How much less recoil does 20ga have?

[TTv2]

I have 12ga and a recently acquired .410, but I've never shot 20ga. I have had the opinion for a long time that the introduction of the 12ga minishells makes the 20ga less worthy of considering, especially in a break action. Looking at the cost of the Federal and Aguila minishells for 12ga compared to #2 and #3 Buck 20ga, I'm not seeing a reason that makes getting a 20ga worth it when the ammo is more expensive.

Compared to low recoil 2-3/4" 12ga and 12ga minishells, how much less recoil does 20ga have?

 

[DM~]

Depends on what loads you are firing and how much the gun weighs.

DM

 

[mdThanatos]

As DM said, weight of the gun will play a factor. Some 20ga models weigh a decent bit less than their 12ga offerings which won't help in reducing recoil. I've not had a need for 20ga, if I needed or wanted to shoot a shotgun it was either 12ga or 410 for fun.

 

[Roverguy]

Not much. A good 20 ga should be scaled , light and best used with 7/8oz loads. But most today are chambered for 3” shells and people want to use 1oz loads. The guns have gotten heavier, so the recoil isn’t too bad. In my opinion, for what that’s worth, a 20 is for carrying and should be light, in which case, it’s not really a low recoil gun.

 

[TTv2]

Not much. A good 20 ga should be scaled , light and best used with 7/8oz loads. But most today are chambered for 3” shells and people want to use 1oz loads. The guns have gotten heavier, so the recoil isn’t too bad. In my opinion, for what that’s worth, a 20 is for carrying and should be light, in which case, it’s not really a low recoil gun.

This is what I've read with 20 and how it's best focus is for hunting because the guns can be lighter than 12ga can. If this were a home defense based gun tho it seems even heavier 20's don't have much less recoil than a slightly heavier 12 with low recoil or reduced recoil ammo.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I had a 20 gauge shotgun about 30 years ago. The lightest 20 ga loads were more impressive than .410.

20 gauge guns are usually lighter than 12 ga guns and my 20 ga with field loads was about as feisty as my 12 ga with skeet loads.

20 ga 3 inch magnum loads overlap the 12 ga 2.75 inch field loads. In a lighter gun too.

 

[desmobob]

There is such a broad range of 20ga. shotgun weights and 20ga. shotshell loads available, it's nearly impossible to say. If you know the gun weight, ammo payload, ammo velocity (and powder weight), exercising some math will give you the recoil figures to use in comparison. Then, there's the difference in how the gun's action type affects the way it feels.

I'm not really good at math, so I just upgrade to softer recoil pads and leave the cipherin' to the smart fellas!

 

[earlthegoat2]

In my pretty above average amount of 12 and 20 ga slug shooting, I can objectively say, with slugs, 20 ga recoils less. That is just how it played out for me with the particular guns I have shot.

I have done quite a bit of rabbit hunting with both 12 and 20 ga also and in that regard, from a pure recoil perspective, the light loads used for either recoil very lightly and pretty much the same. I liked using the 20 ga much more for that though because of carry weight.

I have the same assessment for clay pigeon shooting games.

My opinion based on these experiences is that in general, 20 ga recoils less when similar class for gauge loads are used. For example, 12 ga 1 oz slug vs a 20 ga 7/8 oz slug both in 2 3/4 inch. Or a standard No 6 high brass field load also both in 2 3/4 inch. To me there is a noticeable difference regardless of the gun being used.

when you start comparing 12 ga skeet loads to 20 ga turkey loads there is going to be less objectivity.

A 20 is smaller and as such will be slightly less capable as far as pure firepower but many hunting scenarios minimize that difference. For example we again look at their respective 2 3/4 inch slug loadings. Both are just as capable of killing a deer just as effectively as the other and even at similar ranges. With sabot slugs and rifled barrels, the diffence between them is less still and a big reason why many slug hunters have gone to 20 ga.

 

[Weflyfast]

I carry a very light weight Beretta 20 in the field - with 3" magnum #4s it recoils harder thnt a 2 3/4 12 gauge magnum- in a full weight O/U.

BUT- it is a joy to carry all day- and in the field I never even feel it go off when swinging on birds-

When practicing at sporting clays the low brass are very easy on the shoulder- gun fits good and is very stright-

 

[jmr40]

One ounce of shot @ 1200 fps recoils exactly the same in a 12 ga as it does in a 20 ga assuming they both weigh the same. But since most 20's weigh about a pound less than an identical 12, the 20 ga will recoil MORE.

There is a lot of overlap in loads. I can get 20 ga loads from 7/8 oz to 1 1/4 oz. but prefer to use 1 oz loads for most uses. In 12 ga I can get 7/8 oz loads up to 2 oz, but a 1 1/8 oz load is what I use mostly. Comparing a 20 with a 7/8 oz load to a 1 lb heavier 12 with 1 1/8 oz loads the 20 has about the same recoil. A lot of the effects of recoil are between our ears and since most of us want to believe a 20 recoils less, that is what we perceive. In reality, with common loads there is very little difference.

I've come to appreciate a 20, mostly because the lighter weight is a joy to carry. And for 95% of my shooting a 1 oz to a 1 1/4 oz 20 ga load is enough to get the job done. Recoil isn't significantly less, but it isn't objectionable either.

I still think a 12 is preferable for personal defense. You can get a lot more buckshot in a 12 ga shell than a 20. And the same for waterfowl, especially if using steel shot. You just can't get enough steel shot in a 20 ga shell to be effective at longer ranges. But for most other shotgun hunting and clays games a 20 is close enough.

