Shooting from a boat?

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If this question should be in the "gun laws" section feel free to move it.

My question, which is entirely theoretical, is this:
If I am on my boat and I am over 3 miles offshore and I shoot at something floating in the water it is likely that some Law Enforcement agency would be upset and would give me a hard time. My question is who has jurisdiction? The city that is closest? The county? The state? The DEP?, The Coast Guard? The Navy, Homeland Security?

And how far offshore would I have to be before most, if not all, of the above would have no jurisiction?

I want to state that I would never do this but I have often wondered what would happen if I did.
 
Thinking of going whaling with a .50 BMG are we?

The thing I would be most worried about would be having to return in an emergency and end up in MA with a pile of guns. I would think the coast guard would be who you would have to answer to if there was an issue because most local pd's don't have boats patrolling out 3 miles.
 
State Jurisdiction ends at 3 miles from shore. Be aware that cape cod bay makes it possible to be more than 3 miles from land but still within state waters. Due to the shape of cape cod. So look at a chart. As far as firing outside of 3 miles....Well that is my jurisdiction. It is entirely fine to shoot your weapon provided no vessels are within it's maximum range. As a matter of fact. Gunshots of 1 per minute is considered an international distress signal. Fisherman carry firearms to shoot sharks that get hooked so they can safely remove sharks from their gear without injury to them selves. Skeet is also very popular from the stern of a boat. Have fun,
 
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My father and grandfather were both fisherman. They always kept a 12ga for the occasional shark and other pests at sea. I have shot skeet from the stern of a 30' Novi out past the Isles of Shoals, it's quite fun and challenging.( no pun intended) Give it a shot, you'll see what I mean.
 
Don't know much about the laws of this sort of thing, but shooting into water can cause strange bullet behavior. A small, light projectile hitting the surface of water at a high speed can result in unpredictable ricochet. Proceed at your own risk.
 
If you are hunting then its the general 500 feet from a dwelling and 125 feet from a road. You don't have to be 3 miles offshore. But if you are shooting hunting just make sure you cut the engine before you shoot.
 
Funny story

I know a guy (not me this time) that went tuna fishing and did not have a gaff, but did have a .38. Needless to say it did not work.
 
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