Does anyone else think the 20 gauge is underappreciated/underrated?

[doubleh]

I started with a 12 guage sxs, then went to the 12 guage ou, and then to the 20 guage ou. I've shot a few birds with my wife's 20 guage 11/87. It short and light for an auto but I find it slightly clumsy compared to my 20 ou. I never hunted with either a semi-auto or pump 12 guage although I've shot a few clay bird with a freind's. They aren't for me.

 

[joed]

I don't think the 20 ga is underrated or under appreciated at all. It fills a need, there are younger shooters, women, older men in poor health and those that just like it. I'm not calling it a women's gun or anything like that but it fills a need for those who can't carry a 12 ga or stand the recoil.

The 16 ga is what I call under appreciated and underrated. All I've ever owned is a 12 ga or shot one but can appreciate the smaller gauges.

 

[Jason_W]

I've hunted with shotguns since 1965. The 12 ga. is the standard game gun. In the UK and in Europe 20's are called sub gauges and mostly they were built for women and children who couldn't shoot a 12 because of recoil. I've owned several but really found no use for them. The shot column is longer than a 12 ga. This is not desirable because you want all of that shot in your pattern in a short string. Think short shot string (12) arriving all at once vs long shot string (20) arriving later to fill the pattern.

The logic is that a 20 ga 3" will deliver the same amount of shot that a 12 ga. 2.75" will. The truth is it will, but do you want it now or later. My question would be why do you want a 20 ga when 100 years of bird hunting has proven that the 12 ga is the absolute best at everything when you want game in the bag.

The 20 ga. really didn't become popular until the 3'' mag was introduced. That primarily was to make up for the standard 7/8 oz load that was considered optimal for a 20 ga.

The 16 was the upland hunters sweetheart because a 1 oz load was adequate. A 12 ga. was both an upland and waterfowl gun so the 16 ga died a slow death.

If recoil is an issue than the standard 20 ga. (7/8 oz) load has it's place. A 20 ga. 3'' mag has no advantage over a 12 ga. (1 1/8 oz) regarding recoil or anything else.

I can't help but wonder if that is one of those facts that, while true, doesn't have much real world impact. I've owned 12 gauges but have done most of my small game hunting with a 20, mostly because if became my "lucky gun". I can't recall any time I've missed a game animal with a 20 where having a 12 would have meant a hit.

Again, I would never try and argue that the 20 is more versatile than the 12 as the 12 is a much better choice for waterfowl or hunting deer with buckshot, but I don't personally do either of those things. What I get with the 20 is a gun that is very capable of taking upland game and even turkey, good for defense (a chest full of #3 buck from across the room is going to have the same ultimate result as a chest full of 00 buck) ammo that takes up less space, and often smaller, sleeker guns (assuming the mfr. doesn't just slap a 20 ga. barrel on a 12 ga. frame.

So yeah, the 12 is awesome, but the 20 gives up very little for a more compact, slender platform.

 

[CoalTrain49]

I can't help but wonder if that is one of those facts that, while true, doesn't have much real world impact. I've owned 12 gauges but have done most of my small game hunting with a 20, mostly because if became my "lucky gun". I can't recall any time I've missed a game animal with a 20 where having a 12 would have meant a hit.

Again, I would never try and argue that the 20 is more versatile than the 12 as the 12 is a much better choice for waterfowl or hunting deer with buckshot, but I don't personally do either of those things. What I get with the 20 is a gun that is very capable of taking upland game and even turkey, good for defense (a chest full of #3 buck from across the room is going to have the same ultimate result as a chest full of 00 buck) ammo that takes up less space, and often smaller, sleeker guns (assuming the mfr. doesn't just slap a 20 ga. barrel on a 12 ga. frame.

So yeah, the 12 is awesome, but the 20 gives up very little for a more compact, slender platform.

I think this all depends on a persons preference. I've hunted with a 2 1/2'" 12 ga. a lot. That would be considered obsolete for about 99% of the people in the US that hunt upland. I find it more than adequate for grouse. It would also work well for doves and quail. It was a standard chamber length in Europe and the UK for many years. 2 5/8" was pretty standard in the US for sxs's for a long time also before repeaters and autos came on the scene. My wife had a 20 ga O/U and did quite well with it although she never used 3" shells. A standard 2 3/4" 20 ga with 7/8 oz shot is fine for upland with a few exceptions.

