20 GA shot I need some info

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jamiedouglas

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Hello all,
I am very new to rifles & guns, I am currently looking at buying a 20GA bolt action mod.choke. 28'' used and abused shot gun? I would like to use it duck & geese hunting. everyone tells me to forget about the 20ga and get a 12ga. For years I use a single shot 410cal shotgun with a ful choke and i loved that gun. Can anyone tell me the pro's and con's of the 20ga do shell cost more or the same? what is the kill range?
thank you for your time
Jamie

PS sorry i didn't see the post already on 12 vs 20ga but if you have anything else to add to would great!
 
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20 Guage

I just ordered a TOZ MC 20-01 20 guage bolt action from Armrus. www.armrus.com $100 plus tax and shipping.
Worth looking at. Don't know what choke it is, I'll find out when it arrives.
I've generally found 20 guage to be a bit cheaper than 410, not much tho'. Its a lot more bang than the 410 and you can always use slugs for small deer if you really want to.
 
I would not get a bolt action shotgun for goose and duck hunting. Id get either a pump action 12 gauge or semi auto. Seeing how you can only use no toxic shot on migratory birds I would stay away from the 20GA, ammo will be a lot more.
 
I have shot bolts in the field before for ducks, geese, rabbits, uplands etc. It was a good starter gun... something with a little more pizzaz than a single shot but I moved to a pump once i got disciplined.

Thats what singles and bolts are great for... disciplining the shooter to make that first shot count. Very seldom would I get and effective second ro0und off with my bolt..... but it was nice for finishing the job if I crippled something.

One of my peers is going through that predicament right now with a 385K I sold him. He is huinting Pelee Island with me now for pheasants and is complaining that "when he misses the first shot (usually) he doesnt have enough time to get another shot off while the bird is in range"..... so we are discussing a pump or a semi now..... so long as he is willing to do some time at the skeet/sporting clay range to get on his shot.

20g vs 12g for geese.... you better be real good on your leads.... real disciplined to hold your shot until bird is inside of 25 yrds and able to get birds thatg close. A 12 gauge offers more shot and more punch to put thosed big fowl down. I have even gone to an SP10 in the last two years. I have been shooting for 35 years and wouldnt consider a 20 for geese. i have taken my 20 out for ducks when they are decoying in the field or in the marsh but never where i may be pass shooting....

maybe I am just not that good??

IMHO........ a bolt for a starter gun..... a 12g minimum for geese

---> Hawk down
 
I can't think of the hunting situation where the gun you describe would be the ideal. Maybe the truck gun for the road-hunter who shoots grouse on the ground. But don't get me started on them.

If you're serious about hunting ducks and geese, your best bet is 12 ga. If you've GOT a 20 gauge, you can certainly hunt d & g with it, but it does limit you to a degree. It wouldn't be my first choice, anyway. 3-1/2" chamber is NOT needed, hell you can do an adequate job with 2-3/4" shells IF you can decoy them in well. Screw-in chokes are your best bet; lacking that go for a fixed IC, or Mod choke at tightest. (you can ream out the Full). Make is not important right now as much as the gun's FIT.

Then head to the trap and skeet field and learn how to shoot.
 
Thank you very much guys, I am brand new to duck & Geese hunting. and you guys are a big help. I think i'll start looking into 12ga, can anyone tell what barrol lenght sould be be looking into getting. And does any one know where you can pickup used guns?
 
Jamie

Barrel length has very little effect on overall shot performance. Or at least so small of an effect that you or I would never notice a difference.

There are advantages and disadvatages to a short and long barrel. A 30 inch long barrel sweeps (pulls past the target and leads) slower and gets on target slower but also falls off target slower. The added weight also help steady your sweep.

A shorter barrel such as a 24 or 26 gets on target real fast and sweeps fast but also falls off target easily... for me anyway. I have peers that use a 26 brl and can outshoot me with my 30. B ut they are used to it. Give them my 30 inch and they are screwed and visa-versa.

Case in point, I bought a 20 gauge coach gun off a fellow here at CGN. Coach guns have short 20 inch brls. I thought it would be good for uplanders and bunnies..... but no way.... not for me. It sweeps so fast for me that I blow past tartgets and shoot in front of them. I could get used to it but I dont want to screw up my instictive shooting abilities with longer brls. Its for sale.

make sense?

I grew up shooting lead with a 30 inch barrel full choke gun. I shoot a 30 inch barrel everywhere at everything. I only change my chokes but never my brl lengths. My instinctual shooting habits are keen with a 30 inch barrel.

