[deleted]

So, so easy to simply call the respective town offices and ask. Most towns and cities have non-discharge areas. You're going to want to get a feel as to how they are to interact with anyway as part of your decision.

[deleted]

I wish it were that easy, the three times I’ve called a couple of these towns nobody’s picked up 😩

100 Yards - If your neighbors are cool you can still shoot within 100 Yrds of their dwelling with written permission IIRC (Don't hold me on that).

Get a good back stop / berm built up.

A lot of the time you can lookup firearm ordinances on town websites since it's a commonly asked question. Many towns won't restrict it, some restrict it to certain areas, and some do not permit it at all inside the town limits.

Be aware of ricochets and your backdrop. Bullets can travel quite far if they skip off of hard ground. Soft berm backstop or equivalent to keep the projectiles from leaving your property if you're shooting anything in the rifle category. And, as always, shooting at a public or private range is preferred (though I too go shooting in my backyard sometimes; got to keep those property values down).

As courtesy, I'd be friendly and talk to nearby neighbors in hearing range to see if they have any times/dates they'd prefer you not shoot and see if you can accommodate them. I grew up next to an avid shooter; 90% of the time it wasn't an issue but sometimes they'd be going to town around dinner time and it's disruptive trying to watch TV/Movie while someone's dumping off 50 rounds half a mile away. It would have been nice if we could ask him to limit how much shooting they did past 5 pm or whatnot.

[deleted]

Just be cognizant that you're 1 million % liable for stray and ricochet rounds

Every time I call any part of the government there’s no response. Pretty convinced there is nine in Maine.

Those are all towns listed in the description not cities. Contact the respective town office.

Those areas are a bit condensed population wise. I personally wouldn't feel comfortable shooting unless the nearest house was at least a mile away for rifle and a less for trap. Always know the area you are shooting so you don't shoot toward other people's buildings/livestock.

Small town clerk offices are often only staffed part time

Try joining the Norway Paris Fish and Game Club. They have an outstanding variety of shooting choices. They also have hunting and gun safety training. A first class club house and gathering. Another option is the Royal River Gun Club in Gray. A smaller club but convenient on route 100. Then there is Howells Indoor gun Shop in Gray by the turnpike on-ramp. Howells is an outstanding gun and archery range with training and gun service and repair provided. A good knowledgable group of men and women.

Easy tough guy

From personal experience, Limington probably won’t answer the phone ever. Leave a message.

No shit Rambo, relax. Jesus.

You're the embodiment of the arguments for gun control. Comments like this are so counterproductive.

Go in there and chat with the clerk in the Town Office. You can also look up the hours online, sometimes they have slightly odd hours, but Mainers take their small town municipal systems very seriously (some say too seriously) So befriending, or at least knowing who to talk to, can be invaluable for a variety of reasons.

There are a lot of invisible rules, so tread lightly.

I'd make sure you're calling an appropriate dept number if you don't get a response from the clerk's office, and/or stop in in person, and/or call appropriate law enforcement agency, which may be local PD, or sheriff's office, or state police, or call the game warden for the area. They all have web sites. Small town 101, which you are going to need to learn to navigate, is a little different from living in Portland. The plus is, if you catch the right person and they have time to chat you can learn a lot about the part of town you are interested in buying.

I’ve heard the gun club in Waterford is really good as well.

However I’ve never been

For Standish, just swing into the clerks office. I know a few of my neighbors shoot on their property and it’s never been a problem. We also have the buxton Hollis rod and gun club just a quick ride away. They’re nice folks too.

In addition to what everyone else said regarding a good berm/backstop , and being very four rules conscious, shoot suppressed if you can. Makes all the difference!

Almost noone that target practices in central and southern maine lives more than 1 mile from their closest neighbor

Never heard of it. But there is a large one down by Sacco.

The Gray Royal River Game Club had to build a berm at least 15 feet high. Probably two dozen large trucks worth of soil. Much easier to join a club.

What's needed for a club with many members, some not so good, and what one person needs is vastly different.

Is it for centerfire rifles at 80-100yds or sidearms/pistols at 50'?

Could be that the property has a decent 10' outcropping on it.

Agree with joining a club though.

Know what your backstop is, a lot of trees don’t count. Shoot into a hill, sand berm, etc. and be cautious.

You people are actually mentally handicapped lol