20 gauge single shot questions

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BrittB

New member
When would you use or have a need for such a gun like this? 20 gauge single shot seems like an odd choice for anything other than the person who just has to have one for a collection.
 
they're great for kids, women, and the recoil shy. I got mine when I was 12 and still like to get out and plink with it from time to time
 
Perfect squirrel gun for a kid. He gets to hit squirrels without the danger of a stray .22 bullet flying off somewhere.
 
I just bought one for my 73 yo dad. He can't handle that much recoil anymore and the 20 ga should be just about right for him. He needs bifocals so a point and shoot shotgun for late night or low light home defense is important to him.
 
I'm kind of looking at a H&R 1871 Pardner 20 gauge for cheap. I like it but I'm try to figure out if I need it or not.
 
The H&R single shot shotguns, in whatever gauge, have one big advantage that have kept them a top seller for many decades.
Cheap!
They have no other commendable features.
 
Cheap snake gun to keep at your cabin, at the farm or in the back of the cab of your pick-up truck. I have an old Topper .410 for this purpose, but the shells are cheaper for the 20 gauge.
 
It would be fine for rabbits with the right shot selection, kind of expensive though and you'd have to be mindful of the shot when you eat them.
 
Come to think of it, I've got my Remington 581 .22lr for that. What kind of bird hunting could I do with a 20 gauge?
Yes, I may pick this gun up anyway but I don't collect closet queens. I went out shooting clays yesterday and brought out all my shotguns, it was fun!
 
Besides small game like squirrels and rabbits, it would also be fine for upland birds...dove, quail, etc. if you're not overly worried about getting your limit everytime. Cheap, reliable, simple, effective. Many people started their hunting careers with one.
 
Great point. I have been thinking about getting back into bird hunting although it's been 35 years. Now I have to relearn everything I forgot which is pretty much all of it!
 
What kind of bird hunting could I do with a 20 gauge?
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Any kind. Doves, quail, pheasant, ducks, geese, turkey, it just doesn't matter. A 20 gauge is perfectly capable of taking any small game that you're able to find. My grandfather used a 20 exclusively to take all manner of game, and during the early days he market hunted with it. During his later years he used a 20 gauge on decoying geese and took as many as the guys with the 12 gauges. I've hunted with a 20 gauge almost exclusively for the past 20 years and once I learned to use the gauge, I've never felt handicapped.

Sure, a 12 gauge can put more shot in the sky for denser patterns, but the 20 gauge does just fine at ranges under 40 yards. Hunt a little harder, let the birds get a little closer and the 20 gauge will do the job.
 
We have one that we leave at our lake house and it is useful for snakes, pests of all types, and home defense if need be. It serves well for the $75.00 it cost.
 
Maybe I need to reconsider my needs. 12 gauge has always been the go to size but maybe I'm missing the bird hunting boat so to speak. As far as having a $75 20 gauge, that's just pure fun.
 
they're great for kids, women, and the recoil shy
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As light as they are and typically ill-fitting, I'll disagree with this statement. I never understand why folks seem to think a light 20 is automatically less recoiling than a 12

He can't handle that much recoil anymore and the 20 ga should be just about right for him
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See above

it would also be fine for upland birds...dove, quail, etc
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Has the balance and swing dynamics of a pig on a shovel

We have one that we leave at our lake house and it is useful for snakes, pests of all types
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There we go - a legitimate answer and use (besides a cheater bar n a jack stand)

Want something cheap for farting around? Here ya go - want something for serious work like HD, hunting or whatever, get the right gun
 
i used a 20 ga single shot to get my wife into clay shooting... yes it wasnt long before she moved onto somthing better... but it was a great gun for her to start with.
 
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