4 Gauge Shotgun, and Why You Don't Want One

My 10 gauge kicks bad enough, even when I load down for it.
 
I have had both 4 gauge and 2 gauge guns in my hands, from the professional wild-fowling days of the Chesapeake bay, and assure you that is a 4. That guy in the video was improperly dressed for shooting a 4, long, thick woolen underwear, heavy wool shirt, and a blanket lined thick canvas coat would be the minimum for the days when that was actually used. The extra padding makes quite a difference. His stance was too erect, and his arm muscles were not up to the standards of the hunters who used those guns.

2 gauge were usually shot from a rest on the bow of a sneak boat, not held in the hands, and allowed to recoil against a sand bag, not a shoulder. I have met some of the old Eastern Shore watermen that used those guns, back in the '60's. That was long after the commercial harvesting of ducks and geese had ended. Some had more than one of those cannon in their closets.

I have shot 10 gauge magnum, once. Skill in aim is more important than pounds of shot, I have killed about 1/4 of my geese with a 20 gauge full choke, not even a magnum.

The Germans in Africa used 4 bore rifled and smooth bore guns to take elephant, they also used heavily padded shoulder protection. Those shells had a quarter pound round ball in them.

Shot shells could be loaded to less weight of shot, but round balls don't fit right unless full weight.
 
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