Geez, look what I started again, although I think it's worth the discussion.
Forrest, I have no bone to pick with you and respect your sense of sportsmanship, but saying even if something is legal it's still unethical is just plain wrong. Unethical to who? Who is setting these rules of ethics? You say "each of us must make our own decisions" but question our ethics even if we engage in a legal activity? If it's legal it's ethical. I Like you said, we are free to make our own choices. If you're more sporting then others, I respect you for it. There are some things I choose not to do that are legal. I live in Florida and hunting turkeys with a rifle is legal. I choose a shotgun cause I like calling them in. I could hunt them in the fall but don't do that either. I don't kill Jakes. But I don't consider those who kill Jakes, use rifles or hunt in the fall unethical.
Charlie, Francis and Destry have it right. Last time I checked, we still lived in America-the land of freedom. I have no interest in buying a "modern 8 ga" (whatever that is). I'd like to get an old 8 ga. Figure out how to get some ammo. Lug it to the turkey woods and see if I could hit one with it. That's much more challenging then shooting it with a rilfe, which, again, is perfectly legal.
Punt guns: They were used by market hunters who sold their ducks. That was their business. No one is in that business today. It's illegal to sell migratory game-at least here in Florida- not sure what the feds say about it. Like Destry said, no one would use them even if they were legal as they have no real use today.
It's time to rethink all this stuff. If you don't want to use a 8 or 10 ga or rifle, that's up to you, but disparaging others as unethical for engaging in legal activity is not a way to have a meaningful discussion.
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