20 gauge single shot questions

New guns usually have a type of packing grease on them. It helps prevent rust in storage, but often makes for a messy and subpar lubricant. It tends to wipe off a dark brown color or similar. Also, if the gun was test fired before it left the factory, you can just about bet that it wasn't cleaned either. One thing to be careful of with these guns is to make sure you keep a good coat of oil on them. I had one that I cleaned with action cleaner and forgot to oil and it started to get some minor surface rust in less than a week in a med-high humid environment. It cleaned up fine, but I lightened the color of the bluing in a spot where I used steel wool on the rust.

I like the single shot shotguns for the same reason I like my single shot .22. It makes you take time and think about the shots and aim well and feel more accomplished when you work that action and do all the work and get hits. I have seen a lot of ammo wasted by new shooters with semi-autos. :D
 
Yep, did all that and yes, it had the browns going on. Gun cleaner followed by Hopps #9 followed by Rem oil wipe down. She's a clean one now with a thin coat of oil. Can't wait for a day at the range!

HR20gauge.jpg
 
Go for it Britt. You can have a lot of fun shooting clays with your single shot. (Many expensive trap guns are single shots).
 
H&R Pardner 20 gauge range report!!!


Okay, this shotgun is damn nice. I think it only needs one shell at a time because I didn't miss anything all day long. One shot, one kill and I'm not a great shot either. It does kick a little bit, kind of like a 30-30 which doesn't bother me at all. I'm sure it's because of the light weight but I wouldn't change a thing on it. I highly recommend this shotgun!
One thing to watch out for, the shell ejector throws them out high fast and hard so point it away from your head or you could end up with a shell imprint on your face. Don't get me wrong, I like this feature! Now I want to buy the 410 version.
 
Britt;
Could always add a more professional rubber butt-pad. If your above average arm length you may not even have to cut the stock back...
 
Dave knows me.

The only shogun I have left is a single shot, youth, 20 bore.

I miss the the other shotguns, and have been there, done that from serious competitions, to being in harm's way. [there is difference in incoming and outgoing firearm rounds], shotgun rounds included.

Dave and others Know why I prefer the Youth model.

I ain't got a problem it being a 20 bore either, but I do have a fondness for slugs based on "life is life and reality is real".

Dave will back me up, I am sure.

Dave and others knows...and me...my real life experiences...
Internet on the other hand, no comment.

"Young-un- Rurak said to shoot two, you know about this in competing, now let us begin the lessons of serious stuff, where you shoot two...my single shot is loaded, load yours up as I showed you, and to use your term "run 'em...Oh I gots trip wires live and rigged for this course of fire young-un,,,


Dave-
I miss my Mentors, but I gotta meet you in person someday.
Phone calls will have to do for know...

Steve
 
When I posted my reply, that was based on my first experience. My very first visit to the range with my 20ga single was superb. I dialed that baby in taking two shots with a Hornady SST at 40 yards, then fired one off at 100 and it was spot dead nuts on the money. A guy that was with me wanted to try it. I told him to place that first aiming circle on the Nikon BDC scope on target and he popped through the same hole I made. He could not believe it. He told me he was going to run out and buy the same gun I had for that deer season. Short model youth, break-open, single shot. I put a Limb-Saver butt pad on it along with a Claw carrying strap and I loved that little, but capable, shotgun. After my job loss, I reluctantly sold it. Now after some money has come in, I thought I'd replace it with the longer barel, thumb-hole stock variant with the factory scope base and Leupold 2-7X shotgun / muzzle-loader scope. So far, I have failed to reproduce the spot on accuracy and confidence I had with the other.
 
Some day, Steve.

Steel, each and every shotgun is a law unto itself when it comes to accuracy. It takes testing to find out what it will do with a given load.

Don't give up. Try different slugs, and work on your bench technique. Betcha good results are out there waiting to be found.
 
I am amazed at this one of mine. I've added a shell sleave that goes around the stock and holds five shot. This gun breaks open super easy and I can reload and fire it very fast. This is a one shot, one kill gun and now I feel good about taking it on a hunt. This H&R 20 gauge Pardner's a good one!
 
