Is there a place for a 20 gauge?

[Jesse Jaymes]

Partially sarcasm....but. I am a left eye dominant shooter. Trained myself to shoot Left Handed from Go. I am dedicated and married to left handed firearms. There's no need to tell me how you shoot a right handed gas gun just fine.....I won't.

I've been a die hard Waterfowler my whole life. Couple dogs of a couple different flavors. My "Grail Gun" has always been a Super Black Eagle. But what I own is a Lefty VersaMax that does just fine. But it's chubby and somewhat of a club. And I don't think I've ever fired more than 3 or 4 shells 3.5" through it. I ran a Browning BPS 10 gauge for a while. Quite a novelty gun. Was neat. T shot can be impressive. But after I mastered my craft, mastered my calling, and advanced my spread and blind set ups.....I learned that when ducks are truly within range...they can be taken rather cleanly and regularly. My shotgunning is TERRIBLE. I do really need and want to invest in some professional instruction.

Moving into retirement and a home in central Idaho, and a new puppy to start all over again, I've been into much more traditional Upland. I've found a few sensational pheasant holes in Montana. And have some private access to some great Sharpies. Idaho will have nearly unlimited land for Huns and Chukars.

Having always been a "bigger is better" person, I've never run anything other than a 12.

Somewhat rhetorical, but is there a place for a 20 in the Chukar mountains and Montana prairies? I think the biggest draws and "rage" into the new sub gauge cult is a lightweight shotgun? That and flat brim hats and IPAs and truck stickers. But I digress.....

I found a handful of Benelli M2 lefty 20 gauges in stock. $1500. Specs are hard to find, but I think this is a sub 6lb gun. 5.84lbs.

Franchi made an Affinity in lefty/20. Right at 6lbs. Ammo seems rather comparable between 12/20, as I generally buy it by the case, not nickel and dime boxes here and there. Being somewhat Eco friendly...I hopped on the Bismuth train a while back. Plus it was just easier to have all my ammo Non Toxic. A few of my MT places can be ducks at daylight and birds after sun up. Pretty easy to get pinched with mix n match ammo on one trip out from the truck.

Any other Southpaw shooters with gas gun insight? I do fully understand that velocity can be the same/equal between the 12/20, just reduced pay load. But being a shitty shot....I'd prefer as many pellets as possible. But assuming I could miss shit just as easily with a 20 not being pointed properly as a 12.

Big difference in toting a 6lb 20 up Mt MF all day vs a 7.5lb gas gun?

 

[Speaks]

I have 12s, 16s, 20s and a 28. My 686 20 is basically all I use. Unless your regularly shooting at phez at 40 yards + I never saw a real world power advantage of 12. 20 is slightly lighter and more comfy to shoot. Ammo weighs less too.

I see it kind of like a 6cm, pleasant to carry and shoot while sufficient for most use cases. Covers everything here in MN. I could make a valid argument for a 12 on prairie roosters though.

 

[Jason Snyder]

I hope there’s a place for it, because I bought one last year. Prior to that I shot a 16 for 15 years.

 

[WRO]

I hunt chukars and Huns about 30 days a year, never felt undergunned with my 20.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

I hunt chukars and Huns about 30 days a year, never felt undergunned with my 20.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

#5s or #6? I am partially considering ordering a case of Bismuth from Boss before it's gone. They quote tariffs as killing the Bismuth supply chain.

I don't really have a clue what shot size for a case of non steel Non Toxic for everything. Maybe 6 a better All Around in a 20?

 

[Idaho Mtns]

I’ve seen no difference on chukar and pheasant between my 12s and 20. I’ve got a great Benelli SBE but it doesn’t go on upland outings (too heavy and the barrel is too long for quick swings). I always take a light o/u 12 or 20. If the 12 goes, I generally use 1oz or 1&1/8oz and lower recoil/velocity ammo and it works just fine. Same w/the 20. Good luck in retirement and keep us posted.

 

[Bluefish]

I am down to only one 12 ga, my trap gun. All my other shotguns are 16,20, 28 or 410. I use the 16 or 28 most of the time with my 20 being a loaner with a youth stock. If you need more range or larger birds TSS allows the smaller bores to work well, but it’s not cheap.

 

[WRO]

#5s or #6? I am partially considering ordering a case of Bismuth from Boss before it's gone. They quote tariffs as killing the Bismuth supply chain.

I don't really have a clue what shot size for a case of non steel Non Toxic for everything. Maybe 6 a better All Around in a 20?

6 leads late season, 7.5's early season, just standard 2 3/4 1oz and 7/8 loads. I can get them for 12-14.00 a box on sale.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

Think with pheasant potential, waterfowl potential, and every sort of upland potential in one morning, I'd err on the side of 6s if buy one case of 20 to do it all.

But again...this is not my wheelhouse.

I do NOT see any 12 gauge lefties below 6.8lbs or so.

And I am married to an auto loader. I burn all 3 every time I touch the trigger. And the 3rd has made a difference more times than not.

