What to Buy?

Don't under estimate the rimfires and the 17 HMR is a zapper. The scope I mentioned didn't have a 4moa dot. It was 3-9x40mm with a dot that was barely an inch at 100 yards. It lit up in the center of the crosshairs.

Cool. I'll have another look for that.

The .17 is an idea, alright. Still a rimfire, but with some zing. Probably pretty quiet, too.
 
I've done some checking on the Gov't of Canada website. Scanned the Firearms Act and the main PAL regulation.

I don't see any prohibition about firing a restricted weapon.

I do see the same restrictions about transporting. I won't be transporting. I'll be shooting (safely, btw). If I can't shoot on my land, can I shoot off my back deck? Isn't my back deck part of my house?
 
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Quite simply you can not discharge a restricted weapon anywhere other than an approved gun range. No if's and's or but's, you just can't. Even on your own property.

You could however apply to designate your property as a gun range...

I could be wrong but I believe hunting at night is contrary to the hunting regulations. At least it is in BC. Even if there is no season or tags required for 'yotes, it's still "hunting at night". Maybe that's just for deer? It's been a long time since I've been hunting, and the regs in Alberta may be different.
 
Quite simply you can not discharge a restricted weapon anywhere other than an approved gun range. No if's and's or but's, you just can't. Even on your own property.

I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm saying: "Where is that law"?

I can't find it. I just did searches through the Criminal Code, too. Not there, either.

Is this just something you heard?
 
I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm saying: "Where is that law"?

I can't find it. I just did searches through the Criminal Code, too. Not there, either.

Is this just something you heard?

If you are not sure, call 1-800-731-4000, they will give you very clear answer. When you take the restricted course, it should be addressed.

Trigun
 
I feel for you Rocky7. Good old common sense and individual responsibilities are now replaced by laws, a situation that is even worse in Quebec. As others have posted above, I beg you not to use a restricted/prohibited gun for cleaning pests from your backyard. Should anything go wrong, it is the incident that is eagerly awaited by some politicians and pressure groups to ban whatever is left of our gun permissions.
 
I think our sentiments are the same; except in this important respect - I will NOT be cowed by fear of what some lamebrain, loud, ignorant, narrow-minded liberal (and their media friends) might think, say or do.

I suggest to you that to the extent you surrender your god-given freedoms to those people, you have surrendered to tyranny. It's about nothing less than that. You can write me off as an extremist if you want, but "idealist" would fit me a lot better.

It's a sad statement on this country when law-abiding folks jump every time they hear an imaginary liberal "clap".

Trigun: I called the Firearms Centre. They were closed. I will call again tomorrow. If the law does exist, I will ask for it. Otherwise, neither the Firearms Centre nor any other branch of the GRC has the legal right to dictate to me what I can do, where or how. In a democracy, that is prescribed by elected representatives who pass public laws - not the police. There's a word for countries like that. It's not where I live.
 
I don't know the actual statuate but others have posted the parts from one of the acts that clearly covers the use of restricted firearms on designated areas. And those areas are ranges that are authourized for the discharging of restricted arms. You're likely just not looking at the correct part of the act. Not that I blame you, it's so convoluted that it takes a Philadelphia lawyer to explain the darn thing.

As for "hunting" at night I'd think that you're covered under the killing of pests that are threatening your livestock, family and property at any time of the day or night. As such I would think that it it would not be considered as hunting but protection.

The only catch would be if you're living within the limits of a town or city that has a law against the discharge of firearms outside of duly designated ranges. Sadly the answer to that would be pest control via live capture traps and that costs serious money and is of questionable effectivness against something as smart as a coyote.

Assuming you're out where it's legal to shoot on your own land and just to alleviate any issues or calls before they occur you may want to let the neighbours know what has been going on and that you're going to be dealing with the issue and not to get bothered by a few gunshots that may wake them up. That's just being a considerate neighbour in my book.
 
The only catch would be if you're living within the limits of a town or city ... Sadly the answer to that would be pest control via live capture traps and that costs serious money and is of questionable effectivness against something as smart as a coyote.

..That's just being a considerate neighbour in my book.

Do you seriously think I'd be shooting in town limits? Give me some credit!

I agree about the neighbour thing and am doing that. But on the other hand, I'm not going up and down all the roads within earshot, either. Would'a been nice to just use something not as loud as a 12 ga. More neighbourly for that matter, too, considering I'm likely to be blazing away at 2 am.

I think your suggestion about a .357 was a good one, but now I'm going to wait until I get more info on the legal stuff. What a wierd situation...
 
