4 bore shotgun.

[macFarlaine]

Anyone out there use a 4 bore DB shotgun for goose shooting.

 

[El Tejon]

You mean rifle? It may be hard on the meat=>http://www.african-hunter.com/4-bore_part_i.htm

Maybe you mean 4 gauge, as in a punt gun?

Punt gun in action=>http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=7657053

You may want to check fed and state hunting regs first.

 

[macFarlaine]

Sorry Engish 4 bore,American 4 guage.Yes the majority were turned into punt guns but there are a few out there that are still used as shoulder guns.I am English/Scottish by the way.We are still allowed to use them,and Punt guns are still in use albeit rarely....

 

[35Rem]

Most states don't allow anything larger than a 10 gauge for hunting.

 

[Bartkowski]

Just wondering, why do you want or need to use a 4 bore for geese?

 

[macFarlaine]

I think our Goose and Duck shooting is somewhat different than in the USA.We very rarely decoy wild birds but follow flight lines,and use mouth calling rather than made calls.We have no bag limits but as good sportsmen only shoot what we eat IE:two or three ducks per flight,the same with geese.There are times when we have huge numbers arriving and we take a few more..

 

[macFarlaine]

It kills the geese cleanly.We wildfowl in very different conditions to those in the US.We don't shoot from blinds and genrally shoot in gale force winds.The 4 bore was made for shooting geese,tried and tested by past generations.We can all shoot geese on feeding grounds if we have a good spread of decoys,try wildfowling on a tidal estuary with the tide running in a biting gale...that's wildfowling and fieldcaft.

 

[eliphalet]

Kinda like to see a video of a 4 bore shot from the shoulder.
What size loads of powder and shot do you use, how heavy are the guns?

 

[macFarlaine]

We have the shells loaded now as lead is banned.Our loader loads with 3oz tungsten .The bonehill weighs 33lbs on a dry day.

 

[Justin]

Wow. I'd love to see some pictures of something like that.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Mac, t'is a different game over here. 10 bore is the largest bore we can use legally. As you say, we take our geese closer and under better conditions.

I did a survival schoool in Scotland once, It convinced me my Highland ancestors were very tough.

Shooting 4 bores is proof their toughness is still around. Your Bonehill weighs over 4X what my waterfowling 870 does....

 

[JohnBT]

"try wildfowling on a tidal estuary with the tide running in a biting gale"

That's the way we do it, hunting a tidal creek in a marsh on a river a few miles from where it empties into the Chesapeake Bay. We spend a bit of time chasing our decoys when a one- or two-pound weight won't hold one plastic decoy in place, but it's fun when everything works just right.

Chasing the downed birds can be challenging when the tide is rolling.

John

 

[Mot45acp]

Wasn't there a pump action 4 barrel 12 ga in the Phantasm movies?

I wonder if I could justify to my SO a purchase like that.

 

[bl4ckd0g]

I'd only fire it if it came with a tripod. That thing is a monster.

 

[Sunray]

"...somewhat different..." Yep. In North America, there is an international agreement between Canada, the U.S. and Mexico about migratory birds. In Canada, it's called the Migratory Bird Act. Covers seasons, mag capacity(3 in the gun only) and licences, etc. Without looking, I think it covers bore size too. Not that I'd put any money on that. I think the Act states a minimum 20 guage/bore, but I'm guessing.
In any case, 4 bores are extremely rare, expensive and, I think, too big, legally, for migratory birds in North America. Do a net search for 'punt guns' and 'market hunting' for better info.
In the late 19th/early 20th century, market hunting(literally hunting game for sale) was made illegal. A 4 bore, I think, is one of the bores considered to be a market hunting bore/guage. Evil, so it is. A 4 bore rifle is fine assuming the shooter is a bit nuts.

 

[Capstick1]

First off where do you find shells for these things and if you can find them how much do they cost? I remember seeing some article in National Geographic awhile back talking about how game conservation laws have changed over the years. Back when hunting regulations were alot less strict and ducks and geese were much more plentiful, one of the legal methods of hunting these things was from a rowboat. Bigbore shotguns like the 4 and 2 bores were mounted on a turret at the front of these boats and you'd sneak up on a flock of ducks out in the water. A shot from these things was usually enough to take out 3 to 5 ducks at a time if you got close enough. Times have definitely changed though.

 

[Sunray]

"...sneak up on a flock of ducks..." That's market hunting. The boats were called punts. The great big shotguns(not mounted in a turret though. Fixed to fire forward) were called punt guns. 3 to 5 ducks in one shot would be considered poor shooting.