12 gauge or 20 gauge?

R

Ruger .22

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Okay I am new to shotguns I have never owned one before and only pulled the trigger on once and it was a 12 gauge biggest gun I ever shot was an Ak47 I dont know whether to choose between 20 or 12 gauge I will have around $200 from my paycheck this Friday so I would like to know your opinion and I will be hunting turkey and deer most likely getting a Walmart gun
 
Buy a 12.

You can do anything with a 12 you can do with a 20 by choosing your ammo wisely. Including recoil. Lots of guys think the 20 will recoil less. Not true. 1 oz of shot from a 7.5 lb 12 guage will have the same recoil as 1 oz of shot from a 7.5 lb 20 guage. The fact that most 20 guage guns weigh less than the 12's means they will actually recoil more.

Now if you choose to shoot heavy magnum 12 loads, they will recoil more than ligher 20 loads. Buy ammo appropriate for your uses. If you want 20 guage recoil, buy 12 guage shells loaded to 20 guage specs. If you need more shot and power, and can handle the extra recoil buy the heavy 12 guage loads.

There are many more options in 12, they are easier to find, and often at better prices than 20.
 
A 12ga will be way more versatile ...especially for hunting ...and you might want to look for a gun that has a 3" chamber ...maybe 3 1/2" so you can shoot a wider variety of shells in it.

These days ...its easier to buy shells for the 12ga ...( with 7/8 oz of shot in them ) which makes them like a 20ga balistically ....or go way heavier - where a 20ga can't go.
 
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I'd go for 12... As JMR & BigJim said above, You can always load it with lighter loads if you want... But the opposite isn't true... You can't boost 20 ga. shells up to 12-ga. levels... So, the 12 gives you greater latitude/variety/choices.
 
I agree with oneounceload. I think there are good reasons for some people to choose a 20 gauge as their first guns, but not for the purposes you listed.
 
ill be the disenting vote here lol........if youre using slugs, a lot of the new 20 gauge slugs are more accurate with a longer range, or at least as good, as the 12. I think the turkey loads in 20 arent probably that far off from 12 gauges either, i mean dead is dead. Also you would have the 20 if you decide to go do some squirreling or rabbit hunting. To me, the 20 is just a great all around gauge. I would only change my vote if you were going to use buckshot for the deer hunting, then id lean back towards the 12
 
And the same can be said for the 12. Even without reloading, I can get 7/8oz (20 gauge type) loads in 12 gauge that work well for small game and clays, up to the big bruins for waterfowl or deer.

(Personally, I like the 20, and the 28 even more, but for the OP and his first gun, the 12 wins, IMO)
 
You buy a 20 ga. because you like the way the smaller guns feel and handle. Not because of ammo performance. It is no problem getting 20ga. performance and recoil from a 12 ga. gun. Some guys can't seem to grasp that concept.
 
There isn't anything that a 12 can do that a 20 can with the right load and choke. The only exception might be goose conservation, and then I know people who have done it, myself included, successfully.

If a person tells you otherwise, he either can't do it or can't do it very well. I shoot trap with a gentleman who uses a 20ga and he consistently beats me with my 12ga.

I have carried a 20 this entire year since I had shoulder surgery on the 29th of December and have had 11 hunts with a limit of ducks. This one from last Sunday:

CIMG0944.JPG
 
What orphanedcowboy is saying about being able to do most anything with a 20 that you can do with a 12 is true IF YOU ARE A GOOD SHOT. Get a 12 and if you want to you can feed it loads that mimic a 20.
 
A 12ga won't make up for bad shooting.
I kill more birds on the first shot with my 20ga THAT FITS, than I ever did with my 12.
I used to think a box of Rem Long Range Express 12ga 2 3/4in loads were pretty stiff....1 1/4oz 5's.
I currently shoot the same payload out of my 20ga with less recoil.
And the 20ga is much easier to carry for upland hunting.
Buy what you like.
For me, a 20ga is no penalty.
 
1-1/4 oz of 5 going the same will have the same recoil if the guns are the same weight. Since 20's typically a weigh less than a 12, I am wondering how your 1-1/4 oz 20 load recoils less, let alone how it could possibly pattern better since the payload is oversized for the bore. The result will be a LONG shotstring, not the best for birds, as there will be a lot of holes for birds to fly through
 
1-1/4 oz of 5 going the same will have the same recoil if the guns are the same weight. Since 20's typically a weigh less than a 12, I am wondering how your 1-1/4 oz 20 load recoils less, let alone how it could possibly pattern better since the payload is oversized for the bore. The result will be a LONG shotstring, not the best for birds, as there will be a lot of holes for birds to fly through
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I contend that a gas-operated autoloader with a stock that fits, is more deadly and less noticeable on recoil than a 12ga pump that doesn't fit.
I shoot the same Browning Silver Hunter that OrphanedCowboy posted in his pic.
My kill ratio is higher now than it has ever been with my 12ga shotties.
I'm not gonna argue patterns or shot strings or moment of inertia....longer shot strings are better for passing shots than birds that flush straightaway

I will simply say my 20ga is more deadly that my 12 ever was.
 
I will simply say my 20ga is more deadly that my 12 ever was.
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I wouldn't really agree with that statement. I'd say YOU are more deadly with your 20 than YOU are with your 12 when it comes to wingshooting.

Since the OP stated deer and turkey would be his game of choice, the advantages the 20 may have as an upland gun don't really apply. A person certainly can use 20s for deer and turkey, but 12s give them a little more to work with if he so chooses.
 
It is amazing how many folk here are really obviosuly inexperienced but have such firm opinions.

20 ga. shells are a lighter load of shot and powder on average. And the guns are a little lighter and graceful. They can be pushed to basic 12 ga. levels with 3" magnum shells. But if you want to put lead in the air and maximize your versatility, the 12 ga. is the ticket.
 
Well, as far as deer and turkey go, a 20 will do that too. It really depends on what projectile you're gonna toss at deer, slugs yes, buck shot I would go with a 12.
 
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