20 Guage Opinions

[Dave McCracken]

Other than non toxic waterfowl loads, there's very little the 12 gauge does that the 20 gauge will not.

Deer hit well with 20 gauge Rottweil Brenekkes run no further than those hit with the 12 gauge version.

While I use a 12 for almost all my shooting, all clays work is done with 7/8 oz reloads, a typical 20 gauge charge weight.

Shoot your 20 often and have those that may need to do likewise.....

 

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

I would not chastise someone for the choice but your buddy is partly right. There is a lot of difference between shotshell loadings and sometimes 20 and 12 performance and recoil overlaps. In other words a lightly loaded 12 will kick less than a heavily loaded 20. When you consider that a pump 20 is a lot lighter and a gas operated semi dampens recoil the 20 will often kick harder.

You have to also balance that with the fact that the 20 pump is lighter and easier to carry for kids and women. Choose your ammo carefully and they should be fine.

+1 to that; exactly right. Having said that, I like 20 gauges a lot. Have 3 of them. Recoil has a LOT more to do with the ammo/load, the stock, the recoil pad or lack thereof, and the action type, than it does the caliber. You have the recoil-reducing stock, right? So that should more or less make up for the gun not being a semi-auto. So it should feel about the same as a light-loaded 12 ga semi-auto in the recoil department, maybe a bit less with that Knoxx stock. If you want to really make the gun a pussycat, yet still plenty powerful to take down pretty much anything - waterfowl, turkeys, etc. - then get a semi-auto 20 gauge with a recoil reducing stock and/or a good recoil pad. P.S. All 3 of my 20 gauges take 3" mag shells, so I view them as being more or less a 12 gauge with the 3" mags (for turkeys, etc.), and a light 20 ga gun for upland birds with 2.75" loads.

 

[dawei]

It's all up to each individual & family's situation. I'm 58 & my wife is 59. If I had a dollar for every 12ga shell I've shot I'd certainly be a millionaire several times over. Those days are gone forever in my case however; I'm too "beat up" physically (disabled veteran), to handle it anymore. My wife handles a 20ga just fine but sure can not handle anything larger. Our home defense guns are 20ga's loaded with 2¾" #3 Buckshot. My wife & I do all of our bird & small game hunting with 20ga's. Since the advent of Hevi•Shot™ there's nothing I won't hunt with my 20's including geese & turkey gobblers!.

There are a lot of us that because of age & infirmities no longer shoot a 12ga. It has nothing to do about "being a man". I'm certainly not going to quit the sport I love, or stop defending my family, simply because I can't handle the recoil of a 12ga any more!