punt gun

[ssssh1forthepot 0]

Thats an interesting read, I wouldnt mind having a go on/with one of them. I dont imagine there very accurate tho but they sound fun all the same.

[bobndog 0]

There appears to be a lot of confusion and BS on this thread as to what a punt gun is and what it does. Sporting shooter's post is the most factual.

For starters, although there were a few 4 bore punt guns, a 4 bore is generally a shoulder gun firing 4 oz of shot, and no, it does not hurt to shoot, mine weighs 12 lbs, so it soaks up the recoil.

Punt guns are limited to 1 3/4" bore size under the protection of birds acts.

Depending upon where you live, they are either known by the bore size, i.e. a 1 1/2" gun or the weight of shot loaded, i.e. a 1 1/2 lb gun.

The largest sporting cartridge made by Eley was a 2 bore punt gun cartridge.

In the United Kingdom, a 1995 survey showed fewer than 50 active punt guns still in use, although I am aware of four that have been built in my area in the past few years, so this figure from 14 years ago may well be meaningless.

A good shot nowadays would probably account for a dozen birds after several hours of stalking. For the hours involved in puntgunning, you would have more in your bag using a 12g, they are not the instruments of slaughter described by those with vivid imaginations who have never been involved in the sport, although this may have been true many years ago when professional fowlers made a living from wildfowling and birds were more numerous.

View from behind the gun;

 

And in front, note the amount that the punt has moved back from the recoil, and the breeching ropes that transfer the recoil to the punt;

 

And before an armchair expert jumps up and screams foul, these pics were taken when testing cartridge loads at a pattern board in a reservoir, punt guns are NOT used in reservoirs, they are used in estuaries and backwaters, it is a dangerous and lonely sport with a single-handed punt.

[bobndog 0]

Pics taken in the 1940's of local wildfowlers, note the lack of cammo gear.

A 1 1/4" punt gun.

[bobndog 0]

And a muzzle-loading 3 bore. Note the Army greatcoat and leather pilots flying helmet.

[hiho 5]

wouldnt the boat go backwards when its fired

[arveyboy 0]

There appears to be a lot of confusion and BS on this thread as to what a punt gun is and what it does. Sporting shooter's post is the most factual.

For starters, although there were a few 4 bore punt guns, a 4 bore is generally a shoulder gun firing 4 oz of shot, and no, it does not hurt to shoot, mine weighs 12 lbs, so it soaks up the recoil.

Punt guns are limited to 1 3/4" bore size under the protection of birds acts.

Depending upon where you live, they are either known by the bore size, i.e. a 1 1/2" gun or the weight of shot loaded, i.e. a 1 1/2 lb gun.

The largest sporting cartridge made by Eley was a 2 bore punt gun cartridge.

In the United Kingdom, a 1995 survey showed fewer than 50 active punt guns still in use, although I am aware of four that have been built in my area in the past few years, so this figure from 14 years ago may well be meaningless.

A good shot nowadays would probably account for a dozen birds after several hours of stalking. For the hours involved in puntgunning, you would have more in your bag using a 12g, they are not the instruments of slaughter described by those with vivid imaginations who have never been involved in the sport, although this may have been true many years ago when professional fowlers made a living from wildfowling and birds were more numerous.

View from behind the gun;

 

And in front, note the amount that the punt has moved back from the recoil, and the breeching ropes that transfer the recoil to the punt;

 

And before an armchair expert jumps up and screams foul, these pics were taken when testing cartridge loads at a pattern board in a reservoir, punt guns are NOT used in reservoirs, they are used in estuaries and backwaters, it is a dangerous and lonely sport with a single-handed punt.

 

not trying to BS anyone mate. i'll be the first to admit i know sod all about piunt guns except one of my mates knows someone who has one and sent me a pic of him with his punt. thus the pic :icon_redface: i just assumed you'd be able to lever the gun into the air to shoot at passing flocks. i stand corrected :notworthy:

 

they do say you learn something new everyday

[bobndog 0]

There appears to be a lot of confusion and BS on this thread as to what a punt gun is and what it does. Sporting shooter's post is the most factual.

For starters, although there were a few 4 bore punt guns, a 4 bore is generally a shoulder gun firing 4 oz of shot, and no, it does not hurt to shoot, mine weighs 12 lbs, so it soaks up the recoil.

Punt guns are limited to 1 3/4" bore size under the protection of birds acts.

Depending upon where you live, they are either known by the bore size, i.e. a 1 1/2" gun or the weight of shot loaded, i.e. a 1 1/2 lb gun.

The largest sporting cartridge made by Eley was a 2 bore punt gun cartridge.

In the United Kingdom, a 1995 survey showed fewer than 50 active punt guns still in use, although I am aware of four that have been built in my area in the past few years, so this figure from 14 years ago may well be meaningless.

