Sould it be illegal to hunt with 8 gauge?

[charlie cleveland]

the 8 ga is a lot of fun to shootand to hunt with...i also wish that the laws could be changed to be able to hunt ducks and geese with them...these old guns weremeant to be able tohunt water fowl with...this is my opinion but i belive that most of your market hunters used 10 and 12 ga guns to hunt with... and when the repeating arms came along it was the 12 ga that was favored to hunt with....there was not more than a little over 400 parker 8 ga built only about 50 or less lc smiths built....there were millions of model 97s winchesters and remingtons and marlins and the list goes on.....the repeater with its fire power greater than the 8 ga as killed far more game than the mighty 8.....it was not the guns faults but it was mans we thought that there would never be a end to the flocks of ducks and geese... man almost brought extinction to most game but man finally seen the light... man has seen that we had to look after the game animals and birds that we all love to hunt...so throgh the efforts of man he has turned hisself around and sees that through our efforts that we will preserve something for our future generations.....in my opion it was nou the large bore gun the punt gun nore the 4 or 8 ga or the repeaters that liked to have took our game and wide life into the history books... it was ourselves that we had to bring under control... all things being said the few that want to hunt with the 8 ga should be allowed to hunt with them.... the 8 ga would be a wonderful fowling piece still if man had understood that it was hisself that had destroyed the great flocks ofducks and geese.....charlie

[King Brown]

Ray, reason prevailing isn't the thing. The thing behind the thing is democratic societies decide how they want to live. As a freelance social and natural resources activist, my work involves making and changing laws. In forestry, myths have become legislation through ignorance, militating against sustainable forest management which publics proclaim that they want. Our countries choose whacky policies by popular consent notwithstanding reality, we change our minds but are left with the misery. Reason or the public interest doesn't enter into it---public interest meaning what we'd choose if we saw clearly, though rationally and acted disinterestedly.

[Bill Murphy]

The fact is that you can shoot a turkey with an eight gauge in some states. I don't know which states they are, but they are out there. I'm not sure that the 1918 law covers RSA waterfowl either. Maybe someone could check this out.

[Ray Masciarella]

Amen, Charlie.

Bill, I'm glad to hear some states allow them.

King, I agree with your last post. It is well taken. Democratic societies have silly rules at times. I don't think it was silly when the law was enacted in 1918 for the reasons I've previously stated. Cutting down on punt guns, 8 ga and repeaters magazines helped waterfowl popualtions. But it's silly now. Most state regualtion on the subject is done by bureaucrats, not legislatures. There is nothing democratic about that. There is no state statue here on the subject but rather a regulation promulgated by Fish and Game. I think they should not be used for waterfowl unless they can shoot nontoxic shot. That's rational-and I think rational still counts for something in this counrty. Why give in to the irrational. Look what has happened to us by doing so in the past. Otherwise, it's time for a change if the people want change.

[Dean Romig]

This is a great discussion and everyone's opinions are valid. I'm enjoying this thread immensely and I don't own a 8 bore and I wouldn't care to hunt with one only for the weight factor.... a fifteen lb. gun is a fifteen lb. gun no matter if you're hunting turkey or geese so it certainly wouldn't be my choice for a fun morning of hunting, But, hey - if you want to hunt with an 8 bore, I agree- the reasons for banning the big gun are no longer valid.

[J.B. Books]

The thought crossed my mind that currently many of the waterfowl restrictions for firearms have been relaxed for spring snow geese seasons; unplugged guns, use of electronic callers, no bag limits etc. Perhaps a petition could be made to USFWS to lift the gauge restriction as well.

[Old and Reliable]

Tomorrow, 26th August, besides being one of my beloved daughter's birthday, is also the 90th. anniversary of the Right to Vote issue- More mis-information about duck hunting, a man's right to have a drink after a hard 8 hrs. at Bethlehem Steel or Russell, Birdsell & Ward, and the general anti-hunting anti-whatever they don't understand movements have come from that, IMO.

I shot a Churchill 8 ga. with 34" barrels once, belongs to a brother PGCA member, and after that a 12 HE Super Fox feels light. If a man wants to use that two shot cannon and pay the price for non-toxic shot loads (a Fed reg that ain't ever gonna change, face it) and hire a small lad with a wheelbarrow to tote it for him, I say- Hell yes. If he wants to use a .410 for Turkeys or Geese, then as Col. Askins said, "better he should take up ping-pong"--

Two years ago this coming Winter- in our 30 day late Goose season, where we are allowed 5/day- a friend and I took our Mossenburghers- 835 Ulti-Mag pumps that take 3 and 3 & 1/2" shot, bought a box each of Federal BB steel- one box 3" the other 3 & 1/2" and flipped a coin, I lucked out and drew the 3" loads- we only took paired up shots at incoming birds at tree-top heights- we killed 7 birds, five stone cold dead in the air, two requiring a finishing shot or two- no difference we could see or advantage in using the 3 & 1/2" (ten ga. equiv) loads- dead is dead.

Sportsmanship afield and clean killing shots are not 100% dependent on gauge, it is the skill and experience level of the man behind the gun- I have no quarrel with the dove, quail and skeetists who love the .410, but like my mentor the late T. Nash Buckingham, believe it has no place in the realm of waterfowling.

I also agree with the analysis of the growing bunch of "antis"- they view ALL guns as being evil, and wouldn't know an 8 gauge if it bit them on the ying-yang!

[Ray Masciarella]

Pete, great idea! Isn't it ironic that the gun was outlawed for killing too much waterfowl and now the feds want us to kill every darn snow goose we see? Times have changed.

[Dean Romig]

What about the 165,000 Canada Geese the state of New York plans to "euthanize"? Wouldn't "Death by 8-Gauge" be far more merciful and dignified for such a worthy target and table fare?

[Ray Masciarella]

Gentlemen, we just might be starting a movement here. I like Dean's idea! And we could give whatever we can't eat to those who are needy. Win-win for all.