What gauge for all around shotgun?
- Thread starter Bake
- Start date
Here is my breakdown on the choices you gave us.
10
To much recoil and ammo no readily available in all areas
12
Definitely an all round good gauge. Recoil can be excessive for some
16
A dying gauge, not readily available in most areas.
20
This would be my choice. Reasonable recoil, handle most small game well and does well will deer slugs. In other words if you need it for self defense, home defense or survival it works well.
28
Typically used for sporting shoots like skeet or sporting clays. Not a gauge you find with a wide range of shot sizes.
410
Getting harder to find ammo for this gauge. Does not have a wide pattern for birds or self defense.
Jim
10
To much recoil and ammo no readily available in all areas
12
Definitely an all round good gauge. Recoil can be excessive for some
16
A dying gauge, not readily available in most areas.
20
This would be my choice. Reasonable recoil, handle most small game well and does well will deer slugs. In other words if you need it for self defense, home defense or survival it works well.
28
Typically used for sporting shoots like skeet or sporting clays. Not a gauge you find with a wide range of shot sizes.
410
Getting harder to find ammo for this gauge. Does not have a wide pattern for birds or self defense.
Jim
ammo.crafter
New member
shotty
Fisher is right on.
I use a 20ga G-3 for everything from sporting clays to pheasant hunting.
Lighter than a 12ga to haul around and lots of loadings for various situations.
Fisher is right on.
I use a 20ga G-3 for everything from sporting clays to pheasant hunting.
Lighter than a 12ga to haul around and lots of loadings for various situations.
cc-hangfire
New member
+1 on the 20ga & Fisher covered it well. 12 & 20 are the choices due to almost universal ammo availability; 20ga has less recoil but can still do it all.
Many years ago I saw a cartridge board in Northern Thailand, it had a 4 gauge, and 8 gauge, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24 gauge, 28, 32 gauge 9 mm, .410, and 22 RF Shot. Because of the humidity in Thailand, all of these were loaded using brass hulls. In Vietnam, the 12 gauge came in two varieties, paper or if you knew the right guy, brass. ( same same loading)
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What Big Jim said.12ga..... ( come on man...24 and 32 ga...'s ...really ).../ I'm going to wet myself if you don't quit making me laugh....
You can down-load the 12-ga to shoot like a smaller gun, but you can't up-load the little guns. Also, the heavier 12-ga gun eats some felt recoil.
Creek Henry
New member
The 12 is hard to beat for versatility. A good, modern SA 12 that will cycle anything can really do it all.
A O/u 20 3" can do an aweful lot though
A O/u 20 3" can do an aweful lot though