Absolutely! If you are looking for one shotgun to do it all well, it not the 20 gauge, even though I love a 20 for upland hunting. If you find your present gun too long and heavy for walking woods roads looking for partridge, pick up a good single shot in 16,20 or even 28 gauge. The older ones(read better) can be had for not much over $100 and are light, short and a joy to carry. Besides, if you only want one gun you may be on the wrong forum. HA HA
Any reason why a 20 GA cannot be an "all-round" firearm?
- Thread starter Splaker
- Start date
Absolutely! If you are looking for one shotgun to do it all well, it not the 20 gauge, even though I love a 20 for upland hunting. If you find your present gun too long and heavy for walking woods roads looking for partridge, pick up a good single shot in 16,20 or even 28 gauge. The older ones(read better) can be had for not much over $100 and are light, short and a joy to carry. Besides, if you only want one gun you may be on the wrong forum. HA HA
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
Or buy an 20 and use it for everything!
Cat
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I really believe as a shotgunner's experience increases, his/her ability to get along just fine with the subgauges go up, within reason that is.
I also believe deep down, some hunters strive to get along fine with less no matter what tool of harvest they choose. Let's call this the miminalist hunter/shooter. Hat's off to anyone to can master this chosen path and still fill the larder and/or come home still above the right side of the ground. That is effiecent use of resources and deserves recognition. This is just my opinion only.
Cheers!
Or buy a .30/30 and use it for ALL of your large game hunting. Same logic applies here, it will work but only under ideal conditions. Your choice.
- Location
- Ft. Mac. Alberta
Nuthin' wrong wit hunting with a 30/30 in my mind!
I have shot birds under anything but ideal condtions, and as far as hunting big game with slugs go, 100 yards with my 20 is fine.
When I hunt with a certain fire arm, I hunt within its limitations.
I hunt wit a flat bow, but because it is anot as good a lomg range weapon as a 80lb compound does not mean tha I am going to use one, and don't even get me started on in line muzzle loaders....
Cat
Turkeyslayer 1300
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Russell, Ontario
The average shooter will not see any significant difference in performance between a 12 and a 20 with reasonably similar loads. When hunting birds with lead shot there is no need for a 12 gauge over a 20.
When waterfowling at distances where Joe-Blow can kill birds effectively with steel the only advantage the 12 has is the availability of larger shot, which is a debatable advantage because at reasonable ranges a load of 2's will work as well as BB's.
Flame away
When waterfowling at distances where Joe-Blow can kill birds effectively with steel the only advantage the 12 has is the availability of larger shot, which is a debatable advantage because at reasonable ranges a load of 2's will work as well as BB's.
Flame away
The OP is saying that he only wants 1 shotgun as a general purpose hunting tool and you are actually recommending that it be a 20 instead of a 12. lol. Why would the shooter be using the similar load in the 12 so that there would be no significant difference to a 20? There are more ammo choices for the 12 including the 3.5" with huge payloads. That similar load will also cost less for the 12 generally.
Unless you are hunting alone, while you are waiting for those geese to come into reasonable range for your 20, your buddies with 12s will have dropped 3 birds each and you better hope they saved some birds for you
Although the trajectory is similar for both, 12 g sabots have about a third more energy than 20s. Basically anything the 20 can do, the 12 can do it better. If this was not the case, then the 20 would be the most popular shotty in the world; but that is not the case. To argue the 20 is a better all around gun is like arguing black is white. Fire!
Turkeyslayer 1300
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Russell, Ontario
The OP is saying that he only wants 1 shotgun as a general purpose hunting tool and you are actually recommending that it be a 20 instead of a 12. lol. Why would the shooter be using the similar load in the 12 so that there would be no significant difference to a 20? There are more ammo choices for the 12 including the 3.5" with huge payloads. That similar load will also cost less for the 12 generally.
Unless you are hunting alone, while you are waiting for those geese to come into reasonable range for your 20, your buddies with 12s will have dropped 3 birds each and you better hope they saved some birds for you
Guns that weigh and kick less are more beneficial to good shooting than slinging 1 3/4 ounces of shot out of a heavy, hard kicking gun.
If you hunt waterfowl properly it is no mean feat to have decoying birds at 15 yards, you could bring up spooky late season birds or skybusting but realistically most people hang up the gun long before the late season and skybusters will continue to cripple bird evens if they were shooting 20mm AA guns.
I used to be on the 12 gauge forever bandwagon, a few hundred dead birds later I still love my 12's but if you think they are the be all end all you are incorrect.
The OP is saying that he only wants 1 shotgun as a general purpose hunting tool and you are actually recommending that it be a 20 instead of a 12. lol. Why would the shooter be using the similar load in the 12 so that there would be no significant difference to a 20? There are more ammo choices for the 12 including the 3.5" with huge payloads. That similar load will also cost less for the 12 generally.
Unless you are hunting alone, while you are waiting for those geese to come into reasonable range for your 20, your buddies with 12s will have dropped 3 birds each and you better hope they saved some birds for you
Although the trajectory is similar for both, 12 g sabots have about a third more energy than 20s. Basically anything the 20 can do, the 12 can do it better. If this was not the case, then the 20 would be the most popular shotty in the world; but that is not the case. To argue the 20 is a better all around gun is like arguing black is white. Fire!
The 20 isn't a BETTER all around gun. I don't think anyone is saying that. It will however work just fine for waterfowl, deer, and turkey and will in all likelyhood be BETTER for upland. You could always go for an ultralight 12 gauge; though shooting slugs and turkey loads through one isn't particularly fun
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I pretty much do the same. If I'm feeling really motivated to cover alot of ground upland game hunting, the O/U 20 gauge is my first choice especialy early in the season.
Later on, and when I've purchsed a deer or black bear tag and still hunting upland birds, more often than not the 12 gauge pump will be used instead.
Later on, and when I've purchsed a deer or black bear tag and still hunting upland birds, more often than not the 12 gauge pump will be used instead.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Myself if I dismounted the smoothbore tube and replaced it with the rifled barrel using the sabotted ammunition, I would call any whitetail deer within 75 yards of my M37, a slam dunk. And if I mounted an optic, maybe 125 yards or so.
