[MarketHunter]

Sure why not make it legal here in the US again. It would be no threat to waterfowl populations if that's your big concern. Nobody would do it, just like hardly anybody does it in the places it's still legal such as the UK. It's very very dangerous, out on big open water in a tiny boat with a giant iron pipe of a gun weighing you down. You'd have to use non-toxic shot, a pound or more of tungsten matrix would be pretty pricey don't you think? What few punt gunners that are active in the UK maybe average a shot once every three to five trips and they only make maybe that many trips in a season. It's as tough a shooting sport as exists on this planet. What few guys still hunt that way do it out of a sense of tradition.

As far as the shooting sports being much different in the UK than here and it being "much more exclusive" you're absolutely wrong. They have somewhat more stringent gun laws than we do but it doesn't cost anything to own a gun other than the small fee you pay for your permit. Anybody can hunt and own firearms, you don't have to be the Lord of the Manor. Last time I checked, my close shooting friends over there were a greenskeeper (lawn care service), a diesel mechanic, and a security guard. They're all waterfowlers, all shoot their share of driven game, all own several guns, and all are just regular guys like you and me. There are rich people that hunt and places that are expensive to go but there are plenty of shooters and shooting opportunity for working class people too.

The Ithaca Mag 10 was made up into the early 80's, we're not talking about 50's era rural American here. It was never popular or in widespread use. I just don't understand why you think an 8 gauge pumpgun would be? Guys want cheap ammo and cheap guns, it's just that simple. These three ounce 80% pattern shells you're talking about would be $10 each or more. How many guys are going to drop that kind of money just to try and pass shoot a goose at 80 yards?

Might be something for the specialized turkey hunter who only shoots a few rounds a year but for waterfowling they just wouldn't be practical. As far as fair chase on those birds, lots of states in the west allow you to turkey hunt with a rifle. You can kill one with a .243 a whole hell of a lot further than you could with any kind of shotgun even a 4 gauge with these super shells you've got worked up in your mind.

This is all just conjecture, the ban will never be lifted. If it was ever proposed and the liberal media got ahold of it I shudder to imagine what kind of lies they'd make up if we're getting these kind of responses from actual gun owners and sportsmen.