Eight Gage shotgun ammo?

Question

Is there anywhere that it is still avalable?

Answer 1

8 gauges are still used in the UK a lot and other countries as novelties. There are several ammuntion makers over there, if
you can get onto their waterfowling forums you will find them.

The 8 guage is also used for cannon blanks in the US and brass and ammo can be bought as well from this site.

http://www.cannon-mania.com/ammunition.htm


Rocky mountain cartrdige could probably also make cases

http://www.rockymountaincartridge.com/

Projectiles as in solid slugs can be made by quite a few different concerns. Naval ordnance bullets can make anything up to 4 bore slugs, CBE engineering in Australia can make up to 10 gauge and would probably take on a special order.

And both corbin brothers who make bullet making machinery could make you dies to make your own bullets.

The hulls by remington used for industrial kiln blasting have a step design to prevent their usage in old 8 guage guns.

However Ed hubel from http://www.accuratereloading.com is also making brass by modifying this ammo, and also using ex military anti tank rifle brass to make super strong 8 guage brass.

On that note most 50BMG sized rifle actions could be opened up to handle the 8 guage case size, if length is kept around 4" and power levels can be loaded extremly high thanks to the great strength of the action.

In fact some 50BMG 's can even be modified to the 4 bore case.

Shotgtun options are best sought in England, however in the US an 8 guage tonolini was once available and very heavy spanish 10 gauges can sometimes be safeyl bored out to 8 guage, which quite a few waterfowlers overseas do.

Answer 2

Any functional 8-ga. shotgun is probably an antique with Damascus steel barrels rated for black-powder loads only, and should not be fired with modern ammo, even if some was available. I believe the Remington ammo mentioned is intended for use in industrial kiln-guns to remove solidified residue in the cement-production process, and might not be compatible with a conventional shotgun, again if one was available in this bore.

Although I do not believe that an 8-ga. would be illegal to own, except perhaps some major cities, it would be off-limits to hunt waterfowl with, the 10-ga. having long since been decreed the largest fowling piece allowable by law.

A modern 8-gauge would certainly make an awesome, indeed fearsome, slug-gun - imagine a 4 1/2 " shell throwing a 3-oz slug at 1600fps from a 15-lb. bolt-action with a 26" barrel.......!

Answer 3

I believe Winchester also makes some 8 gauge slugs for use in kiln-guns.

Others have said that special licenses are required to own an 8 gauge shotgun. It is my belief that they are completely mistaken.

They are correct when they say that it is illegal to hunt (in the United States) with an 8 gauge shotgun. However, I believe it is still legal in some European countries, at least is was up until about 10 years ago.

I believe your best bet would be to contact the folks at Bell Extrusion Laboratories and purchase some brass 8 gauge hulls and load your own shells. As has already been stated, your gun probably has Damascus barrels and you'd probably do well to load your shells with blackpowder.

Good Shooting,
Doc

Answer 4

Handloading is going to be your best economical choice, with the large bore shotguns like 4 bore and 8 bore, your commercial ammunition choices are going to be very limited, with an initial cost of around 300 dollars, you can start reloading amd always have a supply of ammo.

Answer 5

Oddly enough, remington has it in their industrial ammunition section.
http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/industrial/ammunition.asp
other than that I think you will have to go with handloading

Answer 6

Careful.
IIRC anything over 10Ga. is now considered artillery
or something equally silly and thus
is illegal to own without a special license.