I live on a rural 60-acre farm with my closest neighbor 350 yards away. I have a 120-foot pine tree in my front yard with branches 20-25 feet up brushing against the electric wire. A tree guy wanted $150.00 to trim them back.
I got my favorite 12 gauge trap gun and a box of 7.5 reloads and am trimmed enough for the next 5 years. Country Matters.
Adam
Oh yeah, trimming trees with a 12 gauge just makes sense. The 1st time I tried it I was amazed how well it worked. Not only is it fast, safer than climbing a ladder with a saw, it's a LOT cheaper than hiring somebody. I did some big limb trimming a couple years back with my 35 Remington. There were two limbs hanging down right in the way of my shooting house. I stood so that the main trunk of the tree was behind the limb I wanted to shoot off and whaled away at it. It took 80 plus shots and didn't fall immediately but did fall later. This was right in the peak of the big ammo shortage so /I know neighbors were wondering what was going on. Shows that keeping a good amount of components on hand and buying when cheap pays off.
I had heard somewhere that is how mistletoe is harvested!
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35 Rem,
Many thanks for your amusing support! I use small shot for all my tree trimming business. It works IF you STAY 2-3 feet AWAY from the electric lines!!!
Be well.
Adam
Try the Winchester 8 gauge
“You should tell someone what you know. There should be a history, so that men can learn from it.
He smiled. “Men do not learn from history. Each generation believes itself brighter than the last, each believes it can survive the mistakes of the older ones. Each discovers each old thing and they throw up their hands and say ‘See! Look what I have found! Look upon what I know!’ And each believes it is something new.
Louis L’Amour
The Californios
8 ga Kiln gun. Same gauge used to be used to hunt. Most think it's illegal to hunt with an 8, but that's only true for waterfowl as I understand after reading the legislation.
Slightly OT, but I thoroughly enjoy blasting wasp nests out of trees during late summer and fall, right when the nests are as big as they are going to get for the season. That also tends to bring down limbs, depending on where the nests are hung.
You are correct. A landlord I had in school hunted pheasants with a Greener double 8 gauge that was as pleasant to look at as it was unpleasant to shoot.Originally Posted by TurnipEaterDown
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I ONCE shot a BIG hornet's nest in the woods on Jack's Mountain in Mifflin County, PA in 1961. Happily, I was fleet of foot and outran the hornets.
BACK to my topic, I bet that 8gauge would cut down BIG trees. LOL.
Adam
My grandfather had, for a time, a WC Scott & Son double 8 that came from his father (died when he was young). Came from England with his father. Had to hide & then sell it because disgruntled family members kept sniffing. Sold likely in early 70s when no one wanted. Quite a shame.
Had a heck of a story about winning a $20 bet somewhere around 1919-20 on shooting multiple pidgeons at once flying out of a barn loft. Neighbor farmer lost his bet, and not too happy...
Years ago I did some work at a local Limestone quarry that also made Lime
Each of the kilns had one of those 8 gau kiln guns
Several times I collected the hulls
As my uncle has a 8 gau side by side that was only proofed for black powder ( not sure what brand )
The 8 gau kiln gun slug hulls worked great 1 or 2 times reloaded with black powder
After he cut them down a bit
If I remember right his standard hunting load was 1 5/8 oz of shot
But I remember he would load like 2 1/2 oz of #5 shot when he hunted turkeys
John
And I carry a LOADED Hell CatYea, thou I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
Not 8 ga. but .45-70's...
At the family's summer place many years ago there was a maple tree with very large branches that were becoming a hazard near the house so my mother wanted them trimmed off. My sister had a friend with a brother who was a self proclaimed faller so she invited him to stay for a weekend if he would trim these large branches (8" to 10" diameter). He got there and looked at the tree then said he couldn't do it. I had a friend visiting with me and my two .45-70's so I said we'd take care of it to which he laughed. He wasn't laughing a few minutes later after about 20 or 30 rounds were shot through large branches in strings of three or four in each branch then they would break off. Problem solved!
The versatile .45-70 Marlin pruner!
Longbow
I just realized I was reading a shotgun thread! Oops!
I have not used a shotgun for tree trimming but have used one for wasp control as mentioned above, except this nest was in a well pump house. I used a 20 ga. cylinder bore with 1 oz. of shot. They didn't stand a chance! It was a huge nest so an 8 ga. would have been a better choice but thousands died in the first round of attack and hundreds if not thousand more in the 2nd wave.
Last edited by longbow; 01-23-2024 at 06:00 PM. Reason: Added comment
I’ve been getting mistletoe and trimming trees with a shotgun longer than I can remember.
It works well, and is safe(don’t stand under the limb) and fun!
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I pruned a 6" chinaberry limb off just a couple of weeks ago. Used O and OO buckshot . The main trunk was the actual backstop.
I have harvested mistletoe with a model 37 20 GA. Sure wished i had that one back....
I am not certain of current technology but I did witness such an event over half a century ago.
Micah 6:8
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
"I don't have hobbies - I'm developing a robust post-apocalyptic skill set"
I may be discharged and retired but I'm sure I did not renounce the oath that I solemnly swore!
longbow,
All is forgiven with your rifle comments. We GO with what works. I used an M1 Garand and a bandoleer of ball ammo once to remove a big tree limb at our cabin.
Adam
Thank You! I am sorry I digressed to discussion of a rifled firearm for pruning and pest control on a shotgun/tree trimming thread!
I have to say that powder operated pruning and pest control devices are far more fun than manual, electric or even gas powered devices!
Longbow
Last edited by longbow; 01-24-2024 at 01:26 PM. Reason: Spelling
And you get to stay on the ground - much safer!
10 gauge with large steel shot does pretty good on the real high ones
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