Thread: 20/12

Educate me
Is there any advantage whatsoever in buying a under/over or SxS in 20 gauge when I bloke already has a 12 gauge auto
I don't mean not buying the gun , that's a given, I just mean is there any point in getting the 20 gauge over the twelve.
there is a sweet 20g SxS in the local shop I've been looking at.
cheers.

I know jack shit about shotguns, but isn't the ammo twice the price?

Can use lead shot for ducks, 20 gage goes to about 1 1/4 oz maybe more same as std 12 gage loads. Dont care what anyone else says lead kills better. Yes ammo is a bit more expensive but a lot of guys use them trap shooting. They look good and point well, nothing to dislike really.

Lighter gun and usually less recoil.

How can there be less recoil in a lighter gun?

Lighter loads? Don't know really, just seems to be in my experience

Originally Posted by Tommy

I know jack shit about shotguns, but isn't the ammo twice the price?

Nope.

Nice ladies gun

Originally Posted by Wildman

Lighter loads? Don't know really, just seems to be in my experience

Loads lighter, hum. are you sure? guns are often lighter which ,,,,,
also
seems to me that there is a stringing pattern with the 20, no personal expertise, just What I'm reading.

Yeah I've read that to but then I've never actually patterned my own shotgun...

Was always looked at as being a beginers gun mainly because of the low recoil

Ask @Woody

I use a 12g for clays and a 20g for everything else.
Heavy 1 1/4 loads will boot more in a 20g because the guns are generally lighter

But smaller bore dia which also impacts on felt recoil

short answer is yes, esp if its build, on a scaled 20ga frame, and is not overly heavy, if you have never used such a shotgun in the field, once you start you will understand why, they are so common for upland. generally they are lighter and faster handling, less fatiguing to carry all day, and the slimmer stock and profile sits in the hands better. the 20ga is suitable for all NZ game birds and looses nothing to a 12ga esp with ability to use lead,

a 1oz load of #5 in the right place beat a 11/4 slight behind or off.

Over the years I have loaded and fired, many thousands of rounds, in everything from 8ga to 410, Pattern test pretty much every shotgun, and most loads during development.
every gauge has a max charge (weight and pellet size that they start to become over whelmed and pattern poorly, and like wise a excessivly heavy charge, of smaller pellets, tends to ruin what you hit, excessive dense patterns, don't much matter with clays, but shot a duck at 20 yards with a 1 1/4 of number #8, lots holes.
What I am trying to say, is match the gauge to the job, sure you can use a 12 for every thing, but a heavy semi 12 is good in a duck blind, not so ideal hunting chucker all over the southern alps, you want light and fast handling, and not to be fatigued or tired, as reactions will be slow.
quail are another game bird, that will leave you wondering, how the hell, I did I not, get a shot off, there were a dozen.

Over the years, as my ability with a shotgun has improved, I have chosen to shoot smaller gauges, mostly now I shot a 16ga for bigger birds and a 20 or more often a 28ga for upland, shot gunning is not about the size, or weight of shot, but pretty much putting it, in the right place.
if the shotgun does not fell right, you will shoot it poorly, want to shoot well, get a shotgun fitted to you,

On a final note, for all the 12ga can do it all's.
why do you need a .22, .223, a bush pig, a std cal and a long range rig, just get a 3006 and sell the rest.