12 Gauge vs 20 Gauge for bird hunting

[KurtR]

12 for me. I have a franchi affinity and have no problems from early goose to bellow zero hunts.

 

[sasquatch]

If I had to pick one for all around no doubt a 12ga

But they only place the other lesser gauges lag is in pellet count. Speed and energy is usually the same


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[Fetty Wapiti]

That is a tuff call to make. I always say start with a 12 for a gun that will do it all. But most everyone I know that starts shooting a 20 never goes back to the 12 gauge.

 

[Macintosh]

12 is the easy button. Dont underestimate the tedious effort of constantly defending your 20ga to bubba. Mostly because Id rather have a quality used gun than a so-so new gun and its usually far easier to find a used 12 at a good price.

Its highly likely you’ll wind up with a 12 at some point, whether its for shooting steel (I hate to think what tungsten or bismuth costs in AK!!) or targets, 12ga is ubiquitous and ultra-convenient as a result, so I thinknits a safe bet and worth spending a bit on a quality gun. Also used guns will be far easier to come by—IF you get a quality brand like benelli or beretta I would not at all hesitate to get a used gun and it’ll be a much better value. I like the above suggestion of a benelli auto. Couple choke tubes and you can shoot everything from 1oz target loads for partridge or clays, up to big goosewhompers and slugs. I would not bother with a 3 1/2”, to me that is too limiting for a do-all gun and probably wont cycle the standard loads you would use practicing.

After you get “into it” and figure out what you like and how youre using it, you can get another gun, but Id be shocked if you didnt want to keep a good quality 12 around for something. Its like a swiss army knife.

 

[GSPHUNTER]

While I prefer a 12 gauge, I also have a 20. The 12 is used for pheasant, grouse Mt. quail and chukar. the 20 is for dove and quail. I never hunt water fowl.

 

[Old Dog]

I shoot a 20 gauge for pheasant and quail from the start of the season until the end. Of course we don't have bears here so that's not a concern. If it was I might shoot a 12.

Upland game hunting you carry the gun a lot and shoot a little.

 

[TimberTank]

Hi. I am new to hunting and looking for a shotgun. I'm looking for a solid reliable multipurpose shotgun, and I've been thinking about the Mossberg 500 Field/Deer Combo. Any thoughts on what the best gauge is? I am wondering what the pros and cons of 12 vs 20 gauge are. I live in Alaska so I'd like one that's also capable of stopping a bear.

Definitely get a 12g if you may run into an occasional bear. Better yet wear a 44 Mag revolver on your side. As I got older I went from inheriting my Dad’s A5 Browning auto (which weighed a ton) to my 12g today which is a Benelli Ultralight. I use the Benelli 12g for late season pheasant. Use a 20g Ultralight opening day/early season (if you’re a good shooter). The Benelli’s are a little costly @ $1499 but they are A rock if you clean them regularly. If you’re hunting Alaskan waterfowl better stay with a 22g semi-auto Benelli, Beretta or Browning. Hope this helps.

 

[gwp_hunter83]

You can't go wrong with either one, I have 6 shotguns from semi to o/u in 12ga. I like to stick with one gauge to make life easier.

 

[bnewt3]

My first love is an Ithaca M37 so that's what I'm going to plug, great gun all around.....bonus points because it's ambidextrous(mostly). I'm going to say to start with get a 12. It's the .30-06 of the shotgun world. That being said a 20 is awfully nice too. I also have a Tristar O/U 12ga I love and I want to get one in 20ga.

 

[Fallbeard]

This is a great question, one I’m contemplating currently. I’m looking to get in to hunting ducks and buying a nice semi auto. Mainly leaning towards a Beretta a400 extreme plus.

I have an older Remington 870 12 gauge to kill turkeys. Beretta SV Perennia 20 gauge for quail, doves, etc. No bears to be concerned with in my area.

- I’ve got a foot in each gauge so picking up another isn’t an issue
- it’s nice having a gauge another hunter uses in case shells were needed (12g)
- I like the idea of a softer shooting weapon for better follow ups, but I don’t want to be at an unnecessary disadvantage (#of pellets).

 

[Bobopy]

20 is perfect for most upland game and saves on the shoulder.

 

[Bleeb]

!2 gauge for the one and only.

However, for upland birds, a little 20 is perfect.

 

[desertdog15]

Have a pile of shotguns. Only thing I carry anymore is a nice light semi auto 20. But I pretty much only hunt chukar and quail

 

[greenomics]

Love carrying and shooting my 20 gauge silver pigeon

 

[CobraChicken]

Any good bird hunter including me will tell you that you need both. I used to run a 12, 20, 16 and a 28. I shoot doves one night with my 12 and the next night with my 20 or 28. I guess I like the diversity and changing things up. This fall I carried both my 12 and 20 for grouse. Next week on the opener of South Dakota pheasants I'll hunt the first couple of days with my 12 and then probably switch later in the week to my 20. When I go back to South Dakota for a 2nd hunt in November the birds will be wilder and I'll stick to just my 12.

If I was you I'd start by finding out what you like to shoot an overunder is my preference because i enjoy shooting them and shoot them fairly well. I even take my overunder in the duck blind and goose pit which most guys I hunt with think is crazy. I just don't shoot pumps or automatics anymore but I used to when I first started. I just enjoy the feel of a well balanced gun and for whatever reason I usually find that in stacked barrels.

A slug in a 12 or 20 will stop a bear or any other thing walking the planet. I grew up in Iowa and took many deer as a kid with both a 12 and 20 slug they do an incredible amount of damage. I was gifted a Mossburg 500 years ago it's versatile but to me swung like a fence post taking a lot of enjoyment out of wingshooting. I think there are better options out there than Mossburg you should take a look at. Good luck, bird hunting has been an addiction of mine for over 50 years hope you enjoy it as well.

That's awesome. I run a 12 and 20 now. Looking at getting 16 in the browning or 28 in benelli.

 

[StupidLightweight]

Boy, tough call. There's no doubt a 12 is more versatile, especially for bears, but the 20 is simply the greatest gauge ever devised for wingshooting or small game, and with the advent of TSS (Tungsten Super Shot), the gap between 12 and 20 is much narrower.

My handiest utility shotgun is a Mossberg 510 Mini in 20 gauge. It weighs 5 pounds. With an 18.5 inch barrel, it's only a tad longer than my Remington 600 Mohawk in .308. I tossed an adult stock on it to increase length of pull and topped it with an Aimpoint Micro S1 for coyotes. To me, it's very hard to beat. For bear defense, I'd use TSS BB shot and a Cylinder choke tube and smoke 'em in the face. I have zero doubt it would drop the largest bear in Alaska.

 

[406flyfish]

If you use the search feature, I’m sure you’ll find multiple threads on this same subject…

 

[TSnave]

Yeah, but where's the fun in that? I have shotguns in all gauges but the ones that I carry most often are an old Stevens 5100 16 gauge for all-around and a 28 for mountain grouse just 'cause it's so easy to carry.

 

[3Esski]

I have my 870 12g from when I was 12. Those guns can take a beating. I reach for my 870 20g though almost every time. I can share shells with my daughter or wife, and conversely don't usually have to share with buddies.

 

[SKOL808]

20 works fine for me and It doesn’t explode the bird lol