The advent of steel shot forced mfg's to chamber their shotguns in 3". That put the 20 even farther in the hole. Now the shot column is even longer (more shot from the same bore) with more recoil from added pressure. Advantage lost. I've never shot steel or loaded a 3" shell. Just not my cup of tea.

I don't use a shotgun for SD. I use my carry for that. Again, a personal preference.

 

[Sir Winston]

I have nearly sold off all my shotguns because they don't get used much. I have a 870 12ga on permanent loan from a family member. I have a Mossberg 600CT 20ga that I earned as a teenager by mowing my grandfather's lawn. I have on permanent loan a bolt action 410 that was my grandmother's. Of the 3, I have not shot the 870 a single time in the 6 years I have had it. I have not shot the 410 more than a dozen times in my life. That 20ga is worn ragged but keeps on going. The only thing I can honestly say I would buy in a scattergun that I would use is a light 20 3" O/U with choke tubes. I want a tubed gun so that if I need to, I can shoot heavy loads at turkey or slugs for deer.

Deer, Turkey, rabbit, squirrel, dove, quail, pheasant, home defense, games...yeah I think the 20 is a great gun. In my book I prefer 20, with a close runner up in the 16. If the 16 were better supported in ammo, and was built on a true 16ga frame to reduce weight rather than use a 12 frame I would probably flip that preference. If i run across a 16 double before a 20 double I might have to start reloading plastic hulls.

 

[Sir Winston]

Came across your forum and while reading some of the posit I signed up. I belong to a few other gun forums also.
While reading the post on the 20 and 16ga. Had to chime in. When i was a youngster about 12 my dad had a 16 model 12 full ck 28" barrel. He let me take it by myself to hunt the fence rows around home. Quail, Rabbits, Pheasant. But made me use the 22 on squirrel. Said wasn't sporting to uses shotgun. Dad also had mod 12 12 ga.
Couples years later I acquired a 20ga mod 12 20. Used it some but always went back to the 16. Used also on duck and gease. Old saying is carries like a 20 and shoots like a 12. ( How true) in my late teen years I started shooting trap. The conservation club always held meat shoots twice a month. Took my share of the hams, bacon,turkey, hamburger patties also with the 16. In shootoffs way back stayed right up with the 12's. In my later 20' I stated ATA trap. Went to the 12 cause that's what everyone was shooting. For years I shot a mod 12 , 101 single trap diamond kregoff, most of the fancy brands. Used the same in games. Then about 12 years ago took one of my mod 12s 16ga a game shoot. Man I cleaned house on the money. So i would use the 16 about 1/2 the time on games. I always told the guys if I ever found the 16 that I thought was better suited for trap I would put the 12 ga away and probably not shoot them again. I never had much use for a 12. The mod 12 16 only could find with 28" barrels in full ck. I have a citori 325 feather wgt. But 26" bls. Then one day I got a message from a fellow out west that said he worked part time at a gun shop that had a citori but didn't remember the bl length. Gave me the ph# so I called. A lady answered I explained why I called and who told me. She said let me look in the back. When she came back to the phone and said yes we do but it's a 32". I bout dropped my cell ph after picking my chin up of the floor. Nervously I asked her to send me a pic to my ph. of the specs on the end of the box. Low and behold it said 32. I asked the lady the price and she told me 2900. I said the ck is on the way and the address to my ffl guy. Well the rest is history. Thats all ive been using for the past few years on games and ata. Never felt shorted. Componets are plentyfull. I buy new hulls cause reloading them is way cheaper that store bought except herters when on sale. I still have my model 12 20ga. But only used it on skeet. I have a mod. 12 16 that's a 2 bbls set. Matching serial #'s.
But that 32' citori with Muller CKS reaches way out their with the big boys with no problem. And I use line loads 1oz. No special back fence loads.
16 is just my preference but once in a while I see a 20ga on the line.

 

[Jason_W]

The advent of steel shot forced mfg's to chamber their shotguns in 3". That put the 20 even farther in the hole. Now the shot column is even longer (more shot from the same bore) with more recoil from added pressure. Advantage lost. I've never shot steel or loaded a 3" shell. Just not my cup of tea.

Tungsten and bismuth alloy shot could bring a lot more out of the 2-3/4" 20 again. Expensive stuff, though.

I could see a properly loaded 20 for jump shooting small ducks, but if I got into goose hunting, I'd go with a 12. Or maybe a 10, just to be different and make my life a little harder.

