20 gauge or 12 gauge for hunting

An ounce of shot at 1200 feet per second is the same from either gun. The better question is: how much hitting power do you want? One has a higher load capacity than the other.

And further to the same thought, an ounce of shot in both rifles will recoil more on the lighter rifle.


12 or 20, whats its purpose?
 
As I am sure you understand by now 12 gauge is the the go to waterfowl.
I use and enjoy my 20 gauge for waterfowl but I have a lot of waterfowling experience and don't mind going home shy of my limit if the shots I like don't present themselves. My go to will always be a 12 its just much easier to get effective waterfowl loads for and it does provide a nicer pattern with large shot for geese, even with only 2 3/4" loads like use in some of my 2 3/4" only chamberred guns.
 
1300 fps of a particular shot is no different coming out the end of a 20 ga. than it is a 12 ga. The big difference is the pellet count, which relates to pattern density especially at longer ranges.
So the 20 ga would be fine for waterfowl as long as you keep the ranges reasonable, 40yds and under. Also depends how a good a wing shot you are. If your able to keep your patterns centred on your birds then your success rate is going to higher than a fella who can't no matter what gauge your using.

A lot of variables to give you a clean answer to your question. Personally I have always used a 12 ga. for ducks and geese. And a 20 ga for pheasants with great success. Then again I have shot many mallards at close range, 10 yds and under with my 101 skeet gun loaded with 1/2oz of copper plated 6's.
 
I have hunted ducks with everything from a 4.10 to a 10 gauge and if you're a "hunter" meaning you have the patience and skill to pull birds into decoy range a 20 is plenty of gun. The only drawback is going to be, in Canada at least, the availability of non toxic ammo at a comparable price to a 12ga. As stated earlier 3/4 oz if shot at 1300 fps is the same as 1 1/8oz at 1300 fps. The difference lies in the pellet count and the number of pellets you can put into the vitals to ensure a good clean kill. If you are looking for a one gun does all with more ammo choices and more availability then go for a 12 ga. Thats my opinion?!
 
Absolutely, if you can only afford one shotgun, and you want it to be dead reliable and work well at everything, then get a 12 gauge pump.
The ones that take 2.75 and 3" shells are just fine, there's even excellent turkey shells in 3"...the one and only reason to get the 3.5" chambering
is if you want to pass shoot flying geese even if they're up there a bit. My 870 12 gauge has done it all since the late 80s...but I've been using a nice light Weatherby SA-08 20 gauge semi-auto for grouse and bunnies the past couple of years. A light gun is great for long walks...
 
A slide-action works as a do everything gun if your budget is under $1000, if your budget is higher consider a good semi. A slide-action with a 24 or 26" barrel in 12ga, Benelli or Browning with nods here, will allow you hunt just about about anything. I have a Benelli Nova I bought back in January that may see some upland work this fall if I don't trade it first. In the woods, chasing upland game, I've always prefered a break action(SXS or Single-shot), the issue with a repeater, at least when it comes to the tight brush I tend to hunt, is length and weight will slow you down. My last slide action was a mid-seventies Remington 870 Wingmaster combo(26" barrel & 20 smooth bore slug), weighed about 8lbs and was a decent clay gun, however after a couple of miles of lugging in it through the brush I found it slow to get on target and easily caught up on a spruce at worst time. With a break-action 28" barrel gives 6" less gun to swing in the brush and in the case of the single-shot, can be 2-3lbs lighter.
 
I have several 12 and 20 gauge shotguns. There is no doubt a 12 can do more. However, if one confines themselves to upland bird and deer hunting, the 20 gauge M37 Ithaca Featherlight sits a full pound lighter then the same configuration Remington 870. This last fact means alot to the dedicated grouser. And with a spare fully rifled 20 inch slug barrel, one can utilize it as a 125 yard deer gun that does not suffer in the accuracy department even one iota. No barrel shimming required for this part-time deer gun since 1959! ;)

win win win......

Edit: I also have some decent double guns too.
 
IMHO, the correct gun is determined by the style of hunting you do. While pass shooting is within the firm domain of a 12 ga, the smaller, quicker handling 20 is the better choice for jump shooting. Its the choice of shot size, rather than the weight of the shot column which determines is suitability for any particular game. At short ranges, you don't need to hit a 2 pound duck with 2 ounces of shot from a 3.5" 12 bore.
 
Within 30 yards or so you may not be able to tell the difference. I've got a little 870 Express Youth that all the kids went through, or in the case of the girls are still using. We mostly just jump shoot ducks; largely because that's all the effort I'm willing to go through for a duck.
 
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The one advantage of the 20 gauge is it's available in lighter, more nimble shotguns, that are nicer to carry for upland game birds and jumping ducks.
The 12 gauge, generally, is going to come in a heavier shotgun that's not quite as nimble, but ammo in general is cheaper and you can buy 2.75" 12 gauge shells that have a light load and powder charge for small birds. The 12 gauge, though, lets you use heavy 3" or 3.5" shells, depending on the gun, for things like turkeys or pass shooting geese...so it's more versatile. If I were limited to one shotgun I'd keep a 12 gauge. I do have an Ithaca M37 in 16 gauge that would strike a nice balance between the two, but commercial 16 gauge ammo these days is harder to find, more expensive, and loaded light.
If you loaded your own it would make for a nice option...
 
I use 20 ga. for deer [slug] and turkey, as well as small game and upland. The 20 is not less of a shotgun, just lighter load. Actually, its flatter shooting, and faster than 12.
 
I favour 12 for everything- it cuts back on ammo gauge mixups, arriving on site with a 20 to find I packed 12 G ammo, etc, and also it's easier to buy or borrow 12 from friends or in small towns, etc, than almost any other type of ammunition. Plus, for fun shooting far far more bargains come along for 12 G shells.
 
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