20 Gauge Fans ?

[iron cat]

Thanks Cat, I will have to pattern a few but I will start with those.

I found with my iside Vintage, that the FAIR standard open chokes work well, CYL/IMPCYL
I guess it depends on how tight you can bring them in.
But when we were pass shooting the snows they worked well, also.
In my O/U FAIR I used Trulock SK1/SK1 Precision Hunter screw in's

Cat

 

[Falconflyer]

Nice bag there Cat!

 

[iron cat]

Nice bag there Cat!

Thanks, lucky I guess, right place right time!

Cat

 

[Falconflyer]

Arnold Palmer used to say that the more he practiced, the luckier he got!

 

[Brutus]

You folks ever try out Prairie Storm shotshells in your 20 gauge? Mine had exceptionally tight groups. Using the IC and Mod chokes on my SKB O/U I could take fairly long shots on flying sharptails along the edges of grassy pasture. Appeared to give me another ten yards advantage.

 

[Falconflyer]

I've used Prairie Storm ammo with good results but I never patterned it.

 

[JIMMY 808]

You folks ever try out Prairie Storm shotshells in your 20 gauge? Mine had exceptionally tight groups. Using the IC and Mod chokes on my SKB O/U I could take fairly long shots on flying sharptails along the edges of grassy pasture. Appeared to give me another ten yards advantage.

They are ok for sure don’t much like plated shot but they seem to work very well. The Rem express 5s 1oz are normally the go to load. Wouldn’t mind trying some British Hi pheasant loads.

 

[iron cat]

You folks ever try out Prairie Storm shotshells in your 20 gauge? Mine had exceptionally tight groups. Using the IC and Mod chokes on my SKB O/U I could take fairly long shots on flying sharptails along the edges of grassy pasture. Appeared to give me another ten yards advantage.

Nope, I either shoot shoot hand loads or some older vintage stuff that I am getting rid of for upland birds.
I have some old C.I.L magnum 20's in #5 and #4 that work very well, and even some 2's !
Cat

 

[stubblejumper]

You folks ever try out Prairie Storm shotshells in your 20 gauge? Mine had exceptionally tight groups. Using the IC and Mod chokes on my SKB O/U I could take fairly long shots on flying sharptails along the edges of grassy pasture. Appeared to give me another ten yards advantage.

A friend was using them, more destructive than most loads at closer ranges, and no more effective that a good quality plated shot load at longer distances. One of the most effective 20 gauge loads that I have used is some older Winchester XX Magnum 2-3/4" loads, using copper plated. buffered shot. I find that the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant loads work well, in all gauges that I use. The plated shot seems to penetrate better, and drag less feathers into the meat.

 

[Hollow Point]

love my Franchi Affinity 20 gauge.

 

[Redsoilreaper]

I've had a few different 20 gauges over the years. Win 101 mod/ic, Win 101 skeet/skeet, Beretta 391 Urika 2 Gold sporting, Benelli M2 and now a Beretta A400 with KO. All great guns, but the Beretta A400 is the best one yet.

 

[MuskokaJoe]

Big fan of the 20 and the 28 here... I use a Beretta 486 Parallelo in 20ga, and a Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon S in 28ga. Both have 28in barrels. Awesome guns. Very lite to carry, including the ammo.

 

[Redsoilreaper]

Big fan of the 20 and the 28 here... I use a Beretta 486 Parallelo in 20ga, and a Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon S in 28ga. Both have 28in barrels. Awesome guns. Very lite to carry, including the ammo.

Have to agree Muskoka Joe, I'm a big fan of the 28 as well!

 

[3macs1]

Big fan of the 20 and the 28 here... I use a Beretta 486 Parallelo in 20ga, and a Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon S in 28ga. Both have 28in barrels. Awesome guns. Very lite to carry, including the ammo.

That is one SWEET gun
Cheers

 

[the spank]

I got my son one of those mossberg 20 gauge 2 barrel combos last year. Poor kid hasnt been able to get anywhere near it. I find it so much easier to handle. It's light, short, points fast. The improvement in my shooting makes up for the loss of power.

I'm not a small guy either, but now the 12 gauge just feels like a piece of pipeline.

Anyone else have a similar experience ?

Love the 20! There is no difference in "power" between any gauges, just weight of shot charge. A pellet exiting a muzzle at a given velocity is the same regardless what gauge it is fired from. Using the standard 40 yards as a max shooting distance there isn't anything the 12 can do that a 20 can't and the 20 does it with alot less recoil imo. I am at the age or physical stature or whatever it is where I no longer want to tolerate more recoil than is necessary and the 20's mild recoil especially in a gas operated semi-auto such as my SX3 is extremely tame and barely noticeable with hunting clothes on. The only 12 I even own now is my single shot trap gun and if it weren't for the extra weight I think I'd send it to Briley and have a custom 20 sub-gauge tube made for it! LOL

The Beretta is my gf's, the SX3 and Citori XS Skeet are mine. We really like our 20's!!

 

[the spank]

Some point. All I see is lack of shotgunning experience and knowledge especially with the 28ga
As they say
The 28 ga. can do deadly work, but it has to be the right gun in the hands of the right man. Clearly NOT you

For me when I shot the 4 gauges seriously at shoots it was always the 12 or the 410 but most times the 12ga that kept me from winning and dropped birds.Rare for the 28 or 20. Both were a pure joy to shoot. If you reload there is nothing a 28ga cannot do that a 20 can.
IMO if you have to buy factory ammo the 20 ga is cheaper to shoot, with more selection and the way to go for most
In the end to each their own
Take care

Hahaha! Sounds familiar! Anytime I shot 4 gun events the 12 was always my lowest score posted! First was almost always the 20 and it was usually a neck and neck race for the 28 and 410.....looking back on oal averages tells the complete story.

#1 20ga
#2 12/28 tie
#3 410

 

[JIMMY 808]

Here is a pretty good vid on the 28 vs 12 sorta funny that at the 4min mark even though the 12ga out patterns with no holes and tighter. The 28ga with larger pattern and holes large enough to miss the kill zone on a quail still somehow out preformed the 12ga?

Nothing the myth of sub gauges can’t do...

 

[reddog9x19]

Any thoughts on an entry level semi-auto 20ga. for turkey & birds?

 

[the spank]

Any thoughts on an entry level semi-auto 20ga. for turkey & birds?

Watch the EE....I picked up the SX3 above with 1 box of target loads fired through it for $750 shipped.

 

[ACKLEY ABE]

And the 20 gauge beats the .410 in every way. IMHO

True words. not IMHO Give a kid a 410 to learn on and he just gets frustrated. Give him a 20 and he'll be a shotgunner for life. I'm lookin for a 687 Silver Pigeon. I do have a BSS with a straight grip (English Stk) and it is a dream to shoot plus an 870 Wingmaster. 20's are great and are extremely versatile although like anything, "within their limitations.

I do seem to shoot my 28 more than my 20's these days, though.

20's inexpensive to shoot and actually will kill birds at any reasonable distance..and sometimes beyond. .410 thanks, but I'll pass.