20 bore.

[Shropshire_Lad]

The wife and I went out today with her new Bettinsoli 20 bore after a few Pigeons. I was keen to see how it performed as I have never shot one before and it was the only gun that fit the wife and daughters pretty well in our price range at the midland. Not a great lot about and no easy shooting either, not ideal for a first timer at Pigeons but we all have to start somewhere. I have to say after I managed to prize it away for a go or two I love it! Everything about it shouldn't work for me as I'm a left hooker, this is cast off, although to be fair it's straight. It's an o/u and I shoot with a sxs but for some reason it realy is a joy to shoot with.

It's light and easy to move about but with enough weight to make it steady on those longer crossers and I have to say it was dropping some at good range, certainly didn't feel under gunned at any time. Any of you guy's shoot a 20 often? as a long time sxs 12bore man I could realy be tempted by a nice 20 bore myself, not too bad to carry aroung either on a rough shoot day.

 

atvb Paul.

[Windknot]

I use a 20 ga. MK70 for all my game shooting- can't fault it.

[kyska]

I use 20 for everything, I've no intention of going to 12.

[Bobba]

I've a Miroku 20 bore which I've multi choked by Nigel Teague and a Bettinsoli silverleaf 20 bore multichoke.

 

Being ancient and in a delapidated state of repair (Me, not the guns) I find the Miroku a beautiful lightweight for walking the fields: It's about 3/4 pound lighter than the Bettinoli and better balanced but the Bettinsoli throws a tighter pattern (pattern plate tested). I have no intention of returning to a 12 bore as these guns do all I ask of them.

[cotswoldgirl]

interesting comments. I'm in the market for a 20 bore, and i cant hold a 12 bore, they're just too heavy for me, although I shoot with a 12 at the moment.

I had in mind that i wanted a miroku, and then reading this thread i wondered if a bettinsoli would be better.

Do you think that a miroku would be better for walked up shoots. I'm not very well built and have no muscles .

I often do clays aswell in the summer to get my eye in and practice for the season.

 

Answers on a postcard?

[Shropshire_Lad]

interesting comments. I'm in the market for a 20 bore, and i cant hold a 12 bore, they're just too heavy for me, although I shoot with a 12 at the moment.

I had in mind that i wanted a miroku, and then reading this thread i wondered if a bettinsoli would be better.

Do you think that a miroku would be better for walked up shoots. I'm not very well built and have no muscles .

I often do clays aswell in the summer to get my eye in and practice for the season.

 

Answers on a postcard?

 

Hi, we ended up going for the Bettinsoli only because it was the best fit for the three girls, my wife and two daughters. Our eldest is the slighter built of the three, the youngest and my wife would handle a twelve no problem but the three of them loved the way the Bettinsoli handled so we went for that. Its a mk111 with the Franchi gel insert recoil pad and adjustable comb, having shot it yesterday it is the lightest recoiling shotgun I've ever shot BUT!! its not the lightest 20 bore out there. At just under 7lbs you may still find it a handfull after a full days walkabout. It also has the usual Bettinsoli stiffness in opening, something they are known for.

Get to a gun shop and pick up and mount as many as you can before deciding what to go for, we hadn't even cosidered this make at all till they tried a few out for fit. Spending more money will get you better quallity for sure but for most of us it's not always an option. You would have to put an awefull lot of shots through even the cheapest of guns before you shot them out, not a problem many of us will face!

 

atvb Paul.

[Windknot]

Cotwoldgirl,

 

Do yourself a big favour and have a look at a Beretta 20 bore. If you are after a light game gun that's easy to carry it might just fit the bill, and there are usually quite a few around, new and used.

[Shropshire_Lad]

Just looked up the Beretta 20 bore field on guntrader, weighing in at 6lbs it would be a good gun for carrying all day. I don't use a 25" sxs for our rough shoot days because it's heavy. Its always a trade off between weight and recoil, you now what the gun will be used for most. If I was chosing a gun for walking about with it would always be a light one.

 

atvb Paul.

[kyska]

interesting comments. I'm in the market for a 20 bore, and i cant hold a 12 bore, they're just too heavy for me, although I shoot with a 12 at the moment.

I had in mind that i wanted a miroku, and then reading this thread i wondered if a bettinsoli would be better.

Do you think that a miroku would be better for walked up shoots. I'm not very well built and have no muscles .

I often do clays aswell in the summer to get my eye in and practice for the season.

 

Answers on a postcard?

 

 

I think the only way we can advise is if you post photos of your build......

[garyb]

I used a 20 bore for all live quarry shooting - except Wildfowling.

 

Shoot very little in the way of clays, and really only socially to be honest.

 

Probably won't ever swap back to a 12 now.

[al4x]

If your quarry is mostly game and pigeons etc the a 20 is nice and light and you won't be undergunned, I reckon with a 20 and a 12b semi auto you have most bases covered, the auto if you do any wildfowling and fox and hare shooting etc when you want heavier cartridges and bigger lead.