Turkey hunting is what brought me back to a 20. Traditionally I used a 2 oz load of shot from a 3" 12 ga magnum shell. The gun was heavy and recoil brutal. But with the advent of modern shells and super tight choke tubes a 1 1/4 oz 3" 20 ga load shoots patterns tight enough to take turkey at some pretty long ranges with much less recoil. Carrying a much lighter, more compact gun was a huge advantage.

 

[KYamateur]

I can’t tell the difference. All I shoot is dove loads so I can’t speak for turkey shells, slugs, or buck shot. I bought a beretta 3901 in 12 and 20 and ended up selling the 20 because it recoiled very similar. I bought it for my wife and she didn’t like it. With that being said it was lighter and a little handier but not enough to move me from the 12. If you are expecting a big difference you probably won’t find one.

 

[Scribner]

I have 12ga and a recently acquired .410, but I've never shot 20ga. I have had the opinion for a long time that the introduction of the 12ga minishells makes the 20ga less worthy of considering, especially in a break action. Looking at the cost of the Federal and Aguila minishells for 12ga compared to #2 and #3 Buck 20ga, I'm not seeing a reason that makes getting a 20ga worth it when the ammo is more expensive.

Compared to low recoil 2-3/4" 12ga and 12ga minishells, how much less recoil does 20ga have?

Felt recoil is a product of gun weight, velocity, and shot weight, plus a little wiggle for fit. Here is a link to a recoil calculator:

http://www.omahamarian.org/trap/shotshellenergy.html

do the math for your own answer.

 

[TarDevil]

I miss my 16 ga.

 

[Trampstamp]

Ime a 20ga has more recoil than a 12ga. The gun is lighter. The loads generally have to be hotter to be minimally effective.


That said there's a lot of times I have chosen the 20 just because it's lighter to carry.

 

[PapaG]

Gun weight, shot load, velocity and gun fit all play big parts in "felt" recoil. I have an 1100 standard weight 20 that my granddaughters shoot and I think it is like a .410. I have an Ithaca 100 20 ga double that kicks the snot out of me even with 7/8 ounce loads. (and I can shoot 200 rounds out of my 870 12 ga in an afternoon without problems.
A light 20 shooting 1 oz loads will be worse than a standard 12 with 1 1/8 all other things equal.
We have quite a few kids shooting 20s in our high school trap league but most are gas guns. The pumps seem to jar them a little more. Most, from 120 pounders to 200s seem to do just fine with 12 ga. My one granddaughter shoots a 12 but this is her fifth year. The other shoots a 20. Both use 1100s.

 

[paul harm]

Scnibner gave a link that should answer any ones question about recoil. The OP didn't say he wanted the info for one gun over the other for home defence, target shooting, hunting, or what. I shoot mainly 12ga and can reload 3/4oz target loads [ the same as 28ga ] up to heavier than I want to shoot. A heavier gun lessens recoil, less shot does the same. A auto lessens felt recoil.

 

[d2wing]

It really depends on the load and the weight of the gun. I use both for upland hunting and with heavier loads the 20 recoils more. But I don't get lots of shots. I carry a 20 when I walk miles and it's easier to carry for long days or when my back hurts. It also depends on what I am hunting. 20 is preferred for quick shots on grouse, 12 for Pheasants when more payload, range and better patterns are needed but I carry whatever I feel like that day. I don't notice the extra recoil when hunting I do notice the weight to carry.
In my opinion the 20 generally recoils more but again the load and the gun matter.

 

[12Bravo20]

Everyone had pretty much covered the differences and what effects felt recoil.

Take a 20 gauge that is made on a 12 gauge receiver and it will definitely have less felt recoil versus a 20 gauge made on a smaller/lighter receiver. One of the nicest and lightest 20 gauges I have shot was an old Spanish side by side. But that thing definitely kicked harder than most 12 gauges since it was so light. I also have an old Savage/Stevens 20 gauge pump that was made with a smaller receiver and it kicks harder than my 12 gauge pumps. I have shot 20 gauge pumps made with a 12 gauge size receiver and they had less felt recoil.

 

[Leon tP]

All of the above, it's already been covered but like d2wing, "I don't notice the extra recoil when hunting I do notice the weight to carry." Exactly my position as well.

The load being shot and the weight of the gun matter to mechanical recoil, your frame of mind matters to "felt" recoil. Everyone perceives things differently.

 

[cfullgraf]

I was shooting competitive skeet in the 1990's and generally shot 20 gauge in the 12 guage events. My 20 gauges averages were higher than y 12 gauges averages.

This was due to in part that My skeet gun swung differently with tubes installed in (20 ga) gn the gun as with tubes in installed (12 ga) gun.

More recently, I've enjoyed weekly skeet events at my local range, I'shot 1 oz and 7/80z 12 ga loads but they still do not measure u to the success I had in the 1990s.

Maybe getting old is a bitch.

 

[Micro]

Where the 20 gauge really shines is when using heavy turkey loads. A 20 gauge 3" TSS shell is WAY softer on the shoulder than a 12 gauge 3 1/2" lead load, and at least as, if not more, effective.

 

[d2wing]

That is very unusual. That a Turkey load recoils less in a 20 unless significantly lighter and a 20 gauge load is normally less effective than a 12 gauge load especially if it is lighter.

 

[Lo-Profile]

I don't feel a perceivable difference in 12 and 20 gauges

 

[ms6852]

I honestly could not discern much of a difference between 12ga and 20ga recoil.

 

[Cvans]

My old shoulder notices the difference both in the weight I'm carrying and the abuse. I will admit that I'm only using low base game or target loads on small game and clays. One thing that can make a big difference is keeping the butt firmly planted against your shoulder and lean into the gun. This seems to work in my situation.