 

[saiga308]

found this 1970s over under BOITO made in Brazil 20 gauge all rusted
https://image.ibb.co/fRMren/DSCN1405.jpg
at my brother house in the addict starting to restore it now

https://image.ibb.co/hV8jX7/DSCN1410.jpg

 

[saiga308]

it was rusted but not deep into the metal

 

[paulsj]

I agree and its a great upland game gun. But if you're only going to have one shotgun which a lot of people do most would choose a 12 gauge.

There's nothing a 12 gauge can't do.

Modern 12ga can be 6lb or little more and light loads are readily available, therefore 16ga & 20ga aren't really needed. One must be careful when shopping for old European game guns as some especially from England were designed to shoot 2.5" cartridges or even 2" ones. While ammo can be easily ordered to most doorsteps this may change in the future. Since such ammo isn't usually available at LGS I would avoid old short chambered guns.

 

[Bushpilot]

I don't think the 20 ga is underappreciated all. Its the second most popular shotgun gauge that there is next to the 12 and lets face it, the 12 is the do anything gauge, especially in this era of mandatory steel shot. Prior to steel shot you could make a good argument for the 16 being the perfect all-around gauge. Now the 16 gauge, that's the under appreciated gauge. It's the 3" 20 ga that all but killed off the 16. Not long after the 3" 20 came out the 16's decline in popularity dramatically increased. It's a shame too because guns built on the 16 are in the opinion of many, myself included, to be the best looking of all the gauges. I wish somebody would bring out 3" 16 ga shells and bring back a few new guns for it.... If they did I might even sell off one or two of my 20 ga o/u's for the cash to buy one...

 

[cdb1]

I don't think the 20 ga is underappreciated all. Its the second most popular shotgun gauge that there is next to the 12 and lets face it, the 12 is the do anything gauge, especially in this era of mandatory steel shot. Prior to steel shot you could make a good argument for the 16 being the perfect all-around gauge. Now the 16 gauge, that's the under appreciated gauge. It's the 3" 20 ga that all but killed off the 16. Not long after the 3" 20 came out the 16's decline in popularity dramatically increased. It's a shame too because guns built on the 16 are in the opinion of many, myself included, to be the best looking of all the gauges. I wish somebody would bring out 3" 16 ga shells and bring back a few new guns for it.... If they did I might even sell off one or two of my 20 ga o/u's for the cash to buy one...

And built on a 16 or 20 gauge frame, not on a 12 gauge frame.

 

[Bushpilot]

And built on a 16 or 20 gauge frame, not on a 12 gauge frame.

Exactly....

 

[saiga308]

BOITO 20 gauge barrel re blued and trigger guard

receiver and stock re stained varnish

 

[saiga308]

trigger guard i had to drimmel it some and reblued the rusty one into this

original one looking like crap here not to long ago transform it a butterfly now

 

[shoobe01]

I have to agree with the OP premise. Go into your time machine and see how many guns on the shelf 30 years ago were 20s, 16s... hell, when is the last time you saw a 10 ga for sale?

Then, modern science came into it. We learned about what makes a good shot column, and the ammo makers got all clever and made a huge range of loads for each caliber. With the 12 already the dominant caliber, it got most of the good ammo and then that made it sell more guns, and so on and so forth.

Sure, 20s, 16s, even 28s still exist. And they are often lovely guns, but there's a lot of folks who want a single do-it-all gun, or actually do not have the money for two or three, so settle.


Now, in that same time machine, count the .410s and the cases of ammo in the LGS. But it's been a long time since I've seen a .410 on a store shelf around here, and they used to be practically as common as .22s. Everyone I knew grew up with a .22 and/or a .410. No more.

 

[saiga308]

. Everyone I knew grew up with a .22 and/or a .410. No more.

darn you are making me feel the cards are on the table old and out to paster

 

[Bushpilot]

Now, in that same time machine, count the .410s and the cases of ammo in the LGS. But it's been a long time since I've seen a .410 on a store shelf around here, and they used to be practically as common as .22s. Everyone I knew grew up with a .22 and/or a .410. No more.

I remember those days... Today, I see plenty of 20's but few 16's and 410's. I miss seeing more of both but I miss seeing the 410's mostly for sentimental reasons... These days I'm guessing that more parents start their kids of with a 20ga then with 410.