Big guns

[John Truitt]

So not to mess up the other thread.

To the guys who follow and know about the big guns.

Are guns like the one Mr. Kuss has shared with us made for pass shooting or were they more put on tripods, bow of a boat type shooting.

I just have a hard time imaging the man it took to shoot a gun like that for pass shooting. If so the man really knew his stuff. I would loved to have been able to sit down with that guy and talk to him as well as watch him put his craft to work.
There certainly are exceptions to every rule but in general how were those really big guns used?

[Dean Romig]

I've got a book somewhere with a picture of a large steam-powered boat bringing some men back from waterfowl hunting with birds hanging all over the boat and one of the men is holding an enormous side by side. I'll look for it this evening and post a picture if I find it.

[Bill Murphy]

Many competitors shoot American Skeet today with 11 pound plus guns, shooting 200 birds a day, with scores in the very high nineties, including doubles. It isn't hard to imagine swinging a 13 pound eight gauge on forty ducks. Of course, you have to be in shape. Most guys who handle wooden boats are in shape.

[Eric Eis]

I have (I thnk ) the only upland 8 ga :rotf:, straight stock, 30" barrels (so you could swing it in heavy brush) flat rib and recoil pad all factory. It's a D and weighs maybe around 12 lbs feels like a lightweight compared to the other D grade that I had that had 36" tubes and weighed over 15lbs.

Bill were you allowed to shoot pigeons with an 8 ga in competion back in the day? Eric

[Dean Romig]

I remember the 15 pounder Eric - you had it at the Southern a few years back. I sure would like to see your uplander :rolleyes:

[Dave Suponski]

Eric, Could you bring the 8 to Hidden Hollow? That would be a great gun to display.....:bowdown:

[Bill Murphy]

Eric, tell us about the provenance and serial number of your D grade 30" gun. TPS mentions that there is only one Damascus eight gauge D hammerless with 30" barrels. Is this your gun?

[charlie cleveland]

as most people were in better shape in the days gone by it was not much of a chore for them to do pass shooting....i pass shoot crows sometime with a parker 8 at about 13 lbs and a old f a loomis at about 14 1/2 lbs...there not hard at all to raise and shoot...now turkey hunting is a littls differant...raising the big gun and holding it out staight for alittle while will give you out... plus toting it for long ways is tiring also..i have to just set in a blind if i hunt with the 8 for turkey now...maybe destrey and some of the others will pitch in here thet have pass shot ducks and geese with their 8 gas lately... charlie

[Eric Eis]

Eric, tell us about the provenance and serial number of your D grade 30" gun. TPS mentions that there is only one Damascus eight gauge D hammerless with 30" barrels. Is this your gun?

No Bill it is the only fluid steel gun made with 30" barrels.
Dave let me think about that I would like to just have to see.
Dean this is a lightweight compared to that one.

Bill you forgot to answer my question, did pigeon shooters ever use these for compitition?. I mean that is the only thing that makes sense.

[Theodore LeDurt]

I have a friend who takes his 8ga (sleeved to a 10ga) out to the Dakotas for spring snow geese. No guide, no decoys. He simply gets on a fence row, along a flight line and pass shoots at what most consider lonnnnnng shots. He keeps a log and I believe he told me a couple seasons back, he went 60 for 64 shots.

Having been with outfitters several times for snow geese, I would much rather take my retriever and relax on a fence row by myself or with a friend.

[Eric Eis]

Well guys, I had a brain fart.... My D 8ga does not have 30" (not sure why I was thinking that when I posted) it has 34" fluid steel barrels (again one of one) sorry for the confusion

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I've shot both ducks and geese on the wing with guns weighing 15 or 16 pounds. It's not really that tough, you just don't shoot real quick. Takes a minute to get the gun picked up and moving, once that's done it's just wing shooting like any other.

Destry

[John Truitt]

D,

I was hoping you would add to this. I remember some pics you shared with us of you in England or Scottland shooting a big 4 bore.

Did any of those boys share any stories of long shots taken with those big guns. ( I mean long shots)

[Destry L. Hoffard]

They say the 4 bore guns will kill at 100 yards if they're loaded heavy and held right. I killed a mallard drake with one at pushing 80 yards, an old school long shore gunner was standing at my shoulder as a coach. Would like to go over there and do it one more time, particularly flighting the pinkfoot geese with a big bore.


Destry

[John Truitt]

Thats out there.

To bad the 8's and above are outlawed here.

[John Truitt]

I am interested to know the boring, internal design, and choking of these big bores relative to the "long range 12's" and 10's.

Is it all relative and the same or does it all change as we increase bore diameter?

Becker might have known.

[charlie cleveland]

john one things for sure..the big bores handle large shot better what i mean is they pattern large shot such as 2s bbs and bigger better than the small bores...if i can find it onefellow does much hunting and patterningf with the 4 and 8 ga.... gives a lot of detail info but dont think he gives anyinfo on the cokes of the big guns...ive done a lot of patterning and pentration tests myself with these guns....they are capable of some really long range shots.... charlie