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Who uses a 20 gauge for ducks and doves.

I have a couple of times on both. Was handed a 12g and picked the 20 up again.
Problem was most of my shots had to be in your face or within 15 yards. Which now more of a variety of stronger shells then my federal and remingtons I was using.
Dove hunting is alot of fun with it and seems more geared towards the dove

I sometimes shoot a 20 for doves...'just depends on the field.

My wife hunted ducks with a 3" 20ga until around mid-90's, then switched to a 3" 12ga. She has recently mentioned taking the 20ga to Canada this coming Fall, since she has about 12 boxes of steel left over.

Why do you ask?

Shooting woodies.

My 18 year old son still shoots the 20 gauge over-under that his grandfather gave him 7 or 8 years ago. He does very well on ducks with it.

I use one in the timber pretty regularly. It has always been a goal of mine to kill a duck ,and a goose with every gauge. I have 16, 28 ( I don't own one so gonna be tough) left on the list. There was a member in our club who killed a goose with every gauge, and I have always thought that was pretty special. Especially since Canada goose hunting has changed so much where we hunt.

GET-N-RITE wrote:I have 16, 28 ( I don't own one so gonna be tough) left on the list.

You can borrow my youth 870 in 16ga this year if you want. Just give me a hollar.
I've shot it a good bit in the timber. Fun little gun.

teul2 wrote:

GET-N-RITE wrote:I have 16, 28 ( I don't own one so gonna be tough) left on the list.

You can borrow my youth 870 in 16ga this year if you want. Just give me a hollar.
I've shot it a good bit in the timber. Fun little gun.

I appreciate the offer bub. If I can't round one up here, then I will for sure accept the offer.

I shoot a 20 in timber always. Also shoot doves with it. Much easier on the shoulder.

I've killed almost as many ducks with a 20 as a 12. And, made my longest kill shot on a big mallard w 20. Nowadays I normally shoot 12 because I'm hunting more open areas but I'm comfortable with a 20 on decoying ducks.

Just bought my boy a weatherby sa-08. Hes shot a case and a half through it in a week and not one hiccup.

There is no difference between the killing power of 410,28,20 and 12. Go to the store and look at the boxes of shells.. You will be able to find shotshells in all gauges with similar sized pellets traveling at similar velocities.

For example a 12 Gauge Winchester load with #4 bbs traveling at 1400 FPS = 20 Gauge Winchester load with #4bbs traveling 1400 FPS. The only difference is the number of bbs in the load.

If your aim is good enough and you have a good enough pattern a 410 is just as deadly as a 12. Gauge has nothing to do will killing power. The size and speed of the pellets and the number of pellets you put into the bird is all that matter.

Most people have better success with a 12 than a 20, because there are more pellets in a 12 than a 20 and they are throwing a denser pattern. But with the right pattern density and proper aim any Gauge will bring down a duck just as well as the other.

I rarely ever hunt dove with a 12, usually it is 410 or 28. I am a much better shot with my 20 than I am with my 12.

I only shoot 20 gauge for ducks and dove. Some great 20 gauge semi-shotguns out there, too. My Benelli Cordoba and Montefeltro models are superb. If they ever make the SBE II or III in 20 then I'd be all over it. I have a Winchester SX3 in Mossy Oak Duck Blind camo. It is a nice sharp looking gun and reasonably priced. I have a Browning gold hunter 20 gauge with the a fine wood stock. I've used it since the 90s and it hasn't missed a beat. The shell manufacturers are producing waterfowl loads in 20 gauge. The bonus is that these shells are a bit cheaper than the 12 gauge boxes.

JDgator wrote:If they ever make the SBE II or III in 20 then I'd be all over it. .

Benelli has a SBEII in 20....http://www.benelliusa.com/supersport-shotgun ..Van's has them in 12 and 20....Nice guns....I've got the Vinci version.

I've seen 3in 410 steel 6's kill a pile of ducks