Thread: 20 gauge semi auto

Good stuff Derek, sounds like a good enough deal and you're buying local. Nice.

Now you just need to write a story of your hunting

Yeah Stu is a good bugger, always up for a yarn & I have got a couple good deals there in the past.

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Originally Posted by centralshooter

UPDATE: FWIW I've ended up buying totally local so my thanks to all the forum members who made me question my options !!! Central Otago Sports in Alexandra (I assume naming a company is OK ? if not moderators here should feel free to edit) have done a great deal for me I think as well as allowing me to "trial" the gun over the weekend. So what's the deal ?:

20 gauge ATA semi-auto in Walnut with a slab of #5 (Gamebore, Signature, Pure Gold 20, 70mm, 30GMS) and a gun bag for $850 ($300 cheaper than Gun City even with their free freight !!!) plus I'm getting a 5 gun safe from them for $180 (nothing flash but it will certainly do the job bolted to the garage wall).

So, thanks again to all for their help, job done. Now to find out about earmuffs !! I'll start a separate thread on that.

Cheers

No surprises there mate! Haha

Congrats on the new purchase, get out there and start sorting out those rabbits.

Remember when they're on the hop, swing through, pass over their body and once you have a bit of a lead just past their nose squeeze the trigger. It'll take a bit of getting used to but you'll get there with practice.

Thanks guys, I'll let you know how I get on.

Cheers

Have bought a few things from Central Otago Sports - definitely good sorts in there. You got a great gun, great price, and didn't get it from Gun City. Great outcome to the thread

Let me know if you need a hand eradicating those pesky rabbits

Haven't read the whole post so I might have missed what your gonna be shooting. Word about the ammo, the 5's your buying are actually US 6's. They might be a bit small for ducks or rabbits, better off with Gamebore 3's or 4's(US 4 & 5). I used the exact same load as you in my wife's 20 gauge last year to see what the fuss was about with going back to lead and found it to be poor on ducks. Cut open a shell and realised why when I saw the smaller pellets.

Thanks for that Mike. I've taken some 4s for now after your advice and talking at length to Stu. I'll see how I go and I can get whatever I want for the rest, I don't have to take it all at once. Another advantage of buying local !!

Cheers

If go the mossberg. A mate of mine has had his for a few years, does exactly what you're about to do and swears by it. Solid action, trusted name and friendly calibre. Don't know much about the others but theres my five cents worth.


Sent from my Browning

Originally Posted by distant stalker

The mrs has an armsan 20 gauge. Has used it for two seasons and it has killed a heap of ducks and a few quIl. Nice and fast and light and easy to shoot. No issues with it to date. With all of these guns it would pay to keep them cleanand well maintained as any binding will be where problems can potentially develop from in the form of the softer metals used in the bolt carriers etc being more easily bent which then gives friction and results in poor feeding. Hope that makes sense. As i said though this one has done quite a lit of work in poir conditions with no issue and has two arms on bolt carrier rather than the one sided vedsion i have seen on others which would just be asking for trouble in my books

you sir are spot on.a lot of derision directed at the first escort s/a shotguns was soley due to this.to put it bluntly "lazy bloody owners!"My own escort Ive had for over 6yrs now and even then it was 2nd hand.a very kind bloke at BallingersH&Faleerted me to that ,and ive been dilgent ever since.mind you 13yrs tf army too,tends to make me somewhat anal about good firearm maintainence.I was also bloody fortunate to have a very kind bloke on the orther forum send me a box of sparesarising from a brand new escort12g being laid down and run over on duckshooting opening day.thats mates for you it had 2rounds put through it before the barrel had bigger curve than nigella lawsons bust!
so when the gas piston finally fractured (a milling oversight in manufacture) ,hey presto ,into ye carton and we are back in action.Im for beer money ,not gunsmiths fees(no offence intended to such craftsmen)

I used the exact same load as you in my wife's 20 gauge last year to see what the fuss was about with going back to lead and found it to be poor on ducks.

is that mike h from southland please saY IT AINT SO
5,s are ok but id go the opposite to mike h on bunnys. our 6s are dynamite on them without smashing them up even 7,s if they,re close,3,s are to tough on bunnies. pattern density is the key ie how many pellets are getting in the target at the ranges your taking them at. anyway have fun and welcome to the often complex art of shotgunning. your a hair away from ducks and a plethura of other exiting gamebird gunning