Thread: Sighting in rifle without a Police callout

I've just put a PARD 5.6-22x Day/Night scope on my 25-06, which now needs to be sighted in.
Two months ago I moved to a 10 acre block in a semi-rural area...lifestyle blocks with a couple of neighbours not too far away.
I have 3 huge fallen down trees that can provide a safe background to a target if I were to hang one up in front of them, so safety is not an issue.
However, the Arms Act Section 48 says:

48 - Discharging firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near dwellinghouse or public place

A person commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months, or to a fine not exceeding $10,000, if the person, without reasonable excuse, discharges a firearm, airgun, pistol, or restricted weapon in or near a dwellinghouse or a public place so as to—
(a) endanger property; or
(b) endanger, annoy, or frighten any person.


So the question I have is:

Can I sight in my rifle for hunting (there is the "reasonable excuse"), on my new lifestyle block?
Remember it's a bloody loud .25-06 going off around 5x, which will most probably "annoy or frighten" my neighbours but will not "endanger them or their property".

Why don't you just pop in to your couple of neighbours and let them know what you are going to do. That way you should not annoy or frighten them and they will know they are not endangered.....


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Talk to your neighbours & let them know your intentions

I think your best bet is to talk to the neighbours if possible. If not, develop an interest in subsonic ammunition. It's never 5 shots! I zeroed a 7mm08 on a similar property once. No safety issues as I was shooting in to a high, steep hill. The noise upset some horses on neighbouring land and phone calls were made. Luckily, the police were not involved.

Yes you have a reasonable purpose for discharging your firearm, however Noone can control how your neighbors will react to you shooting it.
Why not start by talking to your neighbors, explain what you plan to do and when, maybe go over what saftey mechanisms you have in place to help put their minds at ease?

The legislation is flawed as 'annoy' is a highly subjective term. I know that doesn't help you at all, just worth noting.

I think the law read as “ having the intention to annoy”. We talked about it in another posts some years ago.

Pretty sad that we live in a time when even living in the country you have to worry about people getting all emotional over a few gunshots

Looks like 'talk to your neighbours' is the reasoned approach, and I agree... however...

Four weeks ago, I talked to my neighbours on both sides of me to explain I was going to sight in my .243 (so this is actually the second time and a different rifle), and there would be shots fired safely (I emphasised safely). Both of them agreed as long as it was only a few times a year, i.e., not regularly.

However... I didn't mention it to my neighbour 1 km behind me because there is a creek and cattle run between his hoppy farm and mine... I thought the distance was far enough away.
Mistake...I had fired about 5 shots when he ended up storming up to the creek on his side and yelling that his wife is freaking out and 'what the hell do I tell her'.
I tried to calm him down, but it took a while.
The guy has absolutely no idea of firearms esp rifles and how small a target I am getting my sighting in group into. He thought the bullets were flying around in the air all over the place I in the bloody movies.
In the end, I calmed him down, but we couldn't agree on me sighting in a few times a year when required. He (his wife) doesn't want to hear a loud rifle again.
So yeah...that's where it stands.

That is a thorny one Heritage as you are likely quite within your legal rights I would prepare a letter to him after speaking to your local Arma officer include photos of the range including back stop and direction of fire - and how many shots will be fired - frequency of use - you will advise him beforehand - and also point out you have spoken to police and are within your rights but I would not just chuck in the towell

Well if it’s really only a few times a year is there not a local range you could just use to keep the peace? Do you run a suppressor? Maybe start up a chainsaw, a weed whacker and do some nail gunning and circular sawing, then just let off a few suppressed shots through the racket haha

Maybe karen should have stayed in ponsonby.

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

That is a thorny one Heritage as you are likely quite within your legal rights I would prepare a letter to him after speaking to your local Arma officer include photos of the range including back stop and direction of fire - and how many shots will be fired - frequency of use - you will advise him beforehand - and also point out you have spoken to police and are within your rights but I would not just chuck in the towell

This is also solid advice. As long as you are totally sure you are legally in the right, should they call the cops on you. Drop a letter in fully explaining when you are going to shoot, how safe it is, its only in a certain direction and poses no danger to them. Ine of our neighbours used to drop letters advising when he was going to be running his race car for maintenance or whatever. He would warn everyone several days in advance and state it was only going to be between these times etc. Leave some contact details in case they have questions or have some valid reason they don’t want you shooting at that time (having a social gathering or something), might work. If they are being really unreasonable and you are absolutely sure you are in the right legally then I guess just tell them how it is and go ahead at the stated time.

Yeah, very good advice, gentlemen
The local firearms officer knows me personally and hopefully will be happy to help out. I know her so well that she might even be willing to come out and look at the safety of my target backstop (tree trunks) and the distance from Karen's 'dwelling'.
If the firearms officer can then write a letter to somehow reassure 'Karen', then that reassurance of safety, plus me notifying her before I sight in my rifle, just might work.

We have a kiwi fruit orchard close and he has a lpg bird scarer, that would freak out Karen, sometimes three shotgun like blasts in a row, hate the bloody thing.