grahamch Posted January 11, 2018 Report Share Posted January 11, 2018 (edited) I had a delightful Alex Martin Caladonia boxlock 20 which l loved and mistakenly sold it. Had everything from snipe to greylags. Last 2 shots l had with was a right ans left at greylag with 7/8 of no 7 in Hull High Pheasants. This was before lead ban in case anyone asks Edited January 11, 2018 by grahamch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted January 12, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 Thanks for all the replies. I think before next season I will be purchasing one. I was also considering going into reloading so I suppose this may cut the cost of the shells and mean I can make something to suit walked up or driven game. A lot of you mentioned 30" barrels; is that not very long in such a small gun? Or do the you need the longer barrels with the lighter loads? I have always shot with 28" barrels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sitsinhedges Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 I have a 30" Franchi Alcione One that I bought new about 6 yrs ago for £700. I've put tens of thousands of shells thru it and it hasn't missed a beat. Beretta own the Franchi brand now and the quality seems to reflect that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatFreddysCat Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 7 hours ago, ollie said: Thanks for all the replies. I think before next season I will be purchasing one. I was also considering going into reloading so I suppose this may cut the cost of the shells and mean I can make something to suit walked up or driven game. A lot of you mentioned 30" barrels; is that not very long in such a small gun? Or do the you need the longer barrels with the lighter loads? I have always shot with 28" barrels. Down to personal choice really. Mine has 26" SXS barrels and there is no noticeable difference in performance when compared to a friends 30" O/U. On reloading, you won't save a lot unless you're loading heavy or loads that are unavailable commercially. Henry Krank sells a 20g conversion kit for the Lee loadall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodeer Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 Barrel length doesn't make any difference to cartridge performance. I always got on well with a 30" fixed choke Browning B425, however ive used a 32" CG and Miroku in the last few days and they were a joy to use. I'd use one instead of a 12b for most things unless your shooting high pheasants most of the time or wildfowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bumpy22 Posted January 12, 2018 Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 i have a side by side. nice little gun but just dont seem to be able to get on with it like i do with my 12g ou silver pigeon. it is ideal for the walked up days i have been doing this season as its so light. i personally prefer the heavier 12g which is why it will be in the sales section when i get round to listing it lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted January 12, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2018 15 hours ago, FatFreddysCat said: Down to personal choice really. Mine has 26" SXS barrels and there is no noticeable difference in performance when compared to a friends 30" O/U. On reloading, you won't save a lot unless you're loading heavy or loads that are unavailable commercially. Henry Krank sells a 20g conversion kit for the Lee loadall. Yeah I know I won't save loads but there isn't a lot of firearms dealers in Northern Ireland and some of them probably don't even stock 20 bore cartridges. Also be a nice hobby for me. How much is the conversion kit? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatFreddysCat Posted January 13, 2018 Report Share Posted January 13, 2018 19 hours ago, ollie said: Yeah I know I won't save loads but there isn't a lot of firearms dealers in Northern Ireland and some of them probably don't even stock 20 bore cartridges. Also be a nice hobby for me. How much is the conversion kit? 20g conversion kit is £22.20. Link below. http://www.henrykrank.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=164_181_475&products_id=1560 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted January 13, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2018 57 minutes ago, FatFreddysCat said: 20g conversion kit is £22.20. Link below. http://www.henrykrank.