punt gun

[robbo369 0]

hi is an punt gun an type of shotgun could you comment more info about puntguns

[stubby 175]

would that be another name for a garden gun?

if so, yes, would need a SGC

[Catcher 1 639]

hi is an punt gun an type of shotgun could you comment more info about puntguns

 

 

Not sure.Think it was used for duck shooting off a small boat.Catcher 1

[arveyboy 0]

no this is a punt gun. i think they tend to be used on the estuaries for waterfowl. basically throws a load of steel into the air at flocks at bring down dozens at a time.

 

[SportingShooter 0]

In simple terms a Punt Gun is any large bore shotgun that was designed to be fitted to a small wooden boat, known as a Punt.

 

There were many flavours of Punt Guns throughout the ages, from the 4 Bore mounted on the front of the boat to some with a 2" bore capable of firing some 60 oz of shot in one go. Some bang!

 

They were meant for Black Powder. Some were Breechloaders, some were Muzzle loaders with a Percussion action. And yes, they were designed to bring down multiple kills, with a shoulder gun being carried in the punt for any pricked birds. Shots of 40 or 50 in one go were not uncommon.

 

There are a few people still punt gunning today on the estuaries though not many. There are one or two on here as it happens. It is a dangerous and unforgiving type of shooting and you are far more likely to come home without firing the gun, than come home with anything in the bag.

 

If I remember rightly, there are only about a dozen opportunities a season for Punt gunning.

[Grim Reaper 1]

Hi Robbo,

 

Right, Punt guns - I don't know an awful lot about them, but did a search and came up with the following information on them:

 

"A punt gun is a type of extremely large shotgun used in the 19th and early 20th centuries for shooting large numbers of waterfowl for commercial harvesting operations. Punt guns were usually custom-designed, and so varied widely, but could have bore diameters exceeding 2 inches and fire over a pound (0.5 kilos) of shot at a time. A single shot could kill over 50 waterfowl resting on the water's surface.

 

They were too big to hold and the recoil so large that they were mounted directly on the punts used for hunting, hence their name. Hunters would maneuver their punts quietly into line and range of the flock using poles or oars to avoid startling them. Generally the gun was fixed to the punt; thus the hunter would maneuver the entire boat in order to aim the gun.

 

These guns were significantly powerful, and the punts themselves significantly small, that firing the gun often propelled the punt backwards several inches or more. To improve efficiency, hunters could work in fleets of up to around ten punts. "

 

Source: Wikipedia

 

Also, under the Firearms Act (1988), a shotgun certificate is needed for a person to hold a punt gun.

 

Hope this helps you some?

 

All the best,

Grim.

[AL BUNDY 45]

werent they used for firing at birds already on the water the ones ive seen you couldnt shoulder them .

[Catcher 1 639]

no this is a punt gun. i think they tend to be used on the estuaries for waterfowl. basically throws a load of steel into the air at flocks at bring down dozens at a time.

 

 

 

Hi mate.Can the gun be elevated ?.As i think it was fixed to the boat.atb. Catcher 1

[RicW 67]

Somebody's got to be joking here? A punt gun is a a bloody great big shotgun, mounted on a PUNT! They are usually 4-bore, but some are 2-bore. Got that? The big yins fire half a pound of shot at one go? Except that they fire smaller shot so they fire like about a pound at a time? Black powder, muzzle loaders and THEY KILL A LOT OF DUCKS AT A TIME. They are mounted on boats cos nothing else can cope with the recoil. We are not not talking small arms here, they are more like artillery. Fired one once. Scared the living bejazus out of me.

Ric

[SportingShooter 0]

werent they used for firing at birds already on the water the ones ive seen you couldnt shoulder them .

 

No, you can't shoulder them, takes two people to carry most of them with an 8ft barrel

no this is a punt gun. i think they tend to be used on the estuaries for waterfowl. basically throws a load of steel into the air at flocks at bring down dozens at a time.

 

 

 

Hi mate.Can the gun be elevated ?.As i think it was fixed to the boat.atb. Catcher 1

 

No, the gun is fixed (though I suspect it could be set at different heights), you aim along the top beads at the group of fowl on the water or sandbank and pull the rip cord---BANG.

Somebody's got to be joking here? A punt gun is a a bloody great big shotgun, mounted on a PUNT! They are usually 4-bore, but some are 2-bore. Got that? The big yins fire half a pound of shot at one go? Except that they fire smaller shot so they fire like about a pound at a time? Black powder, muzzle loaders and THEY KILL A LOT OF DUCKS AT A TIME. They are mounted on boats cos nothing else can cope with the recoil. We are not not talking small arms here, they are more like artillery. Fired one once. Scared the living bejazus out of me.

Ric

Whatever you've had tonight Ric, can I have some please?

[Malt 379]

All I know about them is that my dad's mate had an antique one mounted on a wall years ago. Funny looking thing, looked more like a trumpet than a shotgun!

[SportingShooter 0]

All I know about them is that my dad's mate had an antique one mounted on a wall years ago. Funny looking thing, looked more like a trumpet than a shotgun!

Maybe that was a Blunderbuss Mal?

[RicW 67]

werent they used for firing at birds already on the water the ones ive seen you couldnt shoulder them .

 

No, you can't shoulder them, takes two people to carry most of them with an 8ft barrel

no this is a punt gun. i think they tend to be used on the estuaries for waterfowl. basically throws a load of steel into the air at flocks at bring down dozens at a time.

 

 

 

Hi mate.Can the gun be elevated ?.As i think it was fixed to the boat.atb. Catcher 1

 

No, the gun is fixed (though I suspect it could be set at different heights), you aim along the top beads at the group of fowl on the water or sandbank and pull the rip cord---BANG.

Somebody's got to be joking here? A punt gun is a a bloody great big shotgun, mounted on a PUNT! They are usually 4-bore, but some are 2-bore. Got that? The big yins fire half a pound of shot at one go? Except that they fire smaller shot so they fire like about a pound at a time? Black powder, muzzle loaders and THEY KILL A LOT OF DUCKS AT A TIME. They are mounted on boats cos nothing else can cope with the recoil. We are not not talking small arms here, they are more like artillery. Fired one once. Scared the living bejazus out of me.

Ric

Whatever you've had tonight Ric, can I have some please?

Walked into that one didn't I!? Seriously tho, most punt guns are just that. Large bore smoothbarrel guns, mounted on boats cos the boat can move back with the recoil. The one I fired was in the Norfolk Broads. 2 bore - that's a half pound solid ball - loaded with about 1 1/2 lbs of BBs. Lot of dead birds . . .

[robbo369 0]

hi all thanks for all the commants

[Malt 379]

All I know about them is that my dad's mate had an antique one mounted on a wall years ago. Funny looking thing, looked more like a trumpet than a shotgun!

Maybe that was a Blunderbuss Mal?

Possibly mate.