Discharge on private land

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rural11

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Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows of cities we can discharge firearms on private land?

I know caledon allows you to discharge on private land as long as the caliber is .275. I have a 50BMG and was wondering what city will allow those to be discharge or even a club that may allow them.

Thanks!
 
Who owns the land is irrelevant. Discharge by-laws usually prohibit shooting anything, including bows, within the city limits. You're thinking of a calibre restriction for hunting small game. That's the cartrige name, not the bullet diameter too. A .270 Win uses a .277" bullet, but it's ok. A .276 Pedersen, that you'll never find, is not. As daft as it is.
Caledon has nothing to do with it. It's the MNR. Caledon may well have a discharge by-law that prohibits shooting anything within the city limits. Don't know of any range facilites that has been rated for a .50 BMG. One of the sad things about owning one.
 
You can legally discharge your 50 BMG for target practice anywhere you can legally discharge a .22 for target practice. As stated, caliber restrictions are for hunting, not target shooting and no discharge means no discharge.
 
Hi, the discharge by-law of caledon is located here http://www.town.caledon.on.ca/uploads/5/Doc_634745976894497637.pdf

It states in 2-A that if you own land you are allowed to discharge it there as long as the caliber is no greater that 0.275 or a 12-gauge shotgun

They are stating that we are allowed to discharge but as long as the caliber meets the specs they outlined.

Anyone know of any outdoor ranges maybe that may allow a 50BMG?
 
I think you would just have to go outside of Caledon....that bylaw restriction is usual in these parts....(maybe normal for the GTA?)
 
rural11 said:
Hi, I was wondering if anyone knows of cities we can discharge firearms on private land?

I know caledon allows you to discharge on private land as long as the caliber is .275. I have a 50BMG and was wondering what city will allow those to be discharge or even a club that may allow them.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Our club does, but only 185 yards .
 
"...normal for the GTA..." Pretty much. Most municipalities edging on TO have a no discharge by-law. Makes sense given the number of idiots living in the area.
 
sorry to revive this long dead horse, but I'm curious if anyone has any practical experience with shooting on private land in Caledon? My company owns ~30 acres in Caledon near King & Mississauga, and I'd really like to do some target practice there with my 12Ga and a .22. The only reason I haven't already done so is because the law ACTUALLY states that discharge is only legal on "land that is zoned and used for agricultural purposes". Our property is zoned as agricultural, but it's not actually a working farm. The people who posted above made it seem that you can shoot on any tract of private land, which doesnt actually seem to be the case - the law specifically makes it sounds that only farmers are allowed to shoot, not just regular citizens who happen to own land.
Do you think that if I'm mostly shooting .22's in a safe location (our property has a big gulley where I'd be shooting into the side of a large hill) and that I keep it to short bursts on weekends that the city will complain? Assuming the city does show up, would the charge by some type of municipal infraction, or will they come with the police and lay criminal firearms charges for unsafe/illegal discharge of a firearm? I think that the neighbours are cool enough and far enough away that they wont complain, but I just wanted to get an idea of what sort of trouble you could get in for circumventing a municipal rule about this.
 
If it had to be a working farm, the bylaw would state that. Zoned for agricultural is what is say’s and that is what you have. If it wasn’t, shooting would be a bylaw infraction, however that is not saying that some neighbour could call it in and the police would come and visit. I would get permission in writing from your company.
 
I have permission from the company. What confuses me is the wording of the bylaw:

"a person may discharge, within the boundaries of land zoned and used for agricultural purposes, a rifle having a calibre no greater than 0.275 or a 12-gauge shotgun"

Link to the exact bylaw: http://www.town.caledon.on.ca/uploads/5/Doc_634745976894497637.pdf

The "and used" wording leads me to believe that it must in fact be a working farm. The property is zoned as agricultural, designated as a "managed forest" by the CVC, and we've got a small garden on site, but it's not really a working farm in the traditional sense. The property is completely fenced and has gates with cameras so I'm not super worried about people just wandering in to ask questions, but I'm also not looking to break the law either. My primary question still remains - is an infraction of this bylaw merely going to result in a small fine and my promise never to do it again, or would the cops get involved and try to press more serious charges? I just want to do some plinking with my .22 on a big property in a safe manner, but dont want to wind up with a criminal charge for doing so.

I'm usually a firm believer that it's easier to beg forgiveness than to ask for permission, and if I'm only looking at a modest fine I might just go ahead and try, but would rather just make the drive to silverdale if my plan has bad news written all over it.
 
The bylaw says the fine could be up to $2000. I’m no lawyer, but I would think that if it’s a tree farm, or has a garden you could argue that it is being used for agricultural purposes. I would think that even something like a tractor repair shop could be considered agricultural purposes.
 
Terapr0 said:
I have permission from the company. What confuses me is the wording of the bylaw:

"a person may discharge, within the boundaries of land zoned and used for agricultural purposes, a rifle having a calibre no greater than 0.275 or a 12-gauge shotgun"
Click to expand...

Typically this kind of wording is to limit the effective danger range of firearm discharge. Where I grew up there were and still are plenty of "Shotgun Only" areas (And even places that restricted the use of slugs), as the city was was worried that rounds may fall unintentionally on populated areas.

Some places it makes a lot of sense as you have school and residential areas under a click or two out, easy enough to loose track which direction that zone may be if your hearts a pounding as you line up for that 30 point buck (GET THE HOWITZER FROM THE SHOP BOYS!)


I find it funny that they went so high as .275 though, as that lets both .223, .270 and .22-250 rounds discharge which could travel some fairly long distances. I'm not sure how they would compare to a stray .30 cal at those ranges in terms of impact damage but it's still odd that they would allow more than .22lr if it's a range issue.


Also so far as I know, there are no civilian ranges that are allowed to discharge .50cal and up unless it's black powder; which is why we all need to buy 9lb cannons!
 
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