12g vs 20g

[mgsontour]

I've never shot a 20bore before and am interested to hear the differences/benefits from someone who shoots both? Cheers

[Scully]

The only thing I can think of is the weight difference and the cost of cartridges, the latter being more expensive.

[Rob85]

4 minutes ago, mgsontour said:

I've never shot a 20bore before and am interested to hear the differences/benefits from someone who shoots both? Cheers

Used to have a rattle with my friends beretta silver pigeon 20bore at the clay range when we were both starting out and I just couldn't for the life of me get on with it, actually much preferred my own gun at the time.....an old Baikal.

That being said it is likely down to gun fit than anything else, then as scully says you have to factor in cartridge costs and the weight of the gun. To me a light 20bore with a heavy cartridge is going to punish you more than a heavier 12bore with an equivalent cartridge

[mgsontour]

53 minutes ago, Rob85 said:

Used to have a rattle with my friends beretta silver pigeon 20bore at the clay range when we were both starting out and I just couldn't for the life of me get on with it, actually much preferred my own gun at the time.....an old Baikal.

That being said it is likely down to gun fit than anything else, then as scully says you have to factor in cartridge costs and the weight of the gun. To me a light 20bore with a heavy cartridge is going to punish you more than a heavier 12bore with an equivalent cartridge

I used to use an old Baikal and never liked the small roundish safety thumb catch but was a solid gun. I get your point about weight = punishment with big loads but as Skully said the weight plays a part for a walk around shoot when 28grms of 7.5's do the job. Think I might get myself one and keep Brownings for higher quarry and ducks

[Ultrastu]

I have 20b s and not a 12 .as I started with a mossy hushpower in 20 b and just stuck with the cal even now the mossy has been sold .I shoot along side my mate who also has 20b and 12 b .

There is no killing advantage (in normal loads ) between 20 and 12 in our opinion  

The points raised above are good .to add 

20b carts are smaller so take up less room in your bag /pocket .20 b is easier to quiet down if you go for a hushpower gun 

All the  20b cartridges are yellow .(i don't know if thats an advantage )? 

Thats it really .I have never felt undergunned with my 20s next to my mates ou 12 .

All I would say is dont get a really light weight (alloy action ) ou and then expect to put heavy 32 grm loads through it and expect it not to punish  you .

I like up to 28 grm in my light ou .(25 s are better ) 

But up to 32 grm in my sa. 

 

[sam triple]

Got a20 bore plus various other 12 bore advantage of 20 is on walked up days where you the weight difference between the 2 not only on the gun but by the weight of cartridges 

[scobydog]

Have had both, use the 20b for almost everything these days, only have semi auto 12b for geese this is for the heavy loads I use in it. Never felt inferior with a 20 g on any other shooting I do. Absolutely cracking for a day on the corvids the 20.

[welshwarrior]

Normal game you’ll not be disadvantaged with modern cartridges.   High pheasants and some Wildfolwing you’ll be at an advantage with a 12 bore.  
 

with a 20 you have to work a bit harder to shoot well as the lighter gun shows up more faults but easily over come with practice 

[kenholland]

must admit i love my auto's but shoot the mossberg hushpower 20 full choke with subs a lot more, in the last couple of years.

[Shotkam]

The only advantage of a 12 over a 20 is cartridge cost and when you wish to shoot Wildfowl or Game over 55 yards. 32g black gold 5 5/8 Teague choke when patterned, pancake flat and pattern perfection.

The best Pheasant I ever shot was with a 20G, those cartridges and 1/2 choke.

I only ever use a 12 for pest control as lo cost carts. with the maxus and for Geese. 

[bluesj]

I think it depends what you are using it for, if you are using 28g plus loads for pest control where you expect to shoot a lot of cartridges or wildfowling I would say a 12 would have the advantage just about anything else I recon a 20 is the way to go. They are lighter so better to carry around all day on a game shoot for me they swing better and with a 24g cartridge have very little recoil.

The only down side i see for a 20 is the cost of feeding them.  

[Ultrastu]

I'm currently buying 20b carts at £65 a slab .which isn't too different to 12b carts .granted they are 25 grm clay carts but they go well and kill what I aim at so im happy  enough .

[Cranfield]

As has been said, there is no difference in stopping power between identical cartridge loads in a 12 g or a 20ga,.
I have owned a few of both and have often appreciated the lighter weight of the 20ga.
Its also good to have lots of guns, put 16 ga and .410 on your list.🙂

 

[Westley]

I have owned and used both 12, 20 and even a 28 bore for a short time. I used a 20 bore Remington auto with a fixed 1/2 choke for around 10 years in the 1980's, I shot 1000's of pigeons with the gun, often outshooting others with 12 bores. It was simply the financial divide between 20 and 12 bore ammunition that made me buy a 12 bore auto. I used 28 gram of 6's or 7's fibre wads in the 20 bore and through the 1/2 choke they worked a treat. I now have a 20 bore O/U for game and occasional clays and a 12 bore solely for clays. I find the 25 gram RC 20 bores an excellent cartridge in 5, 6, or 7 shot dependent on birds or time in season as to which I will use.

[mgsontour]

Wow, this has been an educational post. A great deal of experiences and will add a 20g to my cabinet; ummmmm might treat myself to another cabinet too

[Scully]

1 hour ago, Cranfield said:

Its also good to have lots of guns, put 16 ga and .410 on your list.🙂

 

This. Couldn’t agree more. 

 

[mgsontour]

12 hours ago, Scully said:

This. Couldn’t agree more. 

