ROCKLAND, Maine — The Knox County Sheriff’s Office said it is trying to track down people who are mixing chemicals for target practice and creating “loud bangs” that have disturbed residents around the county.
The manager of a local sporting goods store, however, said he thinks the noises could simply be coming from a legal product and that some citizens are not as tolerant to others target practicing.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office issued a news release late Tuesday about complaints of loud bangs that sound like explosives going off in the middle of the county.
On Monday night, a complaint came in from the North Union Road area in Union that was heard as far as Waldoboro and St. George a few miles away.
“These extremely loud ‘bangs’ have been heard periodically throughout the middle of the county,” Sheriff Donna Dennison said Wednesday. She said a citizen, whose name is not being released, informed the department that the noise is coming from a product sold for target practice that explodes when struck by a high-velocity bullet. The problem, she said, is that the citizen also told her the product was being mixed with other chemicals to make it more explosive and loud. She said that mixing would make it illegal.
She said the mixture was being used at an undisclosed gravel pit in Warren.
Dennison said while gravel pits have long been used for target practice, people should first obtain permission before going on someone else’s property.
The mixture of a legal product and other chemicals creates a potentially dangerous situation, she said.
Greg Johnson, a manager at Johnson’s Sporting Goods in Rockland, however, said he had not heard of the exploding targets being mixed with other things to produce a louder noise.
The Rockland store sells the exploding targets under the name “Sonic Boom.” Sonic Boom is sold in one-pound containers and consists of a granular product. Johnson said when the powder is struck by a high-velocity bullet it will explode.
He said the noise is similar to one of the less loud fireworks that go off on the Fourth of July.
Johnson pointed out that he has heard from officers that people who live near gun ranges that have been in place for a long time are receiving more complaints from people simply not used to the sound of gunfire and noises related to target practice.
The Knox County Sheriff’s Office news release stated that the department will proceed according to law in enforcing the efforts of trying to keep people safe.
The sheriff said charges could include the Class C felony charge of criminal use of explosives or the Class E misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.
“Hopefully, those using this product will see this and act accordingly,” the release stated.
The department said if anyone has information regarding the source of the complaints to call the Knox County Sheriff’s Office at 593-9132.
Can’t be any worse than the guys who are setting fireworks off at night around here. I don’t know how long guys will be shooting tannerite at 7 bucks a target, gets expensive quick.
Drive by most of the fireworks stores….Other than 6 weeks a year, they look pretty dead to me.I agree, @ $7.00 each these sportsman will find some beer cans pretty quick.
“Sportsman”?????……..LOL.
That’s right, target shooting is a sport, sport.
Gives a good cardio workout just like that other ‘sport’: The one where you hit a ball with a metal stick before jumping on an electric cart to wherever the ball landed. At least baseball makes a player run once in awhile.
you mean me and my cannon aren’t welcome?
how about offeringa place for people to target practice legally? I’ll gladly pay a one time use fee to go shooting at a range with a 100-300yard range… hell someone could make a nice buisness out of it..
I would love to be able to shoot further than 50-70 yards when I’m sighting in. Be nice if the state were to set aside some land on a WMA for just that purpose.
“Be nice if the state were to set aside some land on a WMA for just that purpose.”
Not unless you retrieve your own bullets. The citizens of Maine are not and should not be responsible to clean up the waste spewed from weapons.
Never heard of a bullet trap? If that’s what it takes than fine, I always pick up my shells, brass, and targets. Anyone who leaves trash out at a site is a dubber in my opinion. If the concern is lead, than obviously you have to take into account what effect there may be on the local environment which I believe is negligible in most cases.
What happened to the Warren Range, we use to shoot 800 yards I think and and easy 400 yards?
That has been closed down for years… ever since they found the product they were burying in the berms was extremely flammable.
The problem seems to be that our overly friendly Government is causing gun ranges to comply with new lead pollution rules. These rules will shut down what ranges we have now. Target practice in the backyard will be illegal soon.
Felony charges for using a legal product?! Boy they will try anything.
Mixing bathroom cleaner and aluminum foil in a plastic bottle is a felony. But mixing bleach and ammonia, (although not recommended) is still legal.
really? A felony?
But it smells so good….LOL
The product(s) may be legal. But last I checked, disturbing the peace was not. As far as I know, those trying to stop it are those that live nearby and are disturbed by it.
I shoot exploding targets often, according to the manufacturer, if you try to up the catalyst it makes the explosion weaker, the catalyst is supposed to be an aluminum,
dust, the actual explosion as i understand it is a water vapor reaction, how ever these targets can do damage and send fragments into the air the manufacturer suggests 100yrds away. Always use caution with any firearm always make sure the weapon is empty check it twice open the chamber, have fun ad be safe.
I guess that’s what happens when you take a housewife out of the kitchen and make her the sheriffette.
I know nada about this product, but must give kudos to Stephen Betts–awesome title! I’d never have bothered to even glance at it if the title had been “Knox county police trying to solve possible exploding target problem”. I also glanced briefly at the poll attached to the article. There’s no way to vote a simple yes or no honestly. Do I want someone using exploding targets (or setting off fireworks) next door at 5am? No, do I care if they so the same thing in the gravel pit a short distance from my house during the times of day when the average person is awake? Not at all. There is no black or white answer to something like this. It’s like asking if we want steak or lobster–it depends.
Let me see if I get this right. If you hear a big boom, bang, or bam that means you hit your target. How the heck did people know when they were hitting the target before?
Trying to solve the problem? Maybe they could make a TV show about it….call it….oh, I don’t know….”The Big Bang Theory”?
You beat me to it. I was thinking something similar. LOL.
I have no problem with people target shooting. I do have issues with the jerks doing it past 9 pm. I hear these booms quite often and at night. It is almost as bad as listening to the fireworks every weekend in the summer, again at night. Mixing chemicals to enhance these booms is border line retarded. Strike that, it is retarded. When these fools injure themselves or somebody else, they will then be the problem of all of us who will pay their S.S.D.I. Not to mention the fact they are transporting these items to places to shoot. A first responder to a vehicle accident might get a rude awakening if several of these plus chemicals happen to pop off while attending the injured. Even if it didnt blow, i’m sure the fumes wouldn’t be pleasant.
It doesn’t matter if they are mixing legal or illegal chemicals, playing loud music or sitting in the driveway revving the engine on their monster truck.
If they are making too much noise then they should be charged with disturbing the peace or disorderly conduct.
Are they disturbing the residents of Northern Mass????? Wait until they get that big tank in Searsport, that is going to really upset them..