20 gauge users, opinions please.

I personally favor the 12 over the 20, even though I have several of each. The 12g ammo has a much larger selection for better price.


Having that said, until you make comparisons into magnum shells, a 20 g shell will deliver every bit as a 12g.


The choice of which gun one chooses would be defined by what you're using it for.
 
For myself. I have never had a desire for a pump or an auto in 20ga. May be nice, occasionally, to have an extra round available, but it is usually a wasted round. I have had SXS's or O/U's in 20ga for around 40yrs now. I really believe you may be better off to save some loot and go to a CZ or something in that range.
It is something you can keep for many years and you will probably appreciate it more in the long run. And it isn't that much more money, you can get a pretty decent gun for 1000.00 new these days, and you may be able to come up with a used one for less, if you are a bit patient.
 
I couldn't make a choice between a decent double gun and a pump in this gauge. So I got one of each.

Surely there are many out there that decided a good semi-auto was their own solution too, and they would be equally correct.

Once you start to fill that larder with a low output ratio of shells or score more then 20 out of 25 we are all "getting it" IMO.

Cheers....
 
JamesM, I think you are on the right track now with your upgrade.......The Wingmaster 20 will be a grade or two above your current 870.
Transition from the "old" to the "new" will be very easy as you are used to operating that basic 870.
I have had lots of twenties over the years....Still have a few....Never thought I would like a pump, but bought an older Wingmaster 20 a couple of years ago and surprised myself .It fits me with no tweaking, operates very smoothly, and is lots of fun to shoot.
 
IME Wingmaster's, without adjustment, fit more people comfortably than any other gun made... 1100's are a close second... and I am not particularly a Rem fan...
 
I had a Cooey Winchester Single shot in 20 gauge. Even though it had a triggerguard and opening lever made of zamak it was still a great shotgun. I sold it. For a replacement I am looking at the Baikal IJ-18 in 20 gauge. I don't consider them to be inferior to the Cooey Winchester singles. For one thing, the receivers on the IJ-18 are high grade steel whereas the receiver of the Cooey Winchesters look like castings to me. Not sure if the Cooeys are cast iron or cast steel. The Baikal IJ-18 is available as a rifle in calibers up to and including .30-06. Try that stunt with a Cooey Winchester 840 receiver.

Edit: you can see I am not in the hoity-toity 20 gauge section! :p
 
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hoytcanon said:
IME Wingmaster's, without adjustment, fit more people comfortably than any other gun made... 1100's are a close second... and I am not particularly a Rem fan...
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Greg,
I agree with you....virtually every shotgun which I acquire, and there have been many,needs a trip to Klaus Hiptmayer (Master Stockmaker) for additional cast off to be built in. I am fortunate that he lives close to me. That 20 gauge Wingmaster makes doubles on barn pigeons with no tweaking whatsoever !!
 
20's simply kick @ss..... most of the deer i shoot have been with a 20 using grey box wins and hornady sst's. I have set my wife up with an lt20 rem 1100 having a smooth bore rifle sight barrel an a 26" mod barrel and she has been very successful with it keeping within the yardage capabilities like anything else.
I have been using a win 101 for over a decade as my primary grouse gun, a lot lighter to carry for 5-6 hrs non trail walking including 30 rounds of ammo an outing then the same in 12 i carried before that.
My 20s consist of a womens/youth bps (started deer hunting with this early on), charles daly o/u 28" full/mod, win 1300 xtr with a smooth bore slug barrel a rifled barrel and a 22" vr removeable choke barrel (if i didnt want to pass this one onto my daughter it would be my do all gun nice to carry with the alum reciever), zabala sxs (cheap spanish), and a good old cooey single. All these are great guns but most have their own application as well. If i were to choose one as a do all gun it would be a pump either being the bps or the win 1300 xtr (super smooth action). The one though i have yet to get is a nice A5 in 20 as kamlooky suggests.
I seldom carry any of my 12's anymore and use the 20's on grouse, rabbit, turkey, crows, and deer. Every now and then i use the 1300 with rifled barrel using the 250gr hornady ssts on coyote, they dont much like it (im not into keeping hides).
Great choice of gauge in my opinion just find what fits best for your application(s).
 