 

[Taudisio]

The ONLY time I have felt under gunned with a 20 gauge was when a duck honey hole turned into a passing zone for wave after wave of specks. Well within 12 gauge range, on the skirts for the 20. I think I knocked down 2 and my dad took home his limit of four at the time. It’s been a few years, but it stuck with me. I absolutely love the 20 gauge, but I believe anything bigger than a duck needs “specialized” shells to stick with standard 12 gauge loads. For standard upland, I don’t think there is a better gauge. I’ve shot them all, and owned everything except a 28. I’ve killed everything from doves up to deer with 12’s and 20 gauges. I always felt like I lost about 10 yards off my max yardage.

 

[2Stamp]

20ga has become my most used gauge, followed by 28. My 12 rarely sees use, and I don't waterfowl anymore.

 

[Skibness92]

I set up a 20 for turkey hunting and have had great luck with it... I think the choke and ammo combo makes a difference too...

 

[Jason Snyder]

I burn all 3 every time I touch the trigger.

This might be a bigger issue than the gauge you choose.

 

[WRO]

Think with pheasant potential, waterfowl potential, and every sort of upland potential in one morning, I'd err on the side of 6s if buy one case of 20 to do it all.

But again...this is not my wheelhouse.

I do NOT see any 12 gauge lefties below 6.8lbs or so.

And I am married to an auto loader. I burn all 3 every time I touch the trigger. And the 3rd has made a difference more times than not.

From a cost standpoint, I would get separate ammo for upland and waterfowl, 4s for ducks and 6 leads for upland.

I shoot a sxs and my whole crew shoots either sxs or o/u's.

 

[Taudisio]

Think with pheasant potential, waterfowl potential, and every sort of upland potential in one morning, I'd err on the side of 6s if buy one case of 20 to do it all.

But again...this is not my wheelhouse.

I do NOT see any 12 gauge lefties below 6.8lbs or so.

And I am married to an auto loader. I burn all 3 every time I touch the trigger. And the 3rd has made a difference more times than not.

With a 20 gauge, I’ve killed a pile of pheasants with lead 6’s when I was upland only, and steel 2’s when it was duck and pheasant days. Bismuth 4’s would be a great compromise.

 

[Jesse Jaymes]

For dedicated Ducks and Geese days I have a handful of 12s and would go that route if intentionally only doing Waterfowl. That's an easy one.

Of the short list for available Left Handed 20 gauges: I thought the Franchi was a Turkey made gun(the country) but I think it's actually Italian made?

The Benelli M2 is available in 20. Might be slightly lighter. Much more spendy.

These are both Inertia guns?

I think BOTH have the bolt release on the opposite side, which is odd. I'd have to look at Safety location. I strongly prefer behind the trigger out of habit. The Benelli may be in front.

Neither gun will be in stock anywhere for me to see in person. This would be a Blind order

 

[Fowl Play]

You can definitely be an accomplished hunter with a 20 gauge. Can it ever match the performance of a 12 gauge? No...

The scenario you need to prepare yourself for is this. You are walking 5 miles trying to find a chukar up some god-forsaken hillside. Finally get into a group, but they flush at 40 yards. With a 12 gauge you can bring one down cleanly. With a 20, you are likely to wing one if you shoot. If that was your only shot opportunity the entire day would you have rather carried the extra pound shotgun all day, or came home empty but carried a lighter weapon.

For me, the increased recoil and weight is negligible. I want to maximize my shot opportunities. But I'm also in my 30's. If I was in my 60s I might have a different answer.

 

[WRO]

You can definitely be an accomplished hunter with a 20 gauge. Can it ever match the performance of a 12 gauge? No...

The scenario you need to prepare yourself for is this. You are walking 5 miles trying to find a chukar up some god-forsaken hillside. Finally get into a group, but they flush at 40 yards. With a 12 gauge you can bring one down cleanly. With a 20, you are likely to wing one if you shoot. If that was your only shot opportunity the entire day would you have rather carried the extra pound shotgun all day, or came home empty but carried a lighter weapon.

For me, the increased recoil and weight is negligible. I want to maximize my shot opportunities. But I'm also in my 30's. If I was in my 60s I might have a different answer.

Bullshit..

I kill Chukars and Huns regularly past 40 yards with a 20 ga. I bet my crew killed over 500 last year, 80% with 20 ga. I don't think that average shooter would notice the difference between a 12 and 20 on Huns and chukars. Hit them where the eat and not where they sheet and they die.

 

[JGood]

Sub gauge guy here….i feel the 20 is obsolete. I have not found any use for a 12ga outside of geese and BIG ducks. Everything else, the 28 is better I know some guys like to shoot 20 at ducks down south where they’re small. Great choice for girls and children.

Everything else is 28 or less. Once you drop a pheasant with a 28, the 20 becomes useless. Kill something with a .410 and you start to hate looking at your 28.

I miss a lot more with the 410, but everything I hit dies immediately. I don’t break wings, I either hit it in the head/cns or clean miss.

where I guide quail in Florida, we do not allow people to hunt with anything bigger than a 20
This is for dog safety and for less smashed up birds.

When we train dogs in ND we use 28 on all birds.

 

[Blowdowner]

it sounds to me like you've reasoned everything through perfectly the only thing know as a fact is that you're not getting any younger.