Twenty gauge vs the twelve gauge. Your experiences.

Re: Willamd

I agree with you. But there are so many shotgun myths out there it ain't funny.

Lets say there are two hunters shooting at doves. They both hit a dove with one eight shot pellet at thirty yards. One was shooting a 410 and the other a 10 gauge. The impact on the bird would be similar. Where the shot hit would count more. If the 410 pellet struck the head and the 10 gauge hit a tail feather, guess which bird would be deader?
 
Ok so you would be happy to go into a gun fight with a "shotgun" that fires one piece of shot? 1 1/8 vs 7/8 makes a big difference.

But I guess that you could argue that since the shot is going the same speed its all the same

SO to make something of a point.

It's all the same just a little less of it but it still works right? I think some times that 1/4 extra really does matter.
A 12 gge dsn't ha moe pow an a 20 gau. Nt oy id I incrae th sie of m respse, I tyd exa slly o!
Click to expand...
 
Re:csspecs

You made a good point. I guess I am talking about using bird shot and hunting. You are right, in a HD situation the extra payload of a larger guage would be better. But, each individual projectile will still deliver the same energy no matter the gauge.

If a person shoots someone at twenty yards with a single round out of a 22 rifle, and another shoots the same person with a ten rounds at the same distance with the same ammo, each 22 bullet will do the same damage. I am assuming the exact same gun and ammo. Now, the ten shots will do more damage. But the individual rounds are not more powerful are then the single shot. A full auto wouldn't make a 22 rimfire more powerful then a single shot rifle.

If there was a gun fight between two individual using shotguns at five hundred yards, one had a 4 bore punt gun, and the other a 410, and both would shooting loads of eight shot, the battle would go on for awhile. In fact, if you could get one pellet from each shotgun to hit a piece of wood at ten yards, the penetration would be almost exact. The eight shot traveling a 1300 feet per second is traveling at 1300 feet per second irregardless of how it was propelled to the velocity.
 
There are many variables between shotguns and loads even within a particular ammo manufacturers lineup. You need to pick what you think is best fror your application and try a box. Look at the velocity and payload then try them in your gun w/ your chokes.
Lee Lapin and roy reali are both on the money: many myths and try before you buy. I've had several people out to try different guns before they bought one, it's all fun. Any shotty will make a good HD tool, get one you can be comfortable and confident with.
Try some #2 birdshot, it's nasty.
 
they are both good. i even shot my first deer with a 20 gauge with #3buck. Recoil isnt that much of a diffrence between the 12 and 20, until you step it up and start shooting the the 12 with the 3 1/2 inchers
 
My friends laughed when I bought my 1st gun. A Mossberg 500 - 12g - told them I wanted to shoot some BIG BOOM ammo. :)

I then installed a Knoxx SpecOps and a Knoxx Limbsaver for the SpecOps... My 15 year old son, typically shoots with me. 00 buck (2 2/3"), 1oz slugs (2 2/3"), and even some Brenneke 3" Magnum black magic rounds 600grain.

After about - hmm... maybe 80 or 100 rounds at the range, I might take a break for my shoulder. But more common, is that my ears (even with plugs) need a break (or when I wear muffs - it gets annoying).

-Michael
 
20's really see their best use for dove, quail, and clays as stated above, for which I have used 20's my whole life. In my opinion for other than those uses there's no reason not to have a 12 gauge.
 
Recoil

I was in the same quandry and bit the bulletr, and bought.
Heres what I got. A gas operated 12 gauge that shoote 2$3/4 loads. Recoils less than my old 16 gauge that has the recoil action. I have been told, and believe that the 20 gauge with a magnum load can recoil worse than 12 gauge.

Understand I shoot competitively and shoot 200 to 225 rounds a week so I cannot have a flinch. My shot gun is for recreation, and hunting, so when I go back to the range i can't afford to iron out a flinch. DO NOT get a pump, O/U or SXS. A fixed breech gun will slap. The gas softens the push.
Also get a gun with a skeet stock, which is desighned to come straight back, not swing up and slap your face. Use a long barrel to mitigate the effects of blast which is as deliterious as recoil.

If you are afraid and not having fun, sell the gun and get a fun gun. Life is too short to have to put up with a harsh piece of equipment just to please an on line He - Man. ( who prolly don't use a box of shells in a year anyway..............
Regards
Mike T
Virginia
(Sing Dixie)
 
Quail Vs. Pheasant

Many folks will say that the 20 gauge is adequate for small birds like quail, but a 12 is needed for larger birds like pheasants. One reason behind this theory is that the 12 gauge throws out more birdshot. It does and there is no arguement about it.

More pellets means more hits. More hits on target translates into a cleaner kill.

Isn't a pheasant a larger bird then a quail. Therefore, wouldn't it stand to reason that more shot will hit it versus a smaller bird. Then if a 20 can hit a quail with enough shot to kill it, it should be able to hit a larger bird with more shot and thus bring it down too.
 
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