Shooting over water safety depends a lot on what is on the other side. I have shot on private ranges that that have a big hill on the same property for a berm. A lease I had for years we had a few acre pond we would shoot over into the hillside beyond out to 800 yards. When you have a 30+ foot berm on the other side of the water you are good. Now shooting across public water is another story.
One place I hunted in Montana there was a 15 acre private lake with a mountain on the same ranch right behind it. National forest was in that direction but over 3 miles away on the other side of the mountain.
Just saying it depends a lot on location as to if I will shoot over water or not. If there is a tall enough backstop f earth on the other side of the water on private land, no problem. I have killed several deer and hogs on the other side of a pond, shoot the critter and the bullet comes no where close to the water, no different than shooting across dirt which like DNS pointed out a bullet can go a long ways after hitting the dirt
Knowing Ed I am sure he knew what is on the other side of his target as a backstop
One place I hunted in Montana there was a 15 acre private lake with a mountain on the same ranch right behind it. National forest was in that direction but over 3 miles away on the other side of the mountain.
Just saying it depends a lot on location as to if I will shoot over water or not. If there is a tall enough backstop f earth on the other side of the water on private land, no problem. I have killed several deer and hogs on the other side of a pond, shoot the critter and the bullet comes no where close to the water, no different than shooting across dirt which like DNS pointed out a bullet can go a long ways after hitting the dirt
Knowing Ed I am sure he knew what is on the other side of his target as a backstop