Hi, I just wanted to ask if anyone knows the most powerful shotgun gauge. I am not speaking of punt guns I am speaking of hand-held ones. I read somewhere that the 10 and 8 gauge are one of the most powerful, is this true.

Can someone who knows about shotguns please answer!

8 gauge is the largest I've ever heard of, at least in a traditional shotgun. They made a buckshot round for the M203 grenade launcher, but that's something a little different. Shotgun gauge is the number of bore-diameter balls of lead that would weigh exactly one pound.

I read that it is alomost impossible to get a 8 gauge these days because they were to cumbersome and big. So they went with the lighter 10 gauge and that won was beat by the lighter but not as powerful 12g.

I'm not even certain you can get 10 gauge shotguns anymore. Most shotguns you see made these days are either pump or semiautomatic with tube magazines, or over/under break-open sporting designs. Normally all I see are 12 gauge and lower for sale.