12 Gauge vs 20 Gauge for bird hunting

[SKOL808]

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

 

[ZAK13]

I have both a 12 & 20 gauge, I've used both for deer hunting being that I live in a shotgun state, and I've found a 20 gauge slug appears to shoot a little flatter and get a few more yards out of it compared to a 12. Plus it's definitely a lighter gun. For small game, a 20 gauge is my choice, but for birds, definitely a 12 is what I bring.

 

[Redwing]

12 or 20?

Do you want to kill more birds or fewer birds?

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[Riplip]

20 Guage O/U for almost everything except maybe Geese or late season ducks. I have never felt under gunned and rarely use magnum loads. Just more fun to carry and to shoot.

 

[ReconFister]

As others have said, a 20 will do just fine on birds. A lot has to do with what style of hunting you’re doing as well. If you’ll be sitting in a ground blind, why worry about the weight savings of the 20 vs the 12 gauge since it won’t be carried while in the blind. If your going to carry a big enough pistol capable of stopping a bear than I’d say 20. If no pistol, 12 gauge is what I’d go with

 

[BRoth82]

I've used both and I prefer a light weight 20 gauge that you can swing faster on birds. But I'm mostly hunting pheasants.

 

[gostovp]

My go to all day walking for pheasants gun is a Franchi 20 gauge that I load with 3” Prairie Storm.

 

[loganwayne]

i own 2 O/U, a side by side, pump, and semiauto 20ga. and 2 semiauto 12ga. i havent pulled the 12ga's out in a long time to hunt with. mostly loan them to people to shoot skeet or hunt with me.
I have a tundra swan hunt this month and will be taking a 20ga.


for bear defense... get a pistol. bird shots gonna piss them off and your likely not going to have enough time to load buckshot or a slug if you need it.

 

[Mtaylor]

I started out with a 12 gauge and now hunt with a 20 and would like to go to a 28 some day. Sounds like you are going to use it for everything under the sun bear defense, upland birds?, waterfowl?, and deer. So I would go a 12 ga. One day you will find yourself buying a 20 for the upland birds. Have fun and get out there! Don’t over think it to much

 

[Artanis95]

An ounce and an eighth of shot is an ounce and an eighth of shot no matter the diameter of the bore. First gun in my opinion should always be a 12 gauge with a good variety of chokes if you are blowing up birds open up the choke spread out that pattern and kill more birds but my biggest thing right now is cost I can get a greater variety of munitions off the shelf at half the cost for a 12 gauge than the same or comparable load in a 20.

 

[drahthaar1]

My 12s don't leave the gun safe except for cleaning anymore, pretty well shoot a 20 for all, geese on down to quail.

 

[Sherrif]

I agree, 12 gauge for the overall choice.

 

[Mike307]

I’ve switched to Beretta ultra light 391 in 20 ga. It’s a lot easier to carry on those long walks. I hunt huns, chukars, sharptails and pheasants with it and don’t feel limited except late season when i switch to heavier loads.

 

[mjh]

I have a couple of 20's. Nothing fancy but I like them. They are my main grouse getters. I would like a nicer 20 double. I do have a 100 year old Steven 520 in 12. I was told it took many pheasants back in the day. The 520 is in good working order after a trip to the smith, I'd have to make a plug for it if I was to take it out for some hunting.

 

[TSAMP]

What is most folks threshold for lightweight 12 ga over unders? What's considered too light? I hunt with a CZ drake 20 that's around 6.2 lbs. I see some alloy 12 ga at that same weight or below. I am considering a Rizzini 110 or Browning feather to add a 12 ga to my arsenal.

 

[ssgjpd]

of those two, the 20 would be my preference.

 

[tychristi75]

My Benelli Ethos 12 gauge no longer see’s any action since I switched to my CZ WOODCOCK 20 gauge over/under. There is just something nostalgic about an 20 gauge over/under and it’s really nice to pack. My vote for upland game birds is a 20 gauge.