Saw a big bunch of them doing just that down near Ipsden Heath an hour or so ago. They had to stop while I rode past them

It is deemed bad form to shoot low, for example at a low flying bird. Shooting people is also deemed bad form so I assume that is why they stopped whilst you rode past.

Yes, not sure if its a minimum of 25 or 50m from any public right of way and then to not fire in the direction of said right of way

Not if they shout “Duck” or “Grouse” first.

Careful, you’re not allowed to ask questions about shooting on here. 5 mins until you’re being called a townie and being accused of acting hysterically, and having people demand you apologise for your outrageous behaviour.

” It is an offence under the Highways Act 1980 s 161(2) to light any fire on or over a carriageway, or discharge any firearm or firework within 50 feet of the centre of a highway which is a carriageway, with the consequence that a user of the carriageway is injured, interrupted or endangered.”
It’s a bit of a grey area but if it were me I’d have phoned the old bill as it’s just dangerous.
My car got hit,whilst I was driving, a while ago by a pheasant that had been shot (legally) and I pulled over asap ,phoned old bill, they turned up and basically discussed the shoot location etc with the culprits and moved the shoot further into the field. I didn’t want anyone to get in trouble as I’m a shooter myself but thought it was very dangerous. Had I been in a convertible or on a bike the pheasant could have done serious damage or caused a crash. I got an apology letter and a brace of birds off the shoot owner.. 🙂

^^^ This
I’ve used firearms off roads before now without issue.

So by that Act does carriageway not cover Footpath / Bridleway etc.

Is it just roads ?

You need to have permission from the land owner to shoot over that land so assume this may be tricky over a public highway.

firearms@basc.org.uk

Drop these guys an email. They should be able to clarify any laws etc. I was going to but you know where it happened etc so they would give you a definitive answer.

Even if it contains public rights of way like footpaths ?

SHOOTING NEAR RIGHTS OF WAY (E.G. FOOTPATHS & BRIDLEWAYS)
When the footpath runs across private land the ownership of the land and sporting
rights are unaltered. Therefore a person with the shooting/sporting rights may
shoot on or over footpaths on their land equally to public having the right to walk
(to pass and re-pass) along it as a means of communication. So the public and the
shooters have a concurrent right to the footpath and it is up to both parties to not
obstruct the other.

Sorry, I meant No it’s not legal, not yes as I put in my first reply 😳

Basically if youre traveling along the road/path/way you have a right of way and they must halt proceedings until you have passed, unless youre willing to let them finish, they cannot force you to stop. But they may shoot over it, after all it likely belongs to the land owner.

it is up to both parties to not
obstruct the other.

it is however advisable to yield to the men with guns….

There’s a shoot in the Chilterns that goes over a bridelway, never felt threatened by it, maybe I’m too trustworthy!

A few years ago a few of us got rained on by shotgun pellets while riding near to a shoot on Cannock Chase, which was a bit odd.

I suppose they’ve got to come down sometime….

this was in my local paper today;

The terrifying incident happened on Wednesday, December 12 while a man was chatting in his car with two friends in a rural road near Hailsham.

Suddenly there was a loud bang and the driver’s window shattered. Terrified, the three friends piled out of the car and ducked for cover.

After a few minutes, they plucked up the courage to get back in the vehicle where they found an impact mark to the corner of the windscreen.

The driver then realised he had a burn injury to his neck where the bullet had skimmed past.

In the passenger footwell was a spent 0.243 bullet, the type used to hunt game.

http://www.theargus.co.uk/news/10117487.Lucky_driver_grazed_by_bullet/

Edit: stw seems to join ‘r’ and ‘n’ together in unfortunate ways. It was a BURN injury to his neck.