Canadian Airgun Forum

As the title says yesterday I had an encounter with an RCMP officer.

I was target shooting with my air rifle off of the hood of my Jeep on a local secluded public beach when I heard a car door shut behind me. Well let's just say I was surprised when I saw an RCMP officer, I seldom see them in my neighborhood. Right way I greeted him with "I'm not doing anything illegal am I?"

He greeted me and explained why he was there. Somebody had apparently reported that somebody was firing a rifle at the beach and that he was there to check it out. He had no issue, he immediately recognized my air rifle as one. He took my name & address and told me I could continue. We had a nice conversation and then he went on his way. Before leaving he told me that I could even shoot in my backyard. I suppose I could but I'd likely be putting a few windows out. Even at less than 500 fps you can get some wicked ricochets.

I have to wonder if I was shooting with one of my replica air pistols if I would have received such a friendly response. The Crosman 357 and the SIG Sauer look pretty realistic.

This afternoon when I go out I'm going to have to find a more secluded location.

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take the bull by the horns, call your local police dept's duty desk and let them know, what your doing, if its not illegal there should be no problem. when i do bird shoots for my job thats what i do, never had a problem. been doing it for the last 10 years

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now shooting a qb79 with a Leapers 4-16x56 AO with a rgb mil-dot ret.

I think the key word here is: PUBLIC BEACH, even secluded, as you sad,it wasn't very secluded, but nowadays people are paranoid and calling the cops even at the sight of a toy gun. Nice to hear you could shoot at your back yard. Which province you are located at?

The only reason I went to this particular beach was because it's really close to home down a dead end road. The beach is public, not private land, but only a gravel beach on the banks of the Restigouche River, N.B.. Nobody uses the beach even in the summer. The only person that could have seen me was the security guard at a closed chemical plant at the end of the road.

Like I said in a previous post I'll find a more secluded place to do my plinking. It may be legal to shoot in my backyard but I'm afraid I'll put out somebody's window with a ricochet.

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I remember as a lad of 14, living in Vancouver, going down to the post office to pick up a beautiful Ithaca 20 gauge pump I ordered from SIR. The lady at the parcel counter said, with a big smile on her face, "Hey young fella! Got yourself a shotgun, eh? Don't forget to bring me a duck!"

We've come a long way, baby.

Just build yourself a pellet trap and have a sheet of plywood with some old carpet tacked on to it for a back board!

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"Lust is the craving for salt of a man who is dying of thirst"
-Frederick Buechner-

You had a 20 gauge pump shotgun when you were a lad? You must have been a "big lad" then

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Not really. I'm just an old fart now.

In 1964, you could apply for and get a hunting licence at 14 in BC. I did. And you didn't need it to buy a shotgun. You just needed to be 14. I bought myself a .300 Winchester at Hunters Sporting Goods on Kingsway in Vancouver when I was 16.

We are living in a paranoid society now. Really paranoid.

Prior to 1930, you could buy a .22 if you were a babe - as long as the proprietor knew you. No restrictions. Now you have to be 18 to buy a pack of cigarettes.

We are living in a paranoid society now. Really paranoid.

I agree. I got my first rifle for my ninth birthday. A .22LR. Ended up getting a 12gauge pump for my tenth. I have been around guns my whole life. My dad and grandparents on both sides all had guns. They were hanging on walls in almost every room, even at the cottage. Now it seems people hide them. Paranoid society for sure.

Ah, you guys just sound paranoid!!

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"Lust is the craving for salt of a man who is dying of thirst"
-Frederick Buechner-

Everyone else is paranoid for sure.. I live in a high rise apt building, every single person I walk past on the stairs gives me a wtf look when they see my rifle bag.
Looking at those ncstar drag bags you can wear as a back pack just to avoid the immediate association with a gun my current bag deploys.

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-Ray-

When I was about 10 I was shooting a .22 at the cottage when a cop dropped by. He let me shoot his .38.

I bought my first rifle when I was 16, a .303 enfield.

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"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants." - Thomas Jefferson.

You didn't make him shoot your airgun ?

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Facebook is like ancient Egypt, people write on walls and worship cats

You can’t buy a single airgun for everything. Golfers use many different clubs, airgunners need more than one gun

If this had happened in Toronto, you'd probably have the swat team all over you and the news media would be reporting about a man found firing an AK47 on a public beach.

What exactly are you shooting at to get such "wicked" ricochets?