The Power of the Punt Gun

by
posted on August 11, 2009
200981115541-punt_f.jpg

There was a time in America when market hunting was a popular endeavor, and some hunters went out armed with a Sharps rifle to follow a buffalo herd and pick off a "stand" of animals in the course of a day's shooting. But the best example of getting the most return for one's single shot had to be the punt gun.

Paddling out to a flock of ducks resting on the water, a stealthy punt-gunner would have prepared his gun with a hefty charge of powder and an equally formidable load of shot. Enough of a load was placed into this muzzle-loading arm's barrel so that up to a hundred ducks might be harvested in a single blast. On the Chesapeake Bay, the thunderous roar of punt guns came to an end in 1900 with the passage of the Lacey Act, which outlawed the transport of wild game across state lines.

This relic example of a punt gun in the National Firearms Museum collection was hidden away in a quarry and was recently donated by the William Salem family of Ohio. This 6 1/2-foot-long piece, which weighs in at about 40 pounds, can be traced through this family back to 1893.

Latest

Taurus Executive Grade revolver left-side view stainless steel gun with walnut grip positioned on black wire stand
Taurus Executive Grade revolver left-side view stainless steel gun with walnut grip positioned on black wire stand

Rifleman Review: Taurus 605 Executive Grade

Taurus enhanced its popular 605 revolver with Executive Grade touches recently, and this carry-ready, controllable, .357 Magnum-chambered revolver is now nicer than it has ever been.

New For 2025: SDS Imports MAC IX

Based largely on the MP5, the SDS Imports MAC IX incorporates several familiar feature from the AR-15, too, into a large-format handgun chambered for the 9 mm Luger cartridge.

Review: U.S. Arms Co. M4 UTAW

U.S. Arms Co.’s origins can be traced back to 2016 with research-and-development efforts for military contracts, and the company came to market in 2019 with its M-905 Talon muzzle brake as a result.

Colt Partners With Georgia To Promote Responsible Firearms Ownership

Colt's Manufacturing is fully funding Georgia’s “Give It a Shot” program, which offers hands-on firearms training with certified instructors.

Favorite Firearms: A Testament To Service

NRA member Denis Kaup's father's war trophy from 1944 is his most beloved gun. What's yours?

Flat-Out Slick: Hornady’s Drag Variability Reduction Technology

Bullets in flight are subject to nature’s forces. Through the decades, manufacturers have developed bullets to somewhat counteract the effects of wind, gravity and atmospheric drag with a streamlined shape incorporating a boattail and long ogive terminating in a sharp point.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.