Last weekend I was out at my buddies place doing a little target shooting with my dad. This place is 1.5 miles (as the crow flys) from the nearest paved road. Its County, not city. We have a 6' berm and Chris (buddy) had a box blade on a tractor and dug down 6" to 8" and built the berm up from there. So we're in fact, shooting downward slightly.
Anyway. Too much detail. Heres the story.
My dad and I are out shooting the 22's having a great time. About an hour goes by and Chris come over and we're just taking a break BSing about stuff. A few minutes later Chris' kids come over (9 and 15) and I ask Chris if maybe his kids would like to do a little shooting. So we get the kids all set up on the bench rests and they get their ear plugs in and set. The pull chairs up to the bench and start to take aim.
Chris looks over at me and says "What was the cops name from last weekend?" I couldn't recall his name. So I turned my attention back to his boy who was on my gun.
[The cop Chris was referring to was very nice. He came up while we were shooting the week before just to make sure everything was safe and that we weren't being stupid. He then stood around for the next 30 minutes swapping stories. Cool guy.]
So, CJ takes a shot. Starts to rack the bolt when I see Chris out of the corner of my eye take a step towards his gate. I look around and I see a sheriffs car pulling up. I turn back to his son and tell him to put the safety on and hang on for a minute. I go to take my ear plugs out and I hear
"PUT THE WEAPONS DOWN AND COME OUT FROM BEHIND THE TRUCK WITH YOUR HANDS UP!!"
I take my plugs out and look at Chris who is now by the front of my truck and he's smiling. So I think "Ok, its out buddy from last week and he's just having some fun with us." So I start walking up with Chris...Look up to the gate and the Sheriff...
Get this...is almost FALLING out of his car PULLING HIS GUN ON US!! This is NOT the same deputy. Chris looks at him and asks "Are you serious?!" and he replies "I'M DEAD SERIOUS!! GET YOUR HANDS UP!!"
Of course, Chris gets his hands up...but he's also informing the deputy of what we're doing and that he is over reacting. And about that time Chris' kids come around my truck and up to Chris. I think this is the point when it finally downed on the deputy that things were not as serious as he once thought. I mean, its not like we were ducking and diving with automatic weapons. We were just having a little target practice with kids.
So now the deputy starts in on how what we're doing is unsafe and what if someone slips, falls and pulls a trigger. Of if we hit a rock and theres a ricochet and what about the houses on the other side of the woods down range.
I could go in to detail about how there are no houses on the other side of the woods. Or the bench rests or the fact that my gun is bolt action and my dads stove pipes so much, I can actually unload 10 rounds faster with my bolt action. But, I'm not going there.
Moral of the story is.
The deputy said we cannot shoot out here and quoted Fl Statute "790" and said “its within 1,000 feet of a person or building. That’s Florida law”
Heres the part were I start to get a little upset.
I canNOT find anything is any statute that says we can't shoot there. Other than, if were were shooting FROM the truck or near a school.
790.15: Except as provided in subsection (2) or subsection (3), any person who knowingly discharges a firearm in any public place or on the right-of-way of any paved public road, highway, or street or whosoever knowingly discharges any firearm over the right-of-way of any paved public road, highway, or street or over any occupied premises is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. This section does not apply to a person lawfully defending life or property or performing official duties requiring the discharge of a firearm or to a person discharging a firearm on public roads or properties expressly approved for hunting by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or Division of Forestry.
(2) Any occupant of any vehicle who knowingly and willfully discharges any firearm from the vehicle within 1,000 feet of any person commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
790.115: A person who exhibits any sword, sword cane, firearm, electric weapon or device, destructive device, or other weapon as defined in s. 790.001(13), including a razor blade, box cutter, or common pocketknife, except as authorized in support of school-sanctioned activities, in the presence of one or more persons in a rude, careless, angry, or threatening manner and not in lawful self-defense, at a school-sponsored event or on the grounds or facilities of any school, school bus, or school bus stop, or within 1,000 feet of the real property that comprises a public or private elementary school, middle school, or secondary school, during school hours or during the time of a sanctioned school activity, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
If someone could please point me to the section that says I cannot shoot my guns "within a 1,000 feet of a building/dwelling" without it being from my truck, or near a school. I would greatly appreciate it. And for what its worth, I'm not going to go hit the bee's next with a stick. I just want to know if that deputy was right or wrong. It would make me sleep better at night.
