There was a time in my life that I too believed that "Bigger is always better!" This mentality lead me down the path to build an 8 gauge shotgun. I utilized the guts, frame and stock from a $30 Stevens 10 gauge, modified the forearm and had an 8 gauge barrel bored out from high tensile steel stock by a competent gunsmith with the lugs from the 10 gauge barrel welded on. I obtained 8 gauge, 3" hulls from a lime kiln. The hulls were from "kiln loads" which is a solid lead cylindrical projectile fired through a "kiln gun" to break the lime slag off the walls of the rotating lime kiln. I got "Power Piston" 8 gauge wads from an unnamed source at Remington and an English made wad from a supplier in England. I made a spin crimper and reloaded and played with my "toy" for about 2 years. I was loading up to 3 oz. of nickel plated shot, but got better patterns, w/ substantially less recoil, with 21/2 oz of shot. At the time, remember- I was young and bullet proof, I was also loading 21/2 oz. of nickel plated shot for 10 gauges and could see no discernable advantages with the 8 gauge which was harder to load, find components and kicked like a mule.
The 8 gauge worked me to death fabricating springs, since the recoil litterally ate them. Shortly after the "thrill was gone", I was offered the phenomenal sum of $250 for my creation w/ all the reloading accessories and rapidly unloaded my "toy". Like my youth, I now wish I had it back.