A good shot nowadays would probably account for a dozen birds after several hours of stalking. For the hours involved in puntgunning, you would have more in your bag using a 12g, they are not the instruments of slaughter described by those with vivid imaginations who have never been involved in the sport, although this may have been true many years ago when professional fowlers made a living from wildfowling and birds were more numerous.

View from behind the gun;

 

And in front, note the amount that the punt has moved back from the recoil, and the breeching ropes that transfer the recoil to the punt;

 

And before an armchair expert jumps up and screams foul, these pics were taken when testing cartridge loads at a pattern board in a reservoir, punt guns are NOT used in reservoirs, they are used in estuaries and backwaters, it is a dangerous and lonely sport with a single-handed punt.

 

not trying to BS anyone mate. i'll be the first to admit i know sod all about piunt guns except one of my mates knows someone who has one and sent me a pic of him with his punt. thus the pic :icon_redface: i just assumed you'd be able to lever the gun into the air to shoot at passing flocks. i stand corrected :notworthy:

 

they do say you learn something new everyday

No so sure that I had you in mind, but whatever floats yer boat...

You don't shoot passing flocks, you stalk the birds on the water, when in range, you aim the gun above the birds, bang the paddle on the side of the boat and fire when they spring into the air.

As you can imagine, trying to shoot them on the water would result in 75% plus of the shot going into the water.

It's a very precise art, not just lobbing a mass of shot in the air and hoping, that would be a fair description of my clay-shooting.

The punts are paddled, you lay face down with a short paddle in each hand as in the b&w pic when approaching the birds. In shallow waters you can use a pole. The whole punt is aimed, rather than the gun, gun elevation is by the broom-like tool on the side of the decking in the b&w photo, you slide it up the tapered deck to raise the gun.

You may be surprised to learn that punt gun shots frequently result in very few or no birds, as I'm sure your mate has told you.

What part of the country does he use his gun?

[RicW 67]

wouldnt the boat go backwards when its fired

That's the whole point. The punt gun that I fired didn't have a buttstock, to hold into your shoulder. It had two ringbolts that were used to tie the gun to the prow of the boat. When the gun fired, the whole boat recoiled about 6-8 feet through the water. I know you're all laffing at me here, but this dam' thing was about 1 1/2" calibre. Muzzle loaded, black powder, flintlock. You didn't squeeze the trigger, you pulled the lanyard.

Ric

[bobndog 0]

wouldnt the boat go backwards when its fired

That's the whole point. The punt gun that I fired didn't have a buttstock, to hold into your shoulder. It had two ringbolts that were used to tie the gun to the prow of the boat. When the gun fired, the whole boat recoiled about 6-8 feet through the water. I know you're all laffing at me here, but this dam' thing was about 1 1/2" calibre. Muzzle loaded, black powder, flintlock. You didn't squeeze the trigger, you pulled the lanyard.

Ric

 

Yep, that's exactly what you do and how you do it, 6-8 feet through the water is about right, that's the recoil. Put it anywhere near your face or shoulder and you will have broken bones. People have been killed in the past when the breech ropes have broken, being hit between the eyes with a recoiling gun weighing 100lbs plus, is not for the faint-hearted, and an experience that you would probably not survive.

[Grim Reaper 1]

There appears to be a lot of confusion and BS on this thread as to what a punt gun is and what it does. Sporting shooter's post is the most factual.

 

[snipped}

 

Hey Bobndog,

 

I only posted the information I came up with after doing a search on the net for the benefit of the OP - that's about the length of it. There is, and was never meant to be, any BS in what i had posted up here - it is just one result of the many I chose to post up - being that which I considered to contain the best information about the OP's subject question. Simple as that mate.

 

There was no need to go and get all 'arsey' about it bud - chill out a bit old bean!

 

 

 

Regards,

Grim.

[Guest Scuba1]

Grim, you could post a picture of your Blunderbuss though. Just to clear up what the difference is between the two.

:whistling:

 

ATB

 

Michael

[Grim Reaper 1]

Grim, you could post a picture of your Blunderbuss though. Just to clear up what the difference is between the two.

:whistling:

 

ATB

 

Michael

 

Blunderbuss ya bugger, you! All I need now to make it complete and even more operational is to get me a magazine for it - what a complete bloody pain in the arse THAT is proving to be!!

 

Just for you Michael old buddy pal, here ya go:

 

A shot from the rear right side looking sort of forwards . . . .

 

 

Next, a shot of the breech and bolt . . . . .

 

 

I sincerely hope this helps you bud . . . .

 

 

 

 

All the best,

Grim.

Edited August 25, 2009 by Grim Reaper

[Guest Scuba1]

You have even made the support to strap it to the boat. Very nice work that Grim.

 

ATB

 

Michael

[bedrock 16]

This is an excellent tread lads. very informative. Would you need an explosives certificate to use a punt gun or would a normal shotgun cert be ok? atb bedrock

[Guest Scuba1]

All joking aside Grim You did a excellent job with that gun it looks great. I'll put my feelers out for a mag for you.

 

ATB

 

Michael

Edited August 26, 2009 by Scuba1