20bore for driven game

[snow white]

I only use a 20 out twice a week.tell the person that said a 20 is no good for long birds he is talking a load of bull sxxxx.I all so use mine on pigeons and crows

[matty*]

28g of 6 or 5 will do. I shot 20g for awhile never used anything heavier and killed all i wanted to with it with 28g.

[Tomm]

just looking at cartridges. iv found some black gold 32gr 5. anyone used theese in 20? velosity says its the same as the 12b version? thanks all

[fenboy]

I've shot 20 bore for years and Ive just sold it as I found a heavier 12 with long barrels is a better tool for high driven pheasants the twenty is great for walked up / snap shooting but a heavy 12 bore trap style gun is the thing for high birds with 32 to 42 gram cartridges depending on how high you want to shoot that said a good 28 gram 20 bore load put in the right place will kill 40 yard pheasants

 

It in no way can be a pleasant days shooting putting 42 gram loads through a O/U all day !

[Old farrier]

Hi

Few questions if you don't mind me asking

Have you shot a driven day before ?

Have you got a 12?

Have you seen or shot a 50 yard pheasant ?

All the best

Of

[bjlfishing]

42 gram loads through a 32 inch barrelled trap gun isn't really a problem plus say a three hundred bird day 10 guns high birds average 1 in 5 shot to kill ratio so 150 shots per gun isn't to bad certainly no worse than the same using 32 gram in a lightweight 20 bore . Also it's not like many people get the chance to shoot high driven pheasants everyday so when the opportunity arises then if you have the equipment to be able to kill 50 60 even 70 yard pheasants then it's best to use it

[welshwarrior]

42 gram loads through a 32 inch barrelled trap gun isn't really a problem plus say a three hundred bird day 10 guns high birds average 1 in 5 shot to kill ratio so 150 shots per gun isn't to bad certainly no worse than the same using 32 gram in a lightweight 20 bore . Also it's not like many people get the chance to shoot high driven pheasants everyday so when the opportunity arises then if you have the equipment to be able to kill 50 60 even 70 yard pheasants then it's best to use it

I have to agree but not many people have the skill to consistently kill high birds cleanly. That comes with practices no matter what gun or cartridges you use, it's not quite the same as breaking a 50 yard clay.

[Underdog]

42 gram loads through a 32 inch barrelled trap gun isn't really a problem plus say a three hundred bird day 10 guns high birds average 1 in 5 shot to kill ratio so 150 shots per gun isn't to bad certainly no worse than the same using 32 gram in a lightweight 20 bore . Also it's not like many people get the chance to shoot high driven pheasants everyday so when the opportunity arises then if you have the equipment to be able to kill 50 60 even 70 yard pheasants then it's best to use it

I would sooner let them pass and marvel at the sight of them. No way is the urge to kill a bird that strong!

I shot a 50 yard pheasant with a muzzleloader once, the ecstatic cheer did nothing to encourage this type of shooting in me and although many a high crow or pigeon has come down to a whole host of types and guages I still don't recommend it. To many pricked birds I has seen in my life to ever justify it as the norm!

Just my opinion!

 

U.

[JohnfromUK]

The best game shot I have ever watched used 1 oz loads in lightweight 12's. He could consistently get clean kills on birds that others couldn't using heavier loads. It was all about where you put the shot. On that basis, a 20 with 1 ounce should be fine for all 'normal' shots.

 

There are certain shoots that have (virtually all) very high birds. I have heard tales of shoots where the best teams only get a 20% ratio. My own view is that whilst the best individual shots may perform satisfactorily, these conditions are not suited to the 'average' shot (such as myself). I would shoot poorly, probably wound birds rather than kill cleanly and I would not enjoy the day on that basis. I hope (and think) that I know my limitations. Most shoots have the occasional 'screamer' in a mix of normal birds between 25 and 40 yards and I see no harm in doing your best with that, but where the majority of birds are consistently over 40 yards (and I suspect its a very few places) I think you should ask yourself if you are really able to do the quarry justice?

 

All decent sportsmen should (in my view anyway) only shoot where there is a high chance of a clean kill. If you find that you are not achieving this, maybe those very high birds are not within your capabilities, but I doubt it will be the gun.

[Guest cookoff013]

42g loads are just for filling the pattern out there. There is no problems with them except shooting too close.

In days gone by 1,1/4oz was used on pigeons. Still they advertise 36g pigeon continental loads.

1,1/2oz is for high pheasant, even slow loads do the business. I patterned 42gbbs and for what its worth a slow#2 is a great compromise.

 

As for tesco everyday value phesent, ounce is good.

 

To the op. Use your 20.

[subsonicnat]

20 Bore or 12 Bore, it doen't Matter...

its Where you Put it That Counts 《《《《《《《《.

Seen Keeper use 410 on Driven Partridge, Every one Stone Dead..

[sako751sg]

20 Bore or 12 Bore, it doen't Matter...

its Where you Put it That Counts 《《《《《《《《.

Seen Keeper use 410 on Driven Partridge, Every one Stone Dead..

 

Pretty much spot on,although more pellets do make a difference esp at rangier birds.

Considering you get a 34g loads for the 20g there are no negative issues with the 20g.

