shot gun for Phesant? 12, 20?

[tequillaeagle]

Ok my question is i have a SBEII in 12 and i have been using it for phesant dove etc.. i have always wanted a OU and was wondering if i should go the route of a 20 ga or should i stick w the 12, i see alot of guys use the 20 so im just curious plus i know its lighter so those long days busting brush it might be better, im just looking for a push in a direction

 

[kentucky_smith]

Pheasant in open country. I'd probably find a nice light 12.

Quail and grouse in rough woods, 20 for sure.

 

[rcmodel]

If you hunt over dogs a light 20 is going to get you just as many pheasants as a 12.

If you are walking them up in stubble fields and they jump at 50 yards the 12 might do better.

I have used both since 1960 something and much prefer my light little Itheca/SKB 20 ga double anymore.

rc

 

[ArmedBear]

Remember: you don't hit the bird with the bore. You hit it with pellets. #4 from a 20 Gauge hits EXACTLY as hard as #4 from a 12, because they're the same pellets.

much prefer my light little Itheca/SKB 20 ga double anymore.

My old Ithaca/SKB 20 Gauge O/U is a personal favorite. Just bagged a pheasant Thursday night with it, in fact. It was a relatively long shot, through a bush, and it still dropped like a stone when I hit it (with the second barrel).

The 12 Gauge is not necessary for any upland bird. You can buy yourself a bit more leeway at long ranges, by using a heavier payload and a more open choke, vs. a 20. That's about it. It's usually not that easy to hit anything at long range, because birds don't move as predictably as clays.

If you find a 12 that you like, get it. The Beretta 686/687 O/Us are only about 7 lbs. in 12 Gauge/28", for example. That's not too heavy. But, if you shoulder a 20 and you like it, get that. There's no reason not to.

I use a mix of 12, 16 and 20 semiauto, SxS and O/U guns, depending on what I feel like that day, and the weather (snow and plastic go together a lot better than snow and nice walnut). I can't recall any time when would have bagged a bird with the 12, but with the 20 I couldn't. What really matters is gun handling, and that can be unpredictable. Sometimes, a quick gun is the ticket; sometimes, a trap-like swing works best. So a heavier, longer gun might work best, or it might not, on any given day.

 

[oneounceload]

As mentioned, either the 12 or 20 will work well. I would add the 16 and even the 28 (within proper range) as well.

Depending on where you're hunting and whether you're walking a lot and shooting a little or vice-versa would dictate a 20 or a heavier 12.

My personal since I foolishly sold an older Ithaca 37 years ago has been my SKB O/U in 20. I still want a nice SxS- something along the lines of a 6 lb gun from the likes of CSMC, AyA, or Arrietta........

 

[ArmedBear]

oneounceload- How does an American buy an AyA?

I live in the American Basque Country, but I still don't see any kicking around.

 

[DaleCooper51]

Do you reload? If you do or plan to in the near future, stick with the 12 as you already have the press and components you need. If you don't then it's really your call. Both will bag birds. Normally the 20 will be a bit lighter and recoil a bit more.

 

[oneounceload]

AB - Cabela's sells a ton of them. NECG also imports them and can custom order one for you if you want. AyA, Arrietta, Grulla, Arrizabalaga, Ugartechea are all Basque companies in Eibar.

Used to live in Winnemucca, another big "Basco" area....most of them sheep herders preferred rifles.........

 

[ArmedBear]

stick with the 12 as you already have the press and components you need

I've had a busy pheasant season, and I've wasted a bunch of shots on running rabbits that happened by, and I've bought 4 boxes of ammo. One is still nearly full. Reloading is a non-issue, just not worth doing for this purpose. Many reloaders don't work that well with #5 or #4 anyway, assuming you want to buy a bag of this specialized shot that you won't use for anything else.

 

[Harvey]

As a kid (now that was a long time ago) in Iowa, I always lugged my Winchester '97 12 ga. with #4's, and could drop the older pheasants from what seemed a mile away. Remember back then, pheasants would have a chance to live 5 or 6 years, got really heavy and would grow spurs 3" long. Had to be real careful pickin' 'em up.

Nowadays, you're looking at younger birds, and a well placed 20 ga. load of #4's hits the same as a 12, just fewer shot and probably not quite the same velocity. So, absolutely, go for the 20. I did. Just make sure it can take a 3" shell so you can gear up with the heaviest load of shot and max. dram. eq. powder for speed.

I fiddled with the Franchi (and the like) 20 ga. autos, but settled on a nice OU. Light and quick to the point.

 

[Dave McCracken]

When Pop's venerable old O/U was stolen, some friends gave him a nice little 20 gauge SKB O/U. Pop hunted over good dogs, and said that the only difference he saw was he wasn't as tired at the end of the day.

My experiences with the 20 are similar.

However, when wild birds are spooky as heck and flushing WOD, 1.25 oz of 5s through plenty of choke make sense and that's 12 gauge country.

As for which, best I can say is, "It depends"....

 

[Harvey]

Dave McCracken makes a good point. Regards of the 20, make sure the OU comes with a complete set of chokes. Good way to set up for the wily ring-neck is 'modified' on top and 'full' on the bottom.

 

[oneounceload]

Good way to set up for the wily ring-neck is 'modified' on top and 'full' on the bottom.

Depending on where you hunt and the type of birds, that may or may not be appropriate.

Most folks I know shoot the more open choke on the bottom and the tighter one on the top.....and for me, that is an IC and M

 

[ArmedBear]

I seldom ever take anything tighter than Modified in the field, unless I have my old double with fixed M/F so I have no choice.

But... That's what I love about having two barrels. You can choke one Full, without sacrificing the ability to make closer shots also. With one barrel, choked Full, closer birds tend to end up as misses, or hamburger.

 

[Harvey]

duplicate post

 

[.38special]

IMO, if you already have the 12 stick with it. I have a 20g which I love for Quail hunting but sometimes a wish I had my fathers 12g for pheasants.

 

[Markus]

Here's a crazy thought. Why not a 16ga? Great for pheasant and plentiful in the used market. I have a stevens 311,Mossberg bolt action and a H&R single shot that have all taken a lot of game over the years.

 

[Lastmohecken]

I would rather have a very good quality light 12ga side by side, then about anything. We hunt over very good dogs, and still have plenty of Pheasants that will often come up wild, at the edge of effective range. A good 12 with 1.25 OZ of shot with still get them, if you shoot straight. However, I don't much care for a heavy gun, or cheap made economy gun, either.

I prefer a nice side by side or a light over and under, with one barrel choked improved cylinder, and one barrel choked, pretty tight, and double triggers if it's a side by side.

 

[Big Bill]

I've shot a 12 gage for pheasant hunting for the past 48 years. I've owned a couple of 20s but have just never been happy with them for pheasants. But, for smaller birds and game: partridge, quail, grouse, cottontails, etc., a 20 works great.

 

[Lastmohecken]

Yep, and even a 28ga works great on Pheasant, over dogs, as long as shots are kept to around 30yds or less. I carried one, a couple of years ago, and frankly I loved it, for it's light weight, and super fast handling, and it knocked the soup out of close range pheasants, but it wasn't worth a darn, for backing someone else up, if they missed.

So, I gave up on it, because I wanted to be able to knock down a pheasant, after my hunting partner would occasionally miss, or a bird came up wild, and on the fringe, which still happens pretty often.