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From the Firearms Act:

17. Subject to sections 19 and 20, a prohibited firearm or restricted firearm, the holder of the registration certificate for which is an individual, may be possessed only at the dwelling-house of the individual, as recorded in the Canadian Firearms Registry, or at a place authorized by a chief firearms officer.
1995, c. 39, s. 17; 2003, c. 8, s. 15.
Authorized places would be approved shooting ranges, gun stores for repair or sale etc. See Section 19 below.

19. (1) An individual who holds a licence authorizing the individual to possess prohibited firearms or restricted firearms may be authorized to transport a particular prohibited firearm or restricted firearm between two or more specified places for any good and sufficient reason, including, without restricting the generality of the foregoing,
(a) for use in target practice, or a target shooting competition, under specified conditions or under the auspices of a shooting club or shooting range that is approved under section 29;
(a.1) to provide instructions in the use of firearms as part of a restricted firearms safety course that is approved by the federal Minister; or
(b) if the individual
(i) changes residence,

(ii) wishes to transport the firearm to a peace officer, firearms officer or chief firearms officer for registration or disposal in accordance with this Act or Part III of the Criminal Code,

(iii) wishes to transport the firearm for repair, storage, sale, exportation or appraisal, or

(iv) wishes to transport the firearm to a gun show.
19(a) lists the only options for discharging a restricted firearm. Target practice and/or competitive shooting are the only legal reasons allowed for discharging restricted firearms. And those activities can only take place at an approved range as per Section 29. Dwellings, private land, and "the country" are not listed.

Take note that in Alberta discharging a firearm within 200 yards of an occupied dwelling (not including yours) is illegal. The first thing you need to cover is whether any neighbors' homes are lasered within 200 yards. If there is even one, you cannot shoot ANY firearm and that would include air rifles that require a PAL to buy because of higher muzzle velocities.
 
Do you seriously think I'd be shooting in town limits? Give me some credit!...

Well, I was just saying.... And sometimes the town limits extend out quite a ways into rural areas in some cases. For example there's a lot of Langley township near me that you would swear is bonafide farming country but it's actually still within the city limits. And besides you didn't know about the restricted gun issue.
 
17. ... If there is even one, you cannot shoot ANY firearm and that would include air rifles that require a PAL to buy because of higher muzzle velocities.


Very interesting, I was just going to suggest an air rifle or a crossbow. A firearm blast in the middle of the night could likely prompt neighbors to report it (911) and get you into an unwanted situation. An air rifle could be an option. You may want to consider one not requiring a PAL but I am not sure that a velocity less than 500 fps will do the required damage to your unwelcome night guests.

I am curious to hear how you will fix your issue.
 
17. Subject to sections 19 and 20, a prohibited firearm or restricted firearm, the holder of the registration certificate for which is an individual, may be possessed only at the dwelling-house of the individual, as recorded in the Canadian Firearms Registry, or at a place authorized by a chief firearms officer.
1995, c. 39, s. 17; 2003, c. 8, s. 15.
Authorized places would be approved shooting ranges, gun stores for repair or sale etc. See Section 19 below.

19. (1) An individual who holds a licence authorizing the individual to possess prohibited firearms or restricted firearms may be authorized to transport .....
19(a) lists the only options for discharging a restricted firearm. Target practice and/or competitive shooting are the only legal reasons allowed for discharging restricted firearms. And those activities can only take place at an approved range as per Section 29. Dwellings, private land, and "the country" are not listed.

Take note that in Alberta discharging a firearm within 200 yards of an occupied dwelling (not including yours) is illegal. The first thing you need to cover is whether any neighbors' homes are lasered within 200 yards. If there is even one, you cannot shoot ANY firearm and that would include air rifles that require a PAL to buy because of higher muzzle velocities.

Thanks, Jason. Saw all that. My point (which I may not have made real clearly) is that my back deck IS part of my "dwelling house". Isn't it? OK, so I don't need to "transport" my handgun anywhere to take it onto my deck and I therefore don't care what the regs are on "transporting" it. It hasn't left my house.

Next question: If I can possess my handgun on the back deck, can I fire it? That's what I was asking.

Why not? My back deck is not within 200 yds of someone else's house.

The bottom line here is that I am not going to shyte razor blades just because some gun-grabbin' liberal gets their hair on fire. And, without insulting any rational police officers who read this, I'm not going to shyte razor blades just because a gun-grabbin' police officer might get their hair on fire, either (those exist, too). Where I'm not hurting anyone else, I'm generally free to do whatever the heck I want as long as it is not prohibited by law.

I don't see the prohibition to shooting off my back deck if I am correct and that deck is part of my "dwelling house". I know if I had my property surveyed, that deck would certainly show up as part of my house.....

I'm still listening and reading, so if I'm wrong, please don't hesitate to speak up.

Meantime, I'm going to call the Firearms Gong Show and see if they can point me to anything else. In the law.
 
