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Q:
I already have a 12 ga. Rem. 870 and I am looking into getting a semi-auto, and was wondering about getting one in a 20ga. or would i be better off keeping all my guns the same gauge? the kick does not matter to me. just what would be the differences in a 12 ga. vs. a 20 ga.
Question by basketfootball89. Uploaded on September 09, 2009
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Answers (10)
This is really a personal preference. It depends on what you will be using it for. If it is primarily a dove gun...I would suggest the 20 gauge. I personally like to feel my shoulder after 5 boxes of rounds. You already have a really nice 12 gauge. That 870 will last you forever if you treat it right. Why not go with the 20 ga. and enjoy new options like a day afield for dove or grouse.
you shouldn't carry both kinds of shells around with you, that's very dangerous, so it is a case of carrying one or the other, just bear that in mind. I'd stick with the 12 guage unless you do a lot of upland bird hunting.
Many 12 ga guns have been blown up when a 20 ga shell was inadvertently dropped in the chamber. It will plug the barrel yet a 12 ga shell will chamber and fire. That is what Elmer Fudd is talking about.
A 20 or 28 ga for dove, quail and other small game makes a lot of sense. I shoot a 28 ga O/U and love it. Much easier to carry a 6 lb 28 than an 8 or 9 lb 12 when you walk crop fields and CRP all day. Keep in mind that 28 ga ammo costs much more than 20 ga ammo, but is very cheap to reload. My MEC 9000G cranks out a box of high quality reloads in just a few minutes and greatly mitigates the cost of ammo. If you don't reload the 20 is the way to go. One other thing reloads work great in double guns but not as good in pumps and semi-autos. But I digress, go for the 20 and you will be glad you did.
12 gauge all the way! 20 gauges are for women and small stature people. They are ok for upland bird when you are covering a ton of ground. Light weight makes them a pleasure to carry. Hey dplummer how many doves can you legally kill in your area? Our limit is 15 here. I shot a limit with just over a box of shells from a trusty old double barrel this past Saturday. If it takes five boxes to get your limit you need some practice on the skeet range. Dont take it personal just kidding.
thanks for the good info guys, im still not sure which way to go, i do like the idea of not having to worry about the right size shell, but i also like the idea of a new gun in a different gauge, i might just end up flipping a coin
I would go 20 gauge with the new one if you intend to use it for quail and dove hunting. A 20 gauge is just so fast to pull up and so quick to swing. It has plenty of knock down power for anything up to pheasants and ducks as well. I would use the 12 gauge for duck/goose and even pheasants if they are getting up at long ranges. You need to be aware of the risk of shoving any smaller shell in the barrel of your shotgun but the 20s are yellow and the 12s are red. You probably won't even have them out of the safe at the same time let alone shoot them at the same time so you should be all right. I shot both for about 20 years and never thought of dropping a yellow shell in my 12 gauge. By the way, I liked using 3" mags in the 20 for pheasants because of the tighter pattern than same shot load in a 12 guage.
assuming the frame is also smaller try ccbout a 20 ga. they are a joy to carry while 12s are typically heavy after a long day afield.
It deepends on what you are hunting. Personally, I like the 12 gauge.
Certainly there is a danger with mixing ammo. Gonna buy a 20 in a few days and hide the 12 gauge ammo. As long as you own both , you must make a slow and deliberate effort and double-check your ammo before going shooting. I owned both gauges for 10 years and got rid of the 20 during a gun purge for safety's sake. I realize now that this was a huge mistake. I took the 20 dove hunting and hit 7 of 10. I knew better than to take the other 3 shots. I could have limited if I had been used to state laws which allow for morning shooting, and if I had not lost my yellow-tinted glasses. Those really do give you an extra hour of daylight at both ends.
Agreed with dplummer and + 1 for you sir!!!
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This is really a personal preference. It depends on what you will be using it for. If it is primarily a dove gun...I would suggest the 20 gauge. I personally like to feel my shoulder after 5 boxes of rounds. You already have a really nice 12 gauge. That 870 will last you forever if you treat it right. Why not go with the 20 ga. and enjoy new options like a day afield for dove or grouse.
you shouldn't carry both kinds of shells around with you, that's very dangerous, so it is a case of carrying one or the other, just bear that in mind. I'd stick with the 12 guage unless you do a lot of upland bird hunting.
Many 12 ga guns have been blown up when a 20 ga shell was inadvertently dropped in the chamber. It will plug the barrel yet a 12 ga shell will chamber and fire. That is what Elmer Fudd is talking about.
A 20 or 28 ga for dove, quail and other small game makes a lot of sense. I shoot a 28 ga O/U and love it. Much easier to carry a 6 lb 28 than an 8 or 9 lb 12 when you walk crop fields and CRP all day. Keep in mind that 28 ga ammo costs much more than 20 ga ammo, but is very cheap to reload. My MEC 9000G cranks out a box of high quality reloads in just a few minutes and greatly mitigates the cost of ammo. If you don't reload the 20 is the way to go. One other thing reloads work great in double guns but not as good in pumps and semi-autos. But I digress, go for the 20 and you will be glad you did.
12 gauge all the way! 20 gauges are for women and small stature people. They are ok for upland bird when you are covering a ton of ground. Light weight makes them a pleasure to carry. Hey dplummer how many doves can you legally kill in your area? Our limit is 15 here. I shot a limit with just over a box of shells from a trusty old double barrel this past Saturday. If it takes five boxes to get your limit you need some practice on the skeet range. Dont take it personal just kidding.
thanks for the good info guys, im still not sure which way to go, i do like the idea of not having to worry about the right size shell, but i also like the idea of a new gun in a different gauge, i might just end up flipping a coin
I would go 20 gauge with the new one if you intend to use it for quail and dove hunting. A 20 gauge is just so fast to pull up and so quick to swing. It has plenty of knock down power for anything up to pheasants and ducks as well. I would use the 12 gauge for duck/goose and even pheasants if they are getting up at long ranges. You need to be aware of the risk of shoving any smaller shell in the barrel of your shotgun but the 20s are yellow and the 12s are red. You probably won't even have them out of the safe at the same time let alone shoot them at the same time so you should be all right. I shot both for about 20 years and never thought of dropping a yellow shell in my 12 gauge. By the way, I liked using 3" mags in the 20 for pheasants because of the tighter pattern than same shot load in a 12 guage.
assuming the frame is also smaller try ccbout a 20 ga. they are a joy to carry while 12s are typically heavy after a long day afield.
It deepends on what you are hunting. Personally, I like the 12 gauge.
Certainly there is a danger with mixing ammo. Gonna buy a 20 in a few days and hide the 12 gauge ammo. As long as you own both , you must make a slow and deliberate effort and double-check your ammo before going shooting. I owned both gauges for 10 years and got rid of the 20 during a gun purge for safety's sake. I realize now that this was a huge mistake. I took the 20 dove hunting and hit 7 of 10. I knew better than to take the other 3 shots. I could have limited if I had been used to state laws which allow for morning shooting, and if I had not lost my yellow-tinted glasses. Those really do give you an extra hour of daylight at both ends.
Agreed with dplummer and + 1 for you sir!!!
Post an Answer