Punt Gun--video

[getitdone1]

The huge Punt Gun was used in the 1800s and early 1900s for market hunting of water fowl. The bore dia. got up to at least 2 inches and the shot load a pound or more. These guns were mounted on a boat, I believe, called a Punt--hence the name.

Here's a video that's pretty impressive:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7FeeamC4qk

Don

[Blaine]

[6pt-sika]

Ever since I read James Michners novel "Cheasapeake" I've wanted an original punt gun from the late 1800's .

A nice bronze or steel one that was brought over here from England would be great of about circa 1870 or so

[Pitchy]

A real man would shoot that from the shoulder

[harry]

Thats great, where did you guys find a video of my sheet gun

[MrMurphy]

They're pretty much bird cannons.....I think they shot at flocks on the water not the air?


Seen two, at the Royal Armory in Leeds, still mounted on punts. Impressive.

[gamekeeper]

I know a guy who still uses a Punt Gun on the south coast near Portsmouth...

[Chuck 100 yd]

How many pellets are there in a pound of #9 shot anyway. I could use one of those to get rid of Starlings in the fall.

[6pt-sika]

How many pellets are there in a pound of #9 shot anyway. I could use one of those to get rid of Starlings in the fall.

9,360 #9 shot to a pound !

585 to an ounce .

[getitdone1]

A real man would shoot that from the shoulder

Pitchy,

That's a good one!

Well, maybe with a thick enough recoil pad ! Say...3 feet or more.

Don

[Ysabel Kid]

A real man would shoot that from the shoulder

Heck, that's why God gave you two of them!

[Washita]

Punt guns were used by market hunters to sneak up on a big flock of swimming ducks & kill them on the water. I once read about a double-barreled punt gun with 2 locks; one percussion & the other flintlock, the latter being slightly elevated. Both barrels were fired at once. The percussion barrel would kill huge numbers on the water. The flintlock, due to its slower lock time, would go off a split second later, killing survivors as they were rising. This gun could kill hundreds of birds with one 2-shot burst.

[Dave James]

My deceased father in law on the Eastern Shore of VA used one of those piror to WW-2, it was still around when we got married as a close line pole, it mounted in a punt boat and he layed alonside it and rowed out into the flocks, the small oars where used to adjust the angle of attack as he said, it was loaded with my mother in laws' flour measuring cup, never said how much powder, "lead" was cut nails , cut in half then quarters, he said they where cheaper to come by and etter then lead, "lead" load was a cup of those over the powder and wad.

All ways wanted to shot that gun

[6pt-sika]

A real man would shoot that from the shoulder

Pitchy,

That's a good one!

Well, maybe with a thick enough recoil pad ! Say...3 feet or more.

Don

I seriousely doubt if a normal stature person could hold one up in the shooting position long enough to get a decent aimed/pointed shot off .