Many guys shoot a 28... it kinda has the best of both worlds. I can shoot a 28 vs my 30 without much problems. Regardless of what brl you decide to shoot, stick with it and shoot it often at the range. Get good and stay good, you will enjoy being a good shot.

and you dont have to go past this board to get a decent gun. Decide what you want and post for it in the exchange section.

---> Hawk down
 
Bolt guns are not as slow as some people think. I used a bolt 12 gauge for geese, you get good when that is all you shoot, hell my uncle used to get 2-3 rounds off on ducks over decoys with a single shot. Practise and learn how to shoot, I learned on a 16ga single shot and a cooey 22 single shot, you learn to shoot when you don't have the follow up. The 20 will be fine for ducks, geese maybe not unless you are close, shooting at bunnies and grouse is no problem and the bolt reciever actually shortens your over all length, you will notice the difference in thick bush. Well good luck with it and don't feel you need to spend a grand on a shotgun for ducks and geese.
 
hey thanks guys, i am glad i joined this forum. I was pretty losed before, i would asked gun stores but they would just try to sell me something.

can i ask a few more question
 
Personally I think a 12 Ga with at least 3" chamber would be a better choice for a waterfowl gun, especially when hunting geese. I have a bolt action 20Ga with 2-3/4" chamber that I use for rabbits and grouse, but I use a 12Ga 3" pump for geese and ducks. If you do buy the 20Ga for small game, I think you'll find that lead shot is the same price as it is for 12Ga.
 
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I believe that Remington designed their guns with a 28" barrel for best balance. It's the most common, for sure. And you're giving nothing away in terms of ballistics amongst any barrel length over 2feet.

Used pumpguns are everywhere. Behind the chesterfield, in the closet, behind the lawn tractor. Even right here.

Where are you at?
 
First I have to say thank you! To everyone here who reply to my post. I went out and bought a 28" 12GA Remington 870 express combo. It was used but the owner fire it only a couple of times. I went out hunting on Sunday a got one Duck and 3 Coots, the 12ga pump worked awesome for a newbie hunter. I was able to shoot 40-60 yards and kill what i shot at. My friend with the 12ga 20'' had a few problems at longer distances then I did. So I have to say the 28" barrel helped me. And we did have problem with shot size though my friend was using 2-3 shot size 2 3/4 length I was using #2 #3 shot size at 3'' mag, but we had to shoot the Duck and Coots a couple of time to kill them. We asked someone at the marsh what shot he was using, and he said bb or #1. What is the best shot for us to use for ducks and geese? #2 #3 wasn't working so well for us.

Hawk
I have a question about sweeping? What is a sweeping?
 
Its a style of shooting..... I pull up behind the flying target and sweep past it until I have the leed that I want. Then I pull the trigger. My sweep never stops even as I shoot.

then there is english style shooting. Basically, its a point ahead of the bird with a built in leed, and pull the trigger.... no sweeping. Its much much faster BUT takes a lot of practice. I never gave the latter much of a chance.

--->Hawk down
 
all i ever use is good quality like kent or federal #2 3 inch and i have tremendous success with ducks for geese i use bb again kent or federal 3.5" again you get what you pay for so don't buy your ammo out of the bargain bin.
 
thanks everone for your help. I just pickup some BB 3'', and went to the range to get a shot pattern. damn does it give you a kick.
at 50yrs it gives me a 2-3'' pattern is this good or bad?
 
jamiedouglas said:
thanks everone for your help. I just pickup some BB 3'', and went to the range to get a shot pattern. damn does it give you a kick.
at 50yrs it gives me a 2-3'' pattern is this good or bad?
Click to expand...

A 3" pattern at 50 yards? That's neither good nor bad; that's impossible! :confused:
 
2 - 3 feet, maybe. But it's not the size of the pattern that matters, but how evenly spread out the shot is across the pattern - are there any spaces in the shot distribution that the bird (or target) could slip through even when the shot is dead on.

SS
 
Oh ok, sorry guys i am brand new at this, the pattern looks pretty even at 25 yrd mark at range, and it turns the wood holding the target into saw dust. At the 50 yrd mark at the range (not sure if i should be shooting that far), the target has a alot of holes through it. but i am not sure it would kill anything at that range so i'll try to keep my shot in the the 25-15yrd range. but if I change my shells will I be able to shot at a long distance(like BB or BBB)?
 
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