The recoil will knock you on your ass.

I used a 10 gauge double for many years geese and duck hunting. It's recoil was at most (depending on the load used) 10% more than a 12 gauge..

I I've seen a few 8 gauge at gun shows, and they were quite heavy, compared to modern shotguns.. Weight absorbs recoil. Most of these larger gauge guns were made to use in punts, shooting birds on the water. Lots of these punt hunters didn't even bother to shoulder the gun, as they shot off the gun'll into floating masses of birds, killing scores of them with one shot. --- They were market hunters, and the practice was outlawed about a hundred years ago..

I like my shoulder too much to do that to it.

How about a 1.5ga?

Far too manly for me. Can you imagine lugging it somewhere to shoot...what, exactly?     : )

Notice they have a pic of the guns tpaine described where they would mount them on boats and blast dozens of ducks or geese at once.

I think you can still get 8ga and even 4ga shotguns.

That Russian gun you posted is 23mm, approximating an American 6 gauge. -- Don't know of any larger manufacturers of 8 or 4 gauge guns... Any decent machine shop could make one...

From wiki: --- Shotguns and shells exceeding 10 gauge, such as the 8 (.835) and 4 gauge, (1.03) are rather rarely manufactured and only a few makers of the otherwise large market of shotgun, rifle and ammo makers across the United States still produce them. Shells are usually black powder paper cartridges as opposed to the plastic or wax cartridge and smokeless powder of today.

Shotguns and shells exceeding 10 gauge

I recall someone in town used to have a 10ga. A number of different guys shot it. But only once. No one liked it or thought it was a useful gun. Of course, it was heavy to lug around to boot.

There's a whole world of shotgun nuts out there. You just don't hear about them the way you do with guys who like pistols and assault rifles. Even so, shotgun guys is a real thing.

I used a 10 gauge double for many years geese and duck hunting. It's recoil was at most (depending on the load used) 10% more than a 12 gauge..

I recall someone in town used to have a 10ga. A number of different guys shot it. But only once. No one liked it or thought it was a useful gun. Of course, it was heavy to lug around to boot.

There's a whole world of shotgun nuts out there.

Your be surprised how many of us duck hunting nuts switched to 10 gauge guns when steel shot was mandated by the feds.

Most 10s aren't that bad on recoil. The one you cited probably had one of the old style 'drop' stocks, no recoil pad, and did kick like hell.

It was useful to its original owner, and still would be, -- if someone cut off the stock and barrels, and made it into a street sweeper. ;-)

It was useful to its original owner, and still would be, -- if someone cut off the stock and barrels, and made it into a street sweeper. ;-)

I kinda think that might not be a legal gun.     : )

My favorite gun is a Navy .45 semiauto pistol.

I did, when I was about 15. Didn't like it. I held it right, not stupid, but the recoil still really hurt.

Most modern straight stock 10s aren't that bad on recoil. The one you cited probably had one of the old style 'drop' stocks, no recoil pad, and did kick like hell.

Even the newer smokeless progressive type powders make a difference.. The older paper shells often were loaded with powders like black powder, which explodes rather than igniting.. Softer push. ---

Has anybody ever fired an 8 guage shotgun?

The 8 guage shotgun was typically mounted on the bow of a small boat and could wipe out half a flock of nesting birds with a single blast. Great sport.

The 8 guage shotgun was typically mounted on the bow of a small boat and could wipe out half a flock of nesting birds with a single blast. Great sport.

Most 8 gauge guns were made like a standard double gun..

Very few punt guns were as small as 8 gauge (.835 of an inch). Most punt guns were over an inch, many 2" , even larger. Many were in effect, home made cannons, shooting birdshot...

True, They were commonly mounted on a swivel at the bow... As you snidely say, not great sport, as it was market hunting. Many restaurants of the day specialized in wild game...

A picture of a punt gun on a boat. Not exactly sporting.

I've seen that photo before. It appears to be about a 2inch muzzle loader, Bitch to reload it it's fixed in the boat. -- And if it's a breech loader, I Wouldn't want MY face right behind it... :-)

They were called sneak boats, and one of them is said to have killed over a thousand birds with one shot. -- As you say, not sporting. Market hunting was a nasty job..