Thanks, Jason. Saw all that. My point (which I may not have made real clearly) is that my back deck IS part of my "dwelling house". Isn't it? OK, so I don't need to "transport" my handgun anywhere to take it onto my deck and I therefore don't care what the regs are on "transporting" it. It hasn't left my house.

Next question: If I can possess my handgun on the back deck, can I fire it? That's what I was asking.

Why not? My back deck is not within 200 yds of someone else's house.

The bottom line here is that I am not going to shyte razor blades just because some gun-grabbin' liberal gets their hair on fire. And, without insulting any rational police officers who read this, I'm not going to shyte razor blades just because a gun-grabbin' police officer might get their hair on fire, either (those exist, too). Where I'm not hurting anyone else, I'm generally free to do whatever the heck I want as long as it is not prohibited by law.

I don't see the prohibition to shooting off my back deck if I am correct and that deck is part of my "dwelling house". I know if I had my property surveyed, that deck would certainly show up as part of my house.....

I'm still listening and reading, so if I'm wrong, please don't hesitate to speak up.

Meantime, I'm going to call the Firearms Gong Show and see if they can point me to anything else. In the law.


it is illegal. if you get caught, you are in BIG SHYTE so shyting razor blades will be the least of your worries....

however, if a tree falls in the woods, and no one hears it does it make a sound?
 
I went to the actual act to look at section 29 but in reading Sections 19 and 29 I think I see where you're coming from.

Section 19 authourizes where the gun resides and what allowances are made for transport which includes transport to a range. And section 29 controls the approval for those ranges. But at no point in the Firearms Act does it actually and specifically list where and when you are allowed to discharge a prohibitted or restricted firearm.

However there's a number of references to sections of the Criminal Code where I suspect you'll find such restrictions and authourizations. I started to look at it but C36 is like a kid's reading primer compared to the convoluted mess of the CCofCanada. Maybe someone else that has prior knowledge can post up. But the bottom line is that we've all been taught that prohibs and restricteds are only authourized to be discharged at a range that is certified for the use of restricted firearms. And considering all the people on this site that would like this to not be true I have trouble believing that there is not a law that specifically deals with where you're allowed to discharge a restricted.
 
Find the law that says you can't discharge a firearm within 5KM of highway, I bet the section you are looking for is right under that. It could be a provincial law too.
 
I don't see the prohibition to shooting off my back deck if I am correct and that deck is part of my "dwelling house". I know if I had my property surveyed, that deck would certainly show up as part of my house.....

While seeming vague 19(a) is still clear. Based on the fact that hunting with a handgun is illegal in all of Canada the only legal reasons to discharge a restricted or prohibited firearm are target practice and competition. And ALL practice or competitions MUST be carried out at an approved range (by the CFO) under the auspices of a club.

So unless your dwelling is not an approved shooting range (yet) then discharging a restricted/prohibited firearm is illegal for any reason. But if you're hell-bent on setting aside the law then google up the plans for a good supressor and load up some nice heavy bulleted sub-sonics and have at'er. I don't know what else I can tell you that everyone hasn't said yet. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Personally I bait the 'yotes and kill them with my bow in daylight from a tree stand. I live on an acreage with lots of trees. But currently we only see the odd one.
 
OK, spoke to the Firearms Centre.

At first, they gave me the same knee-jerk answer - "It's illegal to fire a restricted weapon unless you're at a range."

Me: "Sez who? Where's that written?"

Hold

Hold.

Transfer.

Bottom line: It's not in the Firearms Act. The prohibition, here in Alberta anyway, is in the Wildlife Act and it is because you cannot "hunt" any "wildlife" with a "pistol or revolver".

(yes, a coyote is "wildlife". I checked)

I chased this down because I resent someone - anyone - laying the law down about what I can and cannot do and (this is a big one for me) implying that I always need my government's permission to do something. I don't. I can do whatever I want unless it is proven illegal.

Based on my own research and speaking with the Firearms Center - both the Mother Ship and the Alberta office - I now know this:

1. I cannot shoot a pistol or revolver from my back deck to kill a coyote - not because that is illegal under the Firearms Act, but because it amounts to "hunting" with a pistol or revolver.

2. The Firearms Act does NOT prohibit firing a restricted weapon from my back deck.

Well, that's been fun.

Some of you who so easily answered - wrongly, as it turns out - that "it is illegal because it is illegal" might want to reflect on whether you surrender your freedoms too easily and for no good reason and whether or not that is a good thing and something you want to pass on to your children.

I know this much - the vets I know didn't fight for their government's right to control its citizens. They fought for US. You. Me. Our freedom. Ours. I gently suggest some of you think about that a tad.
 
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