 

Appreciate the comments and that's ironic as I started with a 410 and then went onto some really heavy single barrel 12g with a hammer ( the 410 had no safety back in the day ) then onto a AYA Yeoman SBS and a Baikel until I got one of the early webley and scott 'ejector' which I used until parts became virtually impossible to source; what a gun that was!! but never had a 16 nor 20 'yet'

[Old Boggy]

14 hours ago, Cranfield said:

As has been said, there is no difference in stopping power between identical cartridge loads in a 12 g or a 20ga,.
I have owned a few of both and have often appreciated the lighter weight of the 20ga.
Its also good to have lots of guns, put 16 ga and .410 on your list.🙂

 

👍for a 16ga. As they say ‘shoots like a 12 and handles like a 20’

OB

[Bobba]

20 hours ago, Ultrastu said:

All the  20b cartridges are yellow .(i don't know if thats an advantage )? 

I have had a Miroku 20 bore for many many years and it's my gun of choice (I also have Beretta SP 12 bore and a .410).

When I bought the Miroku and a slab of cartridges I commented  then on the fact that the cartridges were yellow. I was told that this is to make them stand out against 12 bore cartridges (which, presumably, are not yellow) so that you do not inadvertently drop a 20 bore down the barrel of a 12 bore where it will disappear out of sight and then put a 12 bore behind it and fire. Whether this is an urban myth or not I really wouldn't know. But I certainly wouldn't like to try it out.

That said, only this week I was speaking with a mate in the gun club. He said that between lock downs he was on a pheasant shoot and somebody actually did slot a 20 bore cartridge in a 12 bore followed by a 12 bore cartridge with major consequences. A visit to Bath RUH and the loss of a number of fingers. Fortunately no facial damage. The gun was wrecked. I have reason to doubt his word.

If there's a moral here it's not to carry both cartridges when using the 12 bore. Since being given that explanation many moons ago I can genuinely say that I only shoot one gun an outing. No mix and match.

Edited February 11, 2021 by Bobba

[shalfordninja33]

I bought a 20bore (Beretta 690) O/U 2 years ago as I was after something lighter to carry and I haven't used my 12 bores since. I added a 20b AL391 last summer for hide and roost shooting and at the moment I can't see any of my 12s being used any time soon. 

I found it easier to shoot be be more instinctive with my driven shooting, although with the lighter weight it has to be driven more, I'm not as consistent on the longer shots as I used to be but I'm convinced that me and having to adapt my shooting rather than any disadvantage with using a lighter payload. 

I put 26gm RC Sipes through them in No7 or No6 and for where I live in Essex it's perfect. I use cylinder and 1/4 in the O/U and 1/4 in the Semi. I've tried 28 gram and heavier loads and other than an increase in felt recoil there wasn't a discernible difference at the receiving end.  

I've found with smaller framed guns getting the fit right is critical, whatever you buy spend some money getting it fitted. 

I'll keep one 12 bore whilst the lead change over develops in case the loads for the 20b are too expensive/restrictive. Or I may just move both 12's on and free up cabinet space as they haven't been used for nearly 2 years now. 

[snow white]

I was luck last year been using 28 bore all morning then after lunch decided I would use 20 bore had some nice birds over shot a right and left I was using coat with pocket full of cartridges as I dropped a cartridge in top barrel I noticed it was red not yellow I stopped dead realising I must have had a 28 tucked away in corner of pocket.

the cartridge had gone down about quarter of the barrel right where my hand would have been dread to think what I would be doing now with no fingers on left hand I would have had to sell my fly tying equipment.

so that is why 20 bore are yellow 

[chip000]

On 10/02/2021 at 13:05, mgsontour said:

I've never shot a 20bore before and am interested to hear the differences/benefits from someone who shoots both? Cheers

 

[TIGHTCHOKE]

Chip, you make an interesting point!

[chip000]

If you compare ‘true’ loads between the the gauges ie say 24gram no 6 in a 20 and 28 gram no 6 in a 12 of the same type of cartridge, it’s only the number of pellets that is different, not the ‘power’ so range is the same, speed is the same.
For example, if you only need 5 shot pellets to kill a pigeon then the 20g throws say 200 vs say 250 in a 12g. All shot bar the 5 that hit it end up on the floor. Of course you can up your lead load in a 20g but not sure why you’d want to.

Those numbers are just for illustration. IMHO if you put your shot in the right place any gauge will kill so if you want the lighter weight, fast handling of the 20g go for it but I personally don’t see the point of heavy loads in a 20g. 

1 minute ago, TIGHTCHOKE said:

Chip, you make an interesting point!

You may prefer it to my next point 😂😉

[TIGHTCHOKE]

6 minutes ago, chip000 said:

If you compare ‘true’ loads between the the gauges ie say 24gram no 6 in a 20 and 28 gram no 6 in a 12 of the same type of cartridge, it’s only the number of pellets that is different, not the ‘power’ so range is the same, speed is the same.
For example, if you only need 5 shot pellets to kill a pigeon then the 20g throws say 200 vs say 250 in a 12g. All shot bar the 5 that hit it end up on the floor. Of course you can up your lead load in a 20g but not sure why you’d want to.

Those numbers are just for illustration. IMHO if you put your shot in the right place any gauge will kill so if you want the lighter weight, fast handling of the 20g go for it but I personally don’t see the point of heavy loads in a 20g

Are you meaning the good old fashioned "square" loads?

And as you say, nothing to be gained from taking a 20 bore and putting 12 gauge loads through it.