You Don’t Need That For Deer Hunting!
The “Gun Safety” advocates always talk about how “nobody needs an AK-47 to hunt deer.” Well, OK, but how about a mountain howitzer?
For those of you unfamiliar with cannon artillery talk, a 12 pound Mountain Howitzer cannon was a small cannon used during the Civil War. The early mt howitzer cannons were originally designed to be disassembled and packed into the mountains on horseback, hence the name, Mountain Howitzer. The later model Mountain Howitzers, like this one, were built on a carriage designed to be “pulled” by horses.
The “pound” designation ( 12 pdr ) in the name ” 12 pound Mountain Howitzer “, refers to the weight of the projectile that the mt howitzer cannon shoots. Therefore, a 12 pound Mountain Howitzer ( 12 pdr ) shoots a 12 pound cannonball. All artillery cannons with smooth bore barrels were described in the “pound” weight of their projectiles. ( like the 12 pound Mountain Howitzer ) Artillery cannons with rifled barrels were described in the “inch” of their bore diameters. ( like a 3 inch Gun )
First, let me start by saying that I’m pretty sure that it may not be entirely legal to use a Mountain Howitzer Cannon for deer hunting, at least not here in Wisconsin. ( I didn’t actually ask the DNR about using a Mountain Howitzer, but I’m pretty sure they wouldn’t like it ) Check with your own State Hunting regulations, … or not … (see hunting with artillery section)
Give those deer a whiff of grape!
August 17th, 2004 at 3:53 pm
That’s not quite right. “Pound” isn’t the weight of the projectile it is, essentially a unit which is 1/gauge
That is, a 12-gauge shotgun is the diameter of a 1/12 pound sphere of lead. A 20 gauge is the diameter of 1/20 pound sphere of lead.
A “24 pounder” is the diameter of a twenty-four pound sphere of lead.
August 18th, 2004 at 1:07 am
Errr.
So I’m a nobody?
Shot a small button buck last year with my AK. I’ve still got some venision chili I canned from him last year, if anybody wants to learn basic ballistics and gun mechanics over dinner.
This year, I’ve got a red dot on it (soon to be replaced with a good pistol scope) on the Ultimak tube – and some good Winchester PP ammo (though the wolf HP did work fine last year).
Nobody uses? Bah. It’s light, handy, and deadly. What more could you ask for?
August 18th, 2004 at 9:41 am
Andrew, that makes sense; thanks for the info!
Addison, only terrorists need AK-47s, and they’re not useful for hunting; that’s what the newspapers tell me. Are you saying the newspapers are LYING to me???
August 18th, 2004 at 10:45 pm
Umm, my only current shotgun has an AK-47 action, but I don’t hunt with it.
Am I a nobody too?
August 19th, 2004 at 9:52 am
Reckon so.