coach gun poll: 12 or 20?

[craig_o]

what's your preference? please mention whatever coach gun you'd use.

[MCgunner]

I have a 20 gauge spartan SPR220 and love it. I hunt with it and keep it in the bedroom for security duty. Believe it or not, it really patterns well out at 40 yards and IC is awesome on those close in doves. I've even shot some teal with it. With the cyl/IC chokes in it and number 3 buck, it makes a very effective safe room defense gun and the recoil is much lighter than my full 28" choked rather light 12 gauge field double. That's why I chose 20, to keep it light on my shoulder during dove season, and because I didn't have a 20. I've got 3 12s and a 16 and felt my coach gun needed to be a 20.

Tell you the truth, main reason I got it is because I can take it apart and stow it in a saddle bag on my bike or even in a back pack. I travel by motorcycle a lot during dove season. But, it's very versatile. As a woods gun, you can load one barrel with a slug, the other for small game, almost like having a combination gun. And, in a back pack, 20 gauge ammo is lighter than an equivalent amount of 12. And, I can break it down and stow it in the pack for a survival tool.

[Packman]

12 ga, just because that's what I already have, and I like ammo standardization. Nothing against 20 though, it is lighter if you're going to have to carry it. I just like being able to grab "some shotgun ammo" and know it's ok for my gun. (from my own supply, I don't mean in general)

YMMV.

[Sagetown]

12GA. Because of tradition, although they started out with 10GA. in the old days.
Done a little hunting with it already, but it usually stays in the bedroom for home defence. Used to keep #00 Buck in it, but I don't need it to shoot at something down the block, just around house, so I switched to #8's.

[ArchAngelCD]

coach gun poll: 12 or 20?
I don't really know, I guess it depends upon how big the coach is that you are going to shoot. :p

No really, what will be it's use?

[Chris B]

12 gauge.

Bigger isn't better, unless you're talking about shotguns.

[craig_o]

AACD: fun, HD, maybe some squirrels and crap on my buddy's land.

I think 20g is perfectly fine for HD, though 12 is more potent in many respects... it's kind of like a .357 is certainly more powerful than a .38, but out of a snub which would you rather shoot? out of a 4" bbl or a levergun, the equation changes dramatically. I figure the same can hold true for a SxS versus a heavier, stouter, longer 12g auto.

[hexidismal]

For the purposes of the poll I'll go with 12 gauge, basically for just the reason you state. 12g can do it all. Optimally though I'd really like a coach shotgun in 10g. That is IF a good wide selection of loads were available in 10g, which they generally are not.

[Jamie C.]

Y'know Craig, you can get light 12g. loads to "play" with, and heavy magnum loads for those times you need something "really, truly dead". ;)


J.C.

[MCgunner]

Why buy the 12 if you're going to shoot light stuff out of it because the recoil bothers you? Even dove loads kick pretty good out of my old 12 SxS and it's a 28" gun. It's fairly light. I used to duck hunt with it before steel shot laws and it beat the living HELL out of me, but I was young and dumb and thought bigger was better. Well, for me at the time, the only shotgun I had, it was better since I did a lot of goose hunting. Fire up a box of 12 gauge 3" heavy goose loads and see what your shoulder/face feels like. :what:

It does depend on what you're going to do with it. I shot up almost 4 boxes of 20 gauge AA 7.5s out of my 20 this year on a 3 day dove hunt and it might as well been 4 cases far as my shoulder cared. If I'd been using that old 12, I'd been driving home in traction. LOL I've fired a slug out of that 12 before, was pointing 12 o'clock after the shot. :what: Wow, that'll get your attention! :D The 20 is much easier on the shoulder even with slugs. A repeat shot is much faster. That, too, should pay off next time the club has a country doubles shoot...:D

I didn't want a light gun in 12. I specifically was looking for a 20 for this one and I'm quite happy with it. Other than goose and turkey, it'll do anything my 12s will do. Far as versatility, I still have three shotguns in 12 gauge and one in 16. I hunt waterfowl with a 3" gun, Mossberg 500, and I like my very light shooting auto, Winchester 1400 for dove and some ducks. For a light coach gun, give me the 20......please. I'm no longer a glutton for punishment.

[Deer Hunter]

I don't know MC. I take my Stoeger coach gun dove and duck hunting and the loads don't really bother me at all. I don't use magnum rounds, due to the price. Winchester super speed 2.75" works fine on dove, and doesn't beat up your shoulder. Sure, I've shot the heavy magnums out of it. They kick, but much much more than any birdshot I've handled.

[MCgunner]

I'm old and fragile. :D I use superspeed in 12. My Winchester is awesome, really light on the shoulder. I'll either use the 20 or the Winchester (a gas gun) for dove, much easier on an old man's shoulder when you're burnin' a lot of ammo.

Heck, even 3" steel don't seem that bad in that 20 gauge. It's up there, reminds me of 2 3/4" 12 gauge lead high brass I used to shoot ducks with, maybe not quite that bad. But, with 7/8 ounce AAs, I can shoot that thing all day long. It's about like that Winchester with superspeed. I still keep and shoot that old 12 double now and then, but I seem to be gettin' to be more of a puss when it comes to recoil in my old age. :rolleyes:

[KevininPa]

........my Spartan is a 12. I wanted the 20 but the Spartan with the exposed hammers only comes in 12. I wanted the exposed hammers so that I can leave it in the closet loaded and not worry about cocked internal hammers. No, there are no children at home, unless you count the slightly retarded, 100 pound, furry one (Olde English Bulldogge). It only weighs 6 1/2 lbs, so it kicked pretty hard till I had the Limbsaver put on it. Now it's not bad at all. I can put buckshot through it for hours and no more harsh bruising. Good brush gun, short, light and fast moving. Mine has the choke tubes, so I can alter it to my needs. So I guess my vote is jaded. If you're shooting it out of the box and won't make changes to it, then get the 20. If you don't mind getting a coach gun and altering it or at least getting a slip-on recoil pad, then go for 12.

[ArchAngelCD]

fun, HD, maybe some squirrels and crap on my buddy's land.
For your use, years ago I would have chosen a 20ga but since then I've 'discovered" Remington STS light loads and Winchester AA light and ultra light 12ga loads. Like said above, use the light stuff for fun and you still have the option of some heavy firepower when needed.

[Roswell 1847]

I had the use of a Sixteen Gauge Double I'd restocked for awhile and I have to tell you that was one sweet little gun. It was a pretty old gun with sideplate internal hammers, built on an action just exactly the right size for it. I'd lucked onto a beautiful lightweight Circassian walnut stock and it handled like a dream.
I don't think they make any heavy loads for the sixteen gauge, at least I've never seen any.
Generally 20 gauge doubles are built on a twelve gauge action size, which sort of defeats the purpose. Then they stuff the equivalent of a 2 3/4 12 ga load into a three inch 20 ga shell. Just don't make sense to me.

[craig]

i voted who cares because my wife got me a norinco 12 ga. for x-mas one year, and i got her a 20 ga. to go with it.

i just LOVE those functional hammers.

[hamourkiller]

Just get both!