berties Posted December 13, 2009 Report Share Posted December 13, 2009 problem my son started me breaking clays again just realized i have bought myself a couple of guns aned have forgotten him,has any one got a nice 20 bore o/u in the local area to me,I am on the wilts hants border, have a look in your cabinets maybe you have one thats redundent to get a young gun moving,he breaks at 80% on a 28g at his lessons but needs to get on to better things Regards b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dickiebig Posted December 13, 2009 Report Share Posted December 13, 2009 Hi, there, no wish to offend, but if he is of a reasonable size and age why not go straight to twelve. The shot string on any twenty is very tight, compared to a twelve. He would hit more, be encouraged more, you will have more choice and it will be cheaper to run. recoil need not be a problem as there are a lot of light cartridges to be had, you could also consider a gas auto which would be very light on recoil. ATB Dickie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clayman Posted December 13, 2009 Report Share Posted December 13, 2009 (edited) The shot string on any twenty is very tight, compared to a twelve. No, the reverse is true. While the hose pipe theory might seem logical ( ie thinner tube squirting water makes it longer and thinner), the reverse is scientifically established for guns. A 20g with a 24g load throws what is sometimes described as a square pattern, ie at 20m it is the same length as width. The 12 throws a longer string because the effect is caused by the number of deformations occurring against the barrel wall, and the larger the gauge the greater the surface area of the barrel wall and the more pellets are rolled and elongated. These rolled pellets are less aerodynamic and run back off the central shot cloud in a hollow string, the centre moving as a cluster of shot while the outside flows back in a cylinder of loose edge flyers. There have been several scientifically conducted tests to prove this and they are summerised in Peter Blakerly's article, That Shot String Thing. http://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/that-...thing-Page1.htm That being said, the advice to go straight to 12g is well founded. The ability to handle a gun is much more about the balance point than the gauge. A poorly balanced 20g ( ie long in the pull and with longer barrels) is much harder to use than a short stocked short barreled 12g. The key is that the shooter should be able to mount and swing with their weight forward, not leaning back to counterlever excess forward weight. When considering gun choice, look for a 26" or 28" 12g with a short stock, say down to 12 1/2", as a real alternative to a 12g - and also consider the S-A options, as the single barrel gives less forward weight. A 25" Remington 1100 would be a good choice. S-A barrel lengths are generally 2" shorter than the equiv U/O, so a 25" S-A is the same length as a 27" U/O, but the balance point is further back making holding the gun up and controlling it very much easier. Edited December 13, 2009 by clayman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daveo26 Posted December 13, 2009 Report Share Posted December 13, 2009 So now you know!!! Great post clayman. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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