hammering hank said:
20's simply kick @ss..... most of the deer i shoot have been with a 20 using grey box wins and hornady sst's. I have set my wife up with an lt20 rem 1100 having a smooth bore rifle sight barrel an a 26" mod barrel and she has been very successful with it keeping within the yardage capabilities like anything else.
I have been using a win 101 for over a decade as my primary grouse gun, a lot lighter to carry for 5-6 hrs non trail walking including 30 rounds of ammo an outing then the same in 12 i carried before that.
My 20s consist of a womens/youth bps (started deer hunting with this early on), charles daly o/u 28" full/mod, win 1300 xtr with a smooth bore slug barrel a rifled barrel and a 22" vr removeable choke barrel (if i didnt want to pass this one onto my daughter it would be my do all gun nice to carry with the alum reciever), zabala sxs (cheap spanish), and a good old cooey single. All these are great guns but most have their own application as well. If i were to choose one as a do all gun it would be a pump either being the bps or the win 1300 xtr (super smooth action). The one though i have yet to get is a nice A5 in 20 as kamlooky suggests.
I seldom carry any of my 12's anymore and use the 20's on grouse, rabbit, turkey, crows, and deer. Every now and then i use the 1300 with rifled barrel using the 250gr hornady ssts on coyote, they dont much like it (im not into keeping hides).
Great choice of gauge in my opinion just find what fits best for your application(s).
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can I ask why you would add that .¨'I am not in to keeping hides .

it is a crime to let the hides spoil .I am all for hunting yotes but this kind of thing gets under my skin .if you are not going to us the hides leave them be or find someone who will us them .if I said I was using my 500 nitro express for deer because I was not in to eating them would that be any different .this is a open fourm and we must mind what we say ,thanks Dutch
 
I only hunt yotes when a local farmer has problems with them and calls me up typically when there is calfing. I have asked people i know if interested in the hides and nobody interested.... if you are local pm me i have other small bore cfs that id also be happy to use. And yes there is a difference between yotes and deer as per the regs when it comes to what is legal to and not spoil. Please if you want them mange included please do pm me. May i ask what you do with all your hides?
 
I have a Boito double in 12 ga...using for cowboy action and it is flawless. Bought a Baikal double and Stoeger double. The Stoeger (single trigger) is going to be for sale as it fired both barrels one too many times as i am too used to the double trigger.

Now bought a H&R 20 gauge on the recommendation of another customer standing beside me at the shotgun counter. Took it out and put it through it's paces. Went boom and ejected, loaded and I repeated this process rapidly for an entire box of target loads. I may just be a convert! Now to find a double in 20 ga for cowboy action!
 
all are hides are sent to the fur harvesters action house .you can google how to skin and dry a hide and ship it your self ,it is not that hard to do .thy have a truck that comes to are Walmart parking lot a month or so before the sale to pick up the hides .we are getting anywere from 30$ to 100$ per hide .when times are good .yotes are not hard to put up at all for the average joe and you need very little in the way of tools to do a great job on your hides .a drying frame wood or metal a scraper and a sharp knive a good brush is a must .What I donot like to see is people talking about letting hides spoil on a open fourm .what you do is up to you . it is just as illegal to let a hide spoil as it is to let a deer spoil .google www.furharvesters.com lots of great info .Dutch
 
dutchhunter said:
all are hides are sent to the fur harvesters action house .you can google how to skin and dry a hide and ship it your self ,it is not that hard to do .thy have a truck that comes to are Walmart parking lot a month or so before the sale to pick up the hides .we are getting anywere from 30$ to 100$ per hide .when times are good .yotes are not hard to put up at all for the average joe and you need very little in the way of tools to do a great job on your hides .a drying frame wood or metal a scraper and a sharp knive a good brush is a must .What I donot like to see is people talking about letting hides spoil on a open fourm .what you do is up to you . it is just as illegal to let a hide spoil as it is to let a deer spoil .google www.furharvesters.com lots of great info .Dutch
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Our regulations are a bit different out here regarding coyotes and other varmints - and I am very thankful for that!
Cat
 
JamesM said:
If I could find a mag 20 Auto 5 I wouldn't be asking about these pretenders. I love my 12 gauge Auto 5 and would like to handle a 20 gauge version.
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i have one and boy is it a sweet piece, not as light as some but still not too heavy for a day of upland birding. been offered ridiculous prices but i refuse to part with her. i was to buy new though, i'd also take a good long look at the SA-08. they've proven to be incredibly reliable at a price that might suggest otherwise.
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I recently acquired a large frame Remington 1100 in 20 gauge. I loaned it to my brother to shoot trap in the southern Alberta summer games. He took a bronze in his age group.
 
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