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I am considering giving up my 12 gauge and using my 20 gauge for duck hunting over water. I know lots of hunters are using 20s for turkey hunting but I haven't heard of 20s for duck hunting. Have you tried this? Comments on relative effectiveness compared to hunting with 12 gauge.
I've used a 20 for waterfowl for years.
When I started hunting, my 1st shotgun was a Stevens 58 bolt gun in 20 gauge. Using 2 3/4" shells.
Spend some time patterning the gun, and breaking some clays before season opener. If you do your job, it will do its.
I love my 20 gauges! Plenty of gun for ducks. Not ideal for field goose hunting when everyone else is trying to blast them at 50yd:whacked: but aside from that no need for a 12.
Thank you Bluebulldog and Oxaye! You have given me exactly what I was hoping to hear ;-)
If you can centre the bird in your pattern a 20 is plenty for ducks. No difference than a 12 if you can centre the bird.
S.
20 ga is plenty for waterfowl. Out of the four guys I run with, at least one will be shooting a 20 ga in the goose field. An ounce of 1's @1550 fps is an oz of 1's out of either as 12 or 20. The pattern is a bit different, so spend some time on paper. You will be amazed how effective they are. And so much fun. Really make the dude smashing away with a 3 1/2 in load of BBB's look at you like you got three heads , as you make a double on geese at 30 yrds with your wife's gun...
I haven't shot as much waterfowl as most of the guys on here have but I usually get a few hunts in every year, maybe 5 or 6. I use a Benelli Nova 20 and it works just fine, even taken a few geese that came into the duck decoys.
20 is fine, pattern it at 10,20,30,40 yards to understand it's performance at each range. I use a 43 yr old 12 gauge in 2 3/4" fixed choke. It works just fine as long as I respect the limitations of this gun. To boot it is a semi.
no problem in the corn field and over water pattern your loads at different distances as other have said
I own 6 20s now. It'll do just fine for ducks and geese in fields or on water. Just pattern the gun first.
Thanks for all the feedback guys. You have helped me make up my mind ;-) ..... I just posted my 12 gauge in the For Sale section.
A 12 is for one box a year shooters.
A 20 in the hands of a "hunter" is still too much gun due mostly to the dynamics and technological advancements in ammo.Thier in lies the key. Use good ammo for ducks.Use the best ammo for geese and use anything else for everything else.
It has been said by many writers that two people walking together with the same skill and a bird gets up.The one with the lighter firearm will be on that bird 8 to 20 yards sooner.
Enjoy your 20. One thing you didn't say is what kind you were looking at.
In order for you to take advantage of the 20's virtues don't get one that weighs like a 12, or even a 16
My .02
My duck hunting consists of opening weekend for 90% Teal and the odd mallard over decoys. I was actually considering switching to a 20ga. Teal are tiny, just hard to hit. Not sure a 12ga makes it easier to hit them, just more payload which on a small bird may not be needed? I'm not anywhere near a serious duck hunter though so I'll sit back and listen to those who are.