Anyway. Too much detail. Heres the story.
My dad and I are out shooting the 22's having a great time. About an hour goes by and Chris come over and we're just taking a break BSing about stuff. A few minutes later Chris' kids come over (9 and 15) and I ask Chris if maybe his kids would like to do a little shooting. So we get the kids all set up on the bench rests and they get their ear plugs in and set. The pull chairs up to the bench and start to take aim.
Chris looks over at me and says "What was the cops name from last weekend?" I couldn't recall his name. So I turned my attention back to his boy who was on my gun.
[The cop Chris was referring to was very nice. He came up while we were shooting the week before just to make sure everything was safe and that we weren't being stupid. He then stood around for the next 30 minutes swapping stories. Cool guy.]
So, CJ takes a shot. Starts to rack the bolt when I see Chris out of the corner of my eye take a step towards his gate. I look around and I see a sheriffs car pulling up. I turn back to his son and tell him to put the safety on and hang on for a minute. I go to take my ear plugs out and I hear
"PUT THE WEAPONS DOWN AND COME OUT FROM BEHIND THE TRUCK WITH YOUR HANDS UP!!"
I take my plugs out and look at Chris who is now by the front of my truck and he's smiling. So I think "Ok, its out buddy from last week and he's just having some fun with us." So I start walking up with Chris...Look up to the gate and the Sheriff...
Get this...is almost FALLING out of his car PULLING HIS GUN ON US!! This is NOT the same deputy. Chris looks at him and asks "Are you serious?!" and he replies "I'M DEAD SERIOUS!! GET YOUR HANDS UP!!"
Of course, Chris gets his hands up...but he's also informing the deputy of what we're doing and that he is over reacting. And about that time Chris' kids come around my truck and up to Chris. I think this is the point when it finally downed on the deputy that things were not as serious as he once thought. I mean, its not like we were ducking and diving with automatic weapons. We were just having a little target practice with kids.
So now the deputy starts in on how what we're doing is unsafe and what if someone slips, falls and pulls a trigger. Of if we hit a rock and theres a ricochet and what about the houses on the other side of the woods down range.
I could go in to detail about how there are no houses on the other side of the woods. Or the bench rests or the fact that my gun is bolt action and my dads stove pipes so much, I can actually unload 10 rounds faster with my bolt action. But, I'm not going there.
Moral of the story is.
The deputy said we cannot shoot out here and quoted Fl Statute "790" and said “its within 1,000 feet of a person or building. That’s Florida law”
Heres the part were I start to get a little upset.
I canNOT find anything is any statute that says we can't shoot there. Other than, if were were shooting FROM the truck or near a school.
790.15: Except as provided in subsection (2) or subsection (3), any person who knowingly discharges a firearm in any public place or on the right-of-way of any paved public road, highway, or street or whosoever knowingly discharges any firearm over the right-of-way of any paved public road, highway, or street or over any occupied premises is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083. This section does not apply to a person lawfully defending life or property or performing official duties requiring the discharge of a firearm or to a person discharging a firearm on public roads or properties expressly approved for hunting by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission or Division of Forestry.
(2) Any occupant of any vehicle who knowingly and willfully discharges any firearm from the vehicle within 1,000 feet of any person commits a felony of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
790.115: A person who exhibits any sword, sword cane, firearm, electric weapon or device, destructive device, or other weapon as defined in s. 790.001(13), including a razor blade, box cutter, or common pocketknife, except as authorized in support of school-sanctioned activities, in the presence of one or more persons in a rude, careless, angry, or threatening manner and not in lawful self-defense, at a school-sponsored event or on the grounds or facilities of any school, school bus, or school bus stop, or within 1,000 feet of the real property that comprises a public or private elementary school, middle school, or secondary school, during school hours or during the time of a sanctioned school activity, commits a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084.
If someone could please point me to the section that says I cannot shoot my guns "within a 1,000 feet of a building/dwelling" without it being from my truck, or near a school. I would greatly appreciate it. And for what its worth, I'm not going to go hit the bee's next with a stick. I just want to know if that deputy was right or wrong. It would make me sleep better at night.