sure we ought to pay for an assessor visit. Is there an assessor out there who would be prepared to respond to this query?

I would like to return the form with comments however it seems you are asked to only do it online.

We really ought to be sharing our knowledge of the process.
 

bimble

Well-known member
Supporter
Fonz Awardee
Ironman
AIUK Saviour
did you miss out the first part of 302d(ii) on purpose?? "On grounds where the public have a right of access, the whole range...." so if you have an impenetrable hawthorn hedge, if there isn't a right of access through it (such as a path/stile/gate), why would you need to fence it off?
 

ben tarrow

Well-known member
Personally, I think the questionaire should have been directed questions.
eg: "How long is your field?" rather than "is your field big enough?"
Some might consider 120 yards "long enough" and argue that they only shoot 60 yards and dont have any compounds, but is that really the standard that AGB want to be allowing?
 

ben tarrow

Well-known member
did you miss out the first part of 302d(ii) on purpose?? "On grounds where the public have a right of access, the whole range...." so if you have an impenetrable hawthorn hedge, if there isn't a right of access through it (such as a path/stile/gate), why would you need to fence it off?
Isnt "public right of access" one of those "grey" areas?
One of our grounds is a private (school) field but members of the public seem to find their way in from time to time (and get shirty when we tell them they dont have right to be there)
 

KidCurry

Well-known member
AIUK Saviour
Isnt "public right of access" one of those "grey" areas?
One of our grounds is a private (school) field but members of the public seem to find their way in from time to time (and get shirty when we tell them they dont have right to be there)
Public access is fairly well defined in English law, as is trespass. However, just because someone is trespassing does not permit you to shoot them......... unfortunately :) I think AGB have included trespass.

did you miss out the first part of 302d(ii) on purpose?? "On grounds where the public have a right of access, the whole range...." so if you have an impenetrable hawthorn hedge, if there isn't a right of access through it (such as a path/stile/gate), why would you need to fence it off?
It must be inpenetrable to trespassers also, not just those with a right of access I think.
 

jerryRTD

Well-known member
No that is silly because all you can do is put up a rope and who is that going to stop?? It's all very well for those in the ivory towers saying that this or that area must be roped off. What do they honestly think that will do? answer is these rule givers don't think other wise they would know that that some one who has climbed over a 6ft fence and forced their through under growth is not going to the come up against a rope and think 'Oh a rope I can't get past that' People will always get through .
 
Last edited:

Rik

Supporter
Supporter
"public right of access" is quite clear... it doesn't apply to most places, where, even if people usually have access it's "permitted access" rather than a right. "Right of access" is to do with things like highways and footpaths (unless you're talking "right to roam"...).
Interestingly, if a right of way goes across your range, it would not be permitted to rope it off (contrary to what the rules say), you'd need permission to close or divert the path. It's not a grey area, just something that the rules are confused about...
 

bimble

Well-known member
Supporter
Fonz Awardee
Ironman
AIUK Saviour
It must be inpenetrable to trespassers also, not just those with a right of access I think.
It was described as an "impenetrable hawthorn hedge" ;)

I think it's Cleve's ground (though could be elsewhere) that has a track running the length of their field, but the other side of a hedge. At comps (the only times I've been there) they've got the gaps taped off, though obviously not the full hedge parts.

Or I recall shooting the Cheshire Double 1440 (back in 2006), and there's a public footpath that runs the length of the gents field, which was fenced off, with a margin.


(the footpath runs between the tape and the hedge)
 
Top