[dougall]

20 gauge perfectly fine for driven shooting.If you are fairly new to driven select your birds you are comfortable with first and push for the higher stuff in later drives.I very much doubt all birds will be 50 yarders.......a SP in 20g is a cracking gun and perfect tool,If thats what you have and are used to shooting it crack on will kill as well as anything.If you truly believe they are v high pheasants and you can get hold of them try the new black gold 30g 5s...for more usual pheasants an oz is plenty effective enough.Enjoy your day you have the perfect tool whatever you were told....

[sako751sg]

20 gauge perfectly fine for driven shooting.If you are fairly new to driven select your birds you are comfortable with first and push for the higher stuff in later drives.I very much doubt all birds will be 50 yarders.......a SP in 20g is a cracking gun and perfect tool,If thats what you have and are used to shooting it crack on will kill as well as anything.If you truly believe they are v high pheasants and you can get hold of them try the new black gold 30g 5s...for more usual pheasants an oz is plenty effective enough.Enjoy your day you have the perfect tool whatever you were told....

 

They also do 34g in 4.5s.

[grahamch]

shot with an alex martin 20 for years. Made in 1916 with 2.5 inh chambers and used hull high pheasant 7/8 oz no 7 for everything and never felt under gunned

[welshwarrior]

I spend a fair amount of time on High Pheasant shoots (really ones not ones that used the name to advertise good sporting birds).

 

I see people who have no place there at times but mostly the guns know their stuff my main client is currently on a 4 to 1 average for the season he's renowned in certain circles as a great shot, his secret we spend time on massive high towers before the season and he shoots high birds 1 day a week. He knows his limits turn down birds to low for his set up and admiring those to high.

 

Knowing your limits is a vital skill all sportsmen should have IMHO and main I see don't, a lots have poor distance judging skills only make this worse.

[Blackpowder]

OOPS I see in my earlier post I said I shot 20g loads for driven pheasant, that should have been 28gram loads. I blame it on the Christmas spirit.

 

Blackpowder

[JDog]

I am sure that 20 bores are perfectly capable of shooting decent high birds. However I cannot understand why loads heavier than say 28 grams are shot through them. They are much lighter guns than the average 12 bore and the 'kick' to use an old fashioned phrase would be much more than if the same loads were fired through a 12 bore.

[Anth6568]

I've used my Browning 525 20b for years now on pheasants. I use to use 1/4 & 1/2 on the chokes but have found that 3/4 & Full are far better with this bore. I always reload but I find I'm content with a shop bought 28g of No6 as a good standard load that shoots well to the limit of the guns range. I would never go back to 12b now with pheasants and the like.

[norfolk dumpling]

It's about getting the lead in the right place whether it's a .410 or 10g and as you look about on the day you will see Guns with heavy armoury missing fairly easy birds. Enjoy your day.

[Paul223]

There are a few folk who shoot 20's on my shoot, one lad in particular was going on an invited day on a big posh shoot and was advised to use 32/5's he reported back a good day with high birds equal to our little shoots best drives, the following year he was invited back again to the same shoot but this time was short on money so used his usual 28/6's as he had a slab to hand and remarked how he didn't fair any worse or better. So use whatever your comfortable with, 28/6's out of my 16 bore chocked 3/8's & 3/8's will drop 55 yard pheasants if I do my bit, no reason why using a 20 would change that, what's more important is your happy with your choice and that you can shoot that combination all day without getting knocked about with to much recoil, enjoy the day!

Edited December 29, 2014 by Paul223

[alan barrett]

Been out today on a " boys day "( aged 12 - 20) 3 dads walking all day, I took my 410 and accounted for 2 pigeons, 1 pheasant, 1 squizzer( that had 2 shots from a 20 bore first) and a woodcock. It's not how big it is , it's where you put it that counts

[Suffolkngood]

If you're in any doubt just take a few of your chosen cartridges and a roll of paper and pattern test a few at ranges you're likely to be shooting at birds.

 

I bet you'll find that the heavier load offers very little advantage in the amount of pellets in the 'kill zone'. They'll undoubtably be less comfortable to shoot and as mentioned....if you flinch, you'll probably miss.

 

Just because someone once saw a 50 yard pheasant doesn't mean they are all going to be 50 yard birds. The facts are that any inconsistent shooter will often make themselves feel better by saying that the birds were too high and many hate 'small bore' users.

 

I have only shot driven game with a 12 bore once this year and that was at Powys Castle in Wales. Every other driven day has been with a 28 bore firing 24 Grammes of 7's through IC and 1/4 chokes. I've even used a 410 one afternoon instead of the 28 bore and killed birds out to 30 yards consistently with 19 gram loads.

 

All you have to do is arrange a collision between your shot string and the bird. Gravity will do the rest for you.

 

Have a great day and wipe a few 12 bore eyes.

[norfolk dumpling]

It's all about having fun and being safe. Nothing I hate more than the gun who constantly brags about numbers shot. I like to go home with the memory of a good day and a couple of good birds.

[Suffolkngood]

It's all about having fun and being safe. Nothing I hate more than the gun who constantly brags about numbers shot. I like to go home with the memory of a good day and a couple of good birds.

Totally agree. Only shoot at birds that best suit your ability and that of your gun/cartridge combination. Nobody wants to see anyone constantly pricking birds that are too good for the shooters ability or gun/cartridge combination. Likewise, nobody wants to see anyone turning mediocre/low birds into game pâté before they've even hit the floor just because they want to 'get their money's worth' and brag about how many they've shot.

 

The most important thing is to stay and shoot safely and courteously. People that matter will notice and remember that more than any bird you hit or miss. Hope you enjoy your day.