Thoughts on a 20 gauge for goose?

Yes sir turckeyslayer, and a good guide you are!
Actually was looking at an sx3 20gauge XD all beause of u! i gotta blame you that i want one now!!! screw the benelli!
 
My wife uses her 20 ga on geese & it works. She shoots #2 Kent FastSteel at 1550 fps.

My only criticism of the 20 ga is 'payload'... I shoot a 12 ga with 3.5 inch chamber & can put ALOT more steel on target 1 & 3/8oz as compared to my wife's 3 inch chambered 20 ga with 7/8oz of #2 steel... But... If your picking your shots, you can still make it work...

Cheers
Jay
 
A 20 for geese and ducks? Give your head a shake, EVERYBODY knows you need a 10 - and a semi , forget about an O/U, even over decoys!
Cat
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tylerjwitty said:
20 gauge with buck shot maybe but not with this nasty steel we gotta use.

12 gauge or bigger
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All the geese shot in the picture with the dog were downed cleanly with either Winchester 1oz 3" #2's or Federal Premium 2 3/4" 7/8oz#4's, and the furthest was shot with the #4's.
The ones in the top pic - over half of them,. were shot with #2's
Cat
 
catnthehatt said:
All the geese shot in the picture with the dog were downed cleanly with either Winchester 1oz 3" #2's or Federal Premium 2 3/4" 7/8oz#4's, and the furthest was shot with the #4's.
The ones in the top pic - over half of them,. were shot with #2's
Cat
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I have had good luck with 7/8's of an ounce 2's at 1300 fps as loaded by federal shot nearly 40 two years in late november and december ago with that load. I switched to Kent 2's at 1400 or something this year, kills em the same.

For the once or twice a year "hunting experts" the 20 won't work.

If you are out all the time a 20 makes alot of sense and is alot of fun.
 
I shot my sx3 20ga a few times this past season, and had no problem was using hand loads of hevi-shot #4 & 5 and Bismuth#4, gotta pick you shots and no point in blasting at retreating birds. Decoying and layout blinds to get birds in close.
You can make up some ground between gauges by using a denser shot than steel.
Even took Two honkers with the 28ga, using the load Cat has stated, and #6 nice shot.
But if I had seen them coming, would have broken down the 28ga for the 16ga.
 
catnthehatt said:
All the geese shot in the picture with the dog were downed cleanly with either Winchester 1oz 3" #2's or Federal Premium 2 3/4" 7/8oz#4's, and the furthest was shot with the #4's.
The ones in the top pic - over half of them,. were shot with #2's
Cat
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Cat I will be 100% honest and this is from a guy that shared a goose blind for 25 years with probally 500 plus different shooters when guiding.
You are the exception, know the limitations of your gun and know how to shoot it. That is not the norm out there and to encourage people that a 20ga with steel shot is fine for shooting canada geese is just wrong.
Most of these goose hunters I seen cannot take them with a 10ga. 90% have never patterned their gun, most have not fired it since the previous year and their total shooting for a year will be one box of shells. Some arrive with a brand new gun in a box and will be saying yes sir got my new 20ga over under read on gunnutz that is what i need for geese.
To take a group out that can shoot is the exception today people just don't have the time to put into it any more to prepare or cannot be bothered. Many outfitters have added rules as a result you get 5 chances to limitout then your hunt is over of it the guide determines you have had enough good chances to limit out your hunt is over or the guide is allowed to shoot. They had no choice, keep dropping flock after flock of birds in the hole and 4 guys empty and one, two or no birds fall. Too many birds getting educated Just honking from experience. Plus I am not going to tell a 350 pound football player he is a lousy shot. LOL Yes sir I did see some feathers fall off that one must be that dam steel shot. take care
 
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Lousy shooting is no excuse to go up in gauge, but I agree with you, most people take shots that are too long, don't swing the gun properly, and don't look for the beak of the bird when doing so.
However , all things being equal, a 20 is fine over decoys as long as the dammed shooter knows how to shoot.

I don't hunt with guys more than once that brag about their tens and cannot match my 20 when we get into the blind, but if they ask I sure will explain how one should be shooting at birds and we will go out again.
I hear the same thing about semis and my hammer doubles - apparently a BP gun loaded with black and non tox is no good for geese.
Well, it isn't , I guess, if you are trying to shoot birds with it a 60 yards and
aiming it instead of concentrating on the head of the bird and swing the danged gun!

I may not kill as many geese as some guys do, but I'd lay odds that I shoot far less in the breast and wound less birds than a lot of guys simply because i show a bit of restraint on my shots at times, and practise constantly in the off season with the same guns as I hunt with ......
Cat
 
BandedDrake said:
thx guys, being a sport i like to pick my shots and i love the geese in nice and close i just wanna challenge myself a little more!
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I don't think making a "challenge" out of living things is a good idea. If you want a challenge, shoot skeet and trap with your 20. If you are shooting live birds, use a gun that is less likely to create wounded, suffering birds when you don't quite meet that "challenge".
 
To sum this thread up, if you hunt enough to know your limitations you will be fine with a 20.

The once a year hunter would be better served with a 12 or one of 3macs Bazookas.

Seems the two factions are both represented in the posts so far.

My experience is that when someone shows up with a 20 they probably know how to use it, why would the once a year hunter go to extra expense to purposefully handicap themselves.
 
rral22 said:
I don't think making a "challenge" out of living things is a good idea. If you want a challenge, shoot skeet and trap with your 20. If you are shooting live birds, use a gun that is less likely to create wounded, suffering birds when you don't quite meet that "challenge".
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Hunting s a challenge, and some of us do challenge ourselves, and others prefer a sub gauge gun for a few reasons other than that, or a black powder hammer double.

Picking shots, calling birds in, and making sure you are making kill shots is never a bad thing.
Cat
 
I don't think making a "challenge" out of living things is a good idea. If you want a challenge, shoot skeet and trap with your 20. If you are shooting live birds, use a gun that is less likely to create wounded, suffering birds when you don't quite meet that "challenge".
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So which is more of a "challenge", shooting geese at 30 to 40 yards with a 3" 20 gauge, or shooting geese at 60 to 70 yards with a 3-1/2" 12 gauge, as many people claim to be doing?
 
Shoot them in the face and it doesn't matter what gauge your using. are you good enough to shoot them in the face every time? Like others say i wouldn't buy a 20 for geese , but if i had a 20 then i'd not hesitate to blast them inside 35 yards. Headshots only
 
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