# World's Largest Shotgun?



## mortensen (Dec 13, 2009)

The 'punt' gun is an extremely large shotgun used in the 19th & 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 a bore diameter exceeding 2 inches and fire a pound of shot at a time. A single shot could kill over 50 waterfowl resting on the waters surface. They were to big to hold and the recoil so great that they were mounted directly on the punts (boats) used for hunting, hence their name. Hunters would maneuver their punts quietly in line of range of the flock using poles to avoid startling the flock. Generally the gun was fixed to the punt; thus the hunter would maneuver the entire boat in order to aim the gun.

This site will show some pictures of the punt gun and the very last video on the page will show the punt gun being fired.

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2007 ... punt-guns/


----------



## rasmusse (Oct 24, 2006)

The University of South Dakota in Vermillion used to have a punt gun on display. It was a 2 gauge and was lashed to the boat. It was taken out before first light and when the hunter figured he was close enough to the sleeping flock of waterfowl he would smack an oar on the side of the punt. This would cause the ducks to raise their heads whereupon the punt gun would be fired, with greater effect.


----------