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=164_181_475&products_id=1560 Cheers mate. Is it easy to convert it from 12 bore to 20 bore? It is just a matter of screwing it in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FatFreddysCat Posted January 13, 2018 Report Share Posted January 13, 2018 9 minutes ago, ollie said: Cheers mate. Is it easy to convert it from 12 bore to 20 bore? It is just a matter of screwing it in? Dead easy. 2 bolts to remove the powder/shot reservoirs, then pop the locating pins out of the side struts and lift off the the existing sizer/wad guide/crimp unit. Assembly is the reverse. Comes with fitting instructions anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ollie Posted January 14, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2018 23 hours ago, FatFreddysCat said: Dead easy. 2 bolts to remove the powder/shot reservoirs, then pop the locating pins out of the side struts and lift off the the existing sizer/wad guide/crimp unit. Assembly is the reverse. Comes with fitting instructions anyway. Cheers fella Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex1Nat2 Posted January 17, 2018 Report Share Posted January 17, 2018 On 11/01/2018 at 20:28, sishyplops said: I've got a 687 sporter in 20g multi sporter great little gun, although I do have a 686 and an A303 in 20g also so the 687 only rarely comes out. Might be persuaded to part with it ? I might be interested in the 687 if you are serious. Any info, stock & barrel length etc steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sishyplops Posted January 18, 2018 Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 pm sent Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Heron Posted January 20, 2018 Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 Buy a Beretta silver pigeon and some hull high pheasant extreme great fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shalfordninja33 Posted February 25, 2019 Report Share Posted February 25, 2019 I took the plunge and bought a beretta 690 field in 20 bore. Had my first outing with it on Saturday roost shooting and took 8 pigeons and two crow for 14 shots. Really pleased with it, I’m left handed and this is the first l/h gun I’ve owned, it feels very natural to shoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingman Posted February 26, 2019 Report Share Posted February 26, 2019 20 bore has really impressed me, my son uses one for clays and the odd rough shooting outing. Its a Webley and Scott 920K lovely little gun and in the 2 years we've had it not missed a beat. As an example he was consistently hitting fast high tower birds at AGL on Saturday with 21G cartridges and skeet & 1/4 chokes. I would have no doubt that with the right cartridge a 20 can do anything that a 12 bore can do. Thinking about getting one myself got my eye on a 20 bore Miroku MK70 lovely gun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gungoesbang Posted March 2, 2019 Report Share Posted March 2, 2019 (edited) 20 bore kills just as well as 12. Honestly cylinder and improved cylinder kill everything out to 40 yards + if you put 28grams through a 20, and 28g through a twelve, the 20 will have a smaller, but denser pattern due to the longer shot column. Edited March 2, 2019 by Gungoesbang Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snow white Posted March 2, 2019 Report Share Posted March 2, 2019 I only use 20 for everything from crows to game I have not had any complaints from anything yet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted March 2, 2019 Report Share Posted March 2, 2019 1 hour ago, Gungoesbang said: if you put 28grams through a 20, and 28g through a twelve, the 20 will have a smaller, but denser pattern due to the longer shot column. Apparently not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Boggy Posted March 2, 2019 Report Share Posted March 2, 2019 5 hours ago, Gungoesbang said: 20 bore kills just as well as 12. Honestly cylinder and improved cylinder kill everything out to 40 yards + if you put 28grams through a 20, and 28g through a twelve, the 20 will have a smaller, but denser pattern due to the longer shot column. As Scully rightly said above, I think you'll find that a 20 with say half choke will (or should) throw the same size pattern as a 12 with the same choke, but it will be less dense. This is what I was always led to believe but stand to be corrected. OB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shalfordninja33 Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 (edited) last few minutes of this video has a pattern test. 28gm 1/4 choke is pretty much the same though either. Edited March 3, 2019 by shalfordninja33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 (edited) 14 hours ago, Scully said: Apparently not. hello scully, i have always lead to believe from many years ago reading info on shotgun patterns, , shooting a 12/16/20 with eley grand prix 6 shot and improved cylinder at 30 yards they pattern same ? i stand corrected if this is not the case, i am sure Jack H did some thing on this with a show called HOW ? he also showed how the original size shotgun bore 410/ 20/16/12 came into being with a certain size piece of lead, not sure on that as years ago and brain getting fuzzy ha ha Edited March 3, 2019 by oldypigeonpopper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gungoesbang Posted March 3, 2019 Report Share Posted March 3, 2019 19 hours ago, Old Boggy said: As Scully rightly said above, I think you'll find that a 20 with say half choke will (or should) throw the same size pattern as a 12 with the same choke, but it will be less dense. This is what I was always led to believe but stand to be corrected. OB Yes, this is true generally, but I was using the example of the same load through both gauges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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