Shotgun Shell on Steroids

[ticotiger14]

Went to old Hotel Site this morning out pops this 8 Guage Shotgun Shell, It's humongous, it makes a 12 guage look like a 22 short. It's 1 1/4" Long and 1" diameter. Picture doesn't really show the size of this thing. it's marked 1901 Leader No. 8. Imagine pulling both barrells on a couple of these. Oh yeah also dug this cool sterling silver monogramed belt buckle.
HH, tico

 

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[Dirt Devil]

Must have had some "Big Game" around at one time. Watch out for the elephants!
Later!
Jim

 

[Nana40]

Wow Tico!!!

Nice finds!!!!

 

[rvbvetter]

Have read stories about how they were shoulder breakers. Guess that's why they toned it down to 12 gauge. Very nice finds!! WTG!! HH

 

[Maggot]

They used some of those really large shotguns to mine I heard. For blasting holes to put in explosives etc.

 

[Fast Eddie]

Looks like a 8 or 10 gauge,
Used to use em for goose guns.
They had like 4 foot barrels.
COOL....
Regards,
Eddie

 

[WV Hunter]

I used to shoot them about 4 hours a day. I worked in a steel mill and we used 8ga shotguns mounted on wheels like a cannon. They were single shot and was called ring blasters by winchester. When we bought a pallet of shells the gun was free. We would shoot the furnace with them so the metal would drain out then would put a cone shaped plug back in the hole so it would heat back up to make more metal. The slugs were lead at first but when shot it would bounce off. So then we used zink slugs. The over all length was about 4in. I have a few laying around as soon as i find one i will post a pic.

 

[pondmn]

The 6 and 8 gauge shotguns were used by market hunters up until the 1930's. They could kill many ducks in one blast from a punt gun. They sold the ducks to hotels for table fare. Many of the punt guns were mounted on a skiff or bypod type device. The market hunters would sneak into a field and when the flocks of birds flushed they would set off several punt guns at the same time and sometimes kill 200-300 ducks at a time. A real efficient way of earning a living even if it was illegal and really threatened the waterfowl population.

 

[Visionquest]

I have also heard of using large bore shotguns to clean out cement trucks etc. Similar to what WV Hunter mentioned.

Very cool old buckle as well!

-Mike