12 or 20 gauge for Wild birds

[nutntoit]

What dog are you hunting behind?  Pointers = 20 guage, flushers = 12 gauge.  With my pointer I often find myself waiting for the bird to get a little more distance from me.

I hunt over pointing dogs.

[nutntoit]

Weight isn’t a huge concern for me as I am used to carrying around my 12ga 870. That being said I am looking to buy a nice over under that fits me better, so now is the time to decide gauge. I shoot well with my 870 and kill plenty of birds, but I want a better balanced gun and really want a break action for ease of loading/unloading. I am in and out of the truck a lot and cycling a pump gets old. I am attracted to the feel of some of the 20s. They seem to point well for me, but I have limited experience shooting one and zero hunting experience with one.

[Bigshooter]

I'm a huge fan of the 20ga and the 28ga.  I like a lighter, smaller, faster, shotgun over the big bulky 12's.  I am very confident with both of them out to 40 yards.  I killed a couple of turkey's this year at 38 and 43 yards with my ruger o/u 20ga.  And when I pulled the trigger it looked like they got hit over the head with a sludge hammer and didn't move.  Next year I will only take my ruger o/u 28ga when I go turkey hunting.

[CP]

A 12g will do everything that a 20g will do, and more, and better.  I see no reason to own anything but a 12g.

Then you haven't hiked chukar cliffs or waded through miles of muddy fields with a nice light 20 guage.

I have a 5.9lb 12g.  Most 20s weigh more than that, I'm sure there are a few that weigh a bit less but the difference is negligible.

If your shooting a sub 6lb, 12, your most likely also shooting 20ga loads, and not American 12ga loads.  The steel isn’t thick enough to proof high pressure American shells in 99% of all sub 6lb 12 gauges.  So, let’s make sure we are talking apples to apples.  I believe my Griffin and Howe 12 ga is proofed to 1200 or 1310 bar.  It’s a 6lb 10oz 12 guage.  I don’t shoot the ultra high velocity magnum loads in that even with the high proof.

My go to shotgun over the years has been a 1923 LC Smith 20 guage  with 2 1/2” chambers. I shoot RST 7/8 is loads at 1125 FPS in the heart of pheasant country.  I’ve hunted WA, SD, NE, KS, CO, and several other states for pheasants.  There are no pheasants more wild than a late season January CO pheasant.  It’s not about the guage, it’s about the gun and the shooter.

It will shoot any 12g shell from the little mini shells up to 3" 2oz turkey loads   


http://cz-usa.com/product/cz-upland-ultralight-12-26-alloy-receiver-5-choke-tubes/

But I mostly shoot 7/8oz hand loads in it because light shotguns (regardless of gauge) kick like a mule and heavy loads are just not much fun.

[jetjockey]

That’s not a Sub 6lb gun.  But none the less, that gun is the lightest I know of that can shoot modern ultra high velocity loads.  It won’t shoot many of them though.  With the light 20 goads your running, it should shoot you for years.

[ribka]

I hunt sometimes with cz ul. Joy to carry on those days covering a lot of ground. I like it but shooting heavy loads is definitely felt


I still prefer to use a 12 on heavily pressured birds on public land and late season prefer a semi auto

I hate missing shots on birds hunting with my dog after all of her hard work finding them

A 12g will do everything that a 20g will do, and more, and better.  I see no reason to own anything but a 12g.

Then you haven't hiked chukar cliffs or waded through miles of muddy fields with a nice light 20 guage.

I have a 5.9lb 12g.  Most 20s weigh more than that, I'm sure there are a few that weigh a bit less but the difference is negligible.

If your shooting a sub 6lb, 12, your most likely also shooting 20ga loads, and not American 12ga loads.  The steel isn’t thick enough to proof high pressure American shells in 99% of all sub 6lb 12 gauges.  So, let’s make sure we are talking apples to apples.  I believe my Griffin and Howe 12 ga is proofed to 1200 or 1310 bar.  It’s a 6lb 10oz 12 guage.  I don’t shoot the ultra high velocity magnum loads in that even with the high proof.

My go to shotgun over the years has been a 1923 LC Smith 20 guage  with 2 1/2” chambers. I shoot RST 7/8 is loads at 1125 FPS in the heart of pheasant country.  I’ve hunted WA, SD, NE, KS, CO, and several other states for pheasants.  There are no pheasants more wild than a late season January CO pheasant.  It’s not about the guage, it’s about the gun and the shooter.

It will shoot any 12g shell from the little mini shells up to 3" 2oz turkey loads   


http://cz-usa.com/product/cz-upland-ultralight-12-26-alloy-receiver-5-choke-tubes/

But I mostly shoot 7/8oz hand loads in it because light shotguns (regardless of gauge) kick like a mule and heavy loads are just not much fun.

[Special T]

This is the 12 gauge I use when birds are holding tight.  This one is at the opposite end of the spectrum from my long barrel  at a foot shorter.

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[Wacenturion]

I'm a huge fan of the 20ga and the 28ga.  I like a lighter, smaller, faster, shotgun over the big bulky 12's. I am very confident with both of them out to 40 yards.  I killed a couple of turkey's this year at 38 and 43 yards with my ruger o/u 20ga.  And when I pulled the trigger it looked like they got hit over the head with a sludge hammer and didn't move.  Next year I will only take my ruger o/u 28ga when I go turkey hunting.

Completely agree.  Personally 28 gauges for me except for turkeys which I used a 22' extended choke 12 gauge that is an old friend and killed lot of birds.  As far as weight, one needs to factor in shells as well.  A box of 28 gauge shells are hardly noticeable say chasing chukars vs. a box of 12 gauge shells.  That does make a difference.  JMO

[Parkern]

28

[Alpine Mojo]

A 12g will do everything that a 20g will do, and more, and better.  I see no reason to own anything but a 12g.

I've been pounding grouse for years with an old school SxS 20 gauge.  I guess I've been doing it wrong all this time.

[follow maggie]

Really, the only effective difference is the 12 gives a fuller pattern at longer ranges. I carry my Wetherby Orion in 20 early in the season, but when it's getting late, it's the Versamax. Don't do much peasant hunting anymore, just a couple trips to the Dakotas every year.

[joe_dumy]

You might as well consider a 16 or 28ga. I think both of them are superior to the 20 and 12. You also get a nice hobby reloading with the 16 and 28 ga. So something to do when you cant hunt.

[2MANY]

You might as well consider a 16 or 28ga. I think both of them are superior to the 20 and 12. You also get a nice hobby reloading with the 16 and 28 ga. So something to do when you cant hunt.

True.
410 rocks as well if hunting over a pointing dog.

[Fishnfowler]

I'm shooting a wide variety of guns that are purpose specific.  I have a heavy, long-barrelled 12 for waterfowl, a light 12 for upland, and ultralight 20's for very quick short-range game such as quail in the thickets.  Having a gun that fits and hits where you look is far more important than the rest of it.

[10mmg]

For waterfowl I use the 12gauge given the diversity of loads for small ducks to large honkers. Unless you got dollars to use non toxic steel alternatives I would stay with the 12 for web footed quarry. I carry a sxs 20 Gauge beretta for upland. I typically use #5 steel tungsten blend 3” shells. Small enough for quail large enough for pheasant and non toxic enough for the odd duck that jumps from the drainage ditches. My long shot on a mod choke was about 45 yards. The 20 is great for doves as well. I tend to get more edible birds form the 20 than the 12 off doves.