H&R Experience

Sad to say, my present H&R and fourth visit to the range was not productive. After only 4 shots I packed it in. Will try a fifth time using a different scope. Mine might not be holding zero which could cause me to waste ammo chasing my tail. Can't hit an inside wall if I was standing in a barn. We'll see what the morning brings after the scope swap.
 
I have another follow on question about this shotgun. It comes out of the box with a modified choke and seems to be able to hit almost anything. With the right ammo, would one be able to use it for deer hunting and what sort of range would one be looking at? Would a scope need to be fitted? I've figured out how to do that without touching either the receiver or barrel.
 
By "right ammo" do you mean buckshot or slugs? You should be able to shoot either out of a MOD choke.

I've never hunted deer with buckshot, but I've heard people say that 40 yards is a practical limit, but that's with 00 from a 12 ga. Not sure what to expect from a 20 ga. (which typically comes with #2 or 3 buck). Maybe 30 yards?

With slugs, your options would be rifled slugs. Remington, Winchester, and Federal all make these, but you may want to experiment because your gun may be more accurate with one type than the others. Another option for smootbore barrels are Brenneke slugs, which I'd be tempted to try if I were to hunt deer with slugs. If you can get good sights or a scope on the gun, you could probably take deer out around 60 yards (well, probably farther, but I'm being conservative). Shooting with only a bead, shot placement becomes imprecise, and I'd say your range is back down to around 40 yards.

Just curious, how you plan to mount the scope if it doesn't involve the barrel or receiver???
 
I'm looking at slugs for it.

As for the scope mount, I'm looking at having it come off of the fore grip in a U shape and a rail. I also have a scope mount for a Winchester 94 top eject that could be used too. I will have to be sure of the long term use of the forearm as a scope mount though as it may work fine or it could work loose. The other option would be to mount a Lyman type fold down peep sight like the one you would find on an old Sharps or something.
 
Odd? There is nothing odd about a 20 GA single shot. It's one of my favorite choices for squirrel and rabbit. I started with a H&R .410 single shot at age 10, then a Winchester 20 GA single shot at age 12, then my Marlin 12 GA pump with 30" barrel at age 15 (still have the 20 and 12). By the time I got my 12 GA, I almost felt like I was cheating, making it too easy. I returned to the 20 GA for squirrel and rabbit, although I kept on using the 12 GA for close up deer hunting.

I wouldn't really recommend 20 GA much for deer except with slugs, to lessen the chance of a wounded animal. I comically started deer hunting with my .410 using 2.5" slugs ( :o ) but probably wouldn't have been able to take one right away with it, so luckily I never got a shot with the .410.
 
I do have a 12 gauge High Standard Model 200 that I could use instead. It just seemed like I might be able to open the 20 up to more possibilities. Last thing I want is a wounded deer wandering the woods. Slugs would be the only way to go but I would like to get a good idea of what the effective range of a slug would be as well as having an accurate sight system in place. If it's not a good idea, then I won't bother.
 
20 gauge for pigs??

I just bought a Youth model (short) 20 ga. Remington 870 for home defense at my country house and shooting wild pigs. I'm only 59 but do have arthritic shoulders so the light weight is a plus

suggestions on shells to use for the pigs?? I've heard their armor is rather dense!
I have discovered they don't generally load 00 buck in a 20 ga. shell( which was my original plan for home defense and hogs.) Will still use 9MM Kahr handgun for inside defense but need something for outside with not a lot of overshot problems
 
I recently bought a used 20 gauge single shot. I bought it for the lady of the house to use in the house. I will cut it down to about 20" and get buck shot. I think in the dark under stress it is the perfect defense gun for a woman not used to guns. I use an old 12 gauge H&R single shot to hunt deer. The tube is thick on the old ones and I silver soldered a scope base right on the tube. The 20 gauge was headed down the same road until my girlfriend said she wanted a house gun. I would not even think about using a pump or auto for deer.
 
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