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Post by regnar on Jan 13, 2006 21:09:18 GMT
I have a very strong opinion on this but Will wait and see what everyone else has to say first.
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Post by b4rifle on Jan 13, 2006 22:12:41 GMT
I voted for 12 ga, but that is for its versatility. You have so many factory load options for it. I noticed that you forgot 16 ga. My favorite shotgun is an ithica in 16 ga. I would give away all my guns before that ithica. It's an old one but it has most of my earlyest hunting memories with it. Truth is I am not a one gun man. I think of firearms as tool. Each one of my shotguns, 12, 16, 20 ga have a special purpose for what I use them for.
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Post by MK-M-GOBL on Jan 13, 2006 22:18:28 GMT
I've got to vote 12ga. also
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vic
Egg
Posts: 8
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Post by vic on Jan 15, 2006 18:04:08 GMT
I also notice the forgotten 16 guage. I have 3 of them and use them for upland game ,deer and for sporting clays.
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Post by whitetail71165 on Jan 16, 2006 3:19:14 GMT
Gotta go with the 12 ga.
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Post by browning204 on Jan 16, 2006 18:09:44 GMT
12 ga.
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Post by regnar on Jan 16, 2006 22:09:41 GMT
I did forget the 16 and it is nice gun. BUT........ I am of the firm belief that the 20ga is the best all around shotgun for not only New England, but also anywhere. Here is why.
First of all remember I said all around, meaning you are going to use it for everything because you only have one gun. So that means, Grouse, woodcock and Pheasant; Ducks and geese; Deer, bear and moose; and turkey for the most part.
A 20 ga will kill ANYTHING that 12-ga will. So will a .410. Because a 12ga shell is bigger than a 20ga shell does not mean it is more powerful. A #6 pellet going 1250fps has the same lethality if shot from a 12 ga or a 20ga.
The ONLY advantage you get from a larger shot shell is more pellets. More pellets means denser patterns, which means you will a lethal pattern at a longer distance. But the difference in effective ranges is beyond 40 yards (my opinion) and 40 yards is further than most people can accurately shoot at a flying bird (again my opinion). You need to use a tighter choke on a smaller gauge to achieve the same density as a larger gauge at a given distance. The one disadvantage is that the pattern will slightly smaller for the smaller gauge at the same distance. So except in Great bay in NH, around here all the duck hunting I have done the shots are almost ALL less than 40 yards (I have hunted duck of decoys in the river where we were shooting 25 yards max and used a 28ga and cleaned house).
A 20 ga has less recoil than a 12 ga and recoil or lack of if, is the single biggest factor to consistently shooting well. I don’t care if you’re a 275# linemen for the Bears, heavy recoil will eventually have a negative effect on your shooting.
Also a 20ga will almost be lighter making it a lot easier to carry them to a far off grouse cover. It is also much easier to bring a lighter gun into action for those quick shots at a flushing grouse or woodcock.
So for any type of bird or water fowl hunting, the 20 ga only has the draw back of range and as I said previously it is my opinion that most people can not shoot accurately past 40 yards anyway so the range limitation does not come into effect. That opinion comes from countless bird hunting trips and over a million rounds of ammo fired on the skeet and sporting clays course.
Now what about deer? Simply put, the difference is like comparing a 30-30 to a 30-06. In New England a 30-30 is all the deer rifle you need. Yet many people opt for a 30-06 or even bigger like the 7mm rem mag. You just don’t need it. Again the 20ga is lighter. That means its easier to carry and quicker to bring into action. It is just as accurate and the effective range is still well beyond what most deer are shot.
One last thing that you never hear anyone talk about is ammo. I go on some long hunts back up north for grouse. We cover many miles and it’s over sum ruff terrain. Not only is the 20ga lighter and much easier to carry than a 12ga, SO IS THE AMMO.
All that said, I am fortunate to have more than one gun. I use a 28ga for all my upland hunting, a 20ga for deer hunting and for some duck and goose hunting and I use the 12ga for the bay. But If I had to choose just one it would be the 20.
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Post by regnar on Jan 16, 2006 22:10:33 GMT
I did forget the 16ga, but if you were going to have just one gun, it would not bea practical choice simply becuase of the lack of EAISLY avaible ammo.
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Post by yotecaller on Jan 16, 2006 22:43:27 GMT
12 gauge hands down.You can use it for anything.
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Post by regnar on Jan 17, 2006 0:47:47 GMT
I expect that alot of people will have the same answere as Yotecaller. My point is that most people can do anything with a 20ga as they can with a 12ga but with many benifits the 12 ga does not offer.
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Post by yotecaller on Jan 17, 2006 17:19:09 GMT
What benifits does the 20 have over the 12.Because you can down load a 12 to kick like a 20 so I really can't see the benifit of a 20 over the 12?Also as you said in your earlier post that the weight of the 20 is lighter.Not in the case of my Browning A5 it weighs the same as even my 16 gauge Browning A5.And if you can't carry a couple boxes of 12 gauge shot shell you really should't be on a long hunt.
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Post by regnar on Jan 17, 2006 23:51:49 GMT
I love arguing this point !!! ;D Ok, first of all if a person has only one gun they are not going to be able to reload most likely. So that is out of the question. Second, the reason your A-5 weighs the same as the 16 and the 20 (the same goes for the old remingon 1100's) is that the 20ga is built on a 12ga frame. Therefore the gun will not be lighter. THe new guns are, the Bennelli, Beretta and Browning are all EXCELENT guns in the 20 ga. Thirdly when I take off hunting it is for the whole day and with a dog. I carry much more than a couple boxes of shells!! ( I put an eagle scout to shame!!) Also, the places I hunt are pretty nasty and tough to get to. There is no running back to the truck for food or ammo. That is why a lighter gun and lighter ammo makes a difference. Dont think it matters? It does at the end of the day on a long hunt but it makes even more of a difference if you hunt hard like I do for 3 or 4 days straight. Lastly, the most important reason to use a 20ga if it is to be your only gun is becasue its more fun to shoot!!!!!!! Less recoie, less weight not only equalls more fun but equalls more game in the pouch!! The best way I can prove that the 20 ga is easier to shoot thus making it a beeter choice is to look at the best skeet shooters in the world. Appx half of the top 20 shooters will choose to shoot the 20ga in boots the doubles in the 12ga events. WHY? Becasuse the reduced recoil equals better scores. In MOST hunting situations the same can be said. And just for the record, anytime you want to go for a "little " walk in the woods, just give me a ring!!!!! (as long as its though your hunting grounds!!!!!!)
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Post by yotecaller on Jan 18, 2006 0:06:45 GMT
regnar thanks for your reply even if I don't agree with it.BTW I don't give out my hunting spots that easily.Thanks again,YC
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Post by regnar on Jan 18, 2006 2:58:15 GMT
it was worth a try!!!!
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Post by soccerref on Jan 27, 2006 14:46:28 GMT
I grew up shooting a 16, got a 12 for a present to duck hunt cause couldn't find steel shot in 16. I am now a firm believer in the mighty 20!!
My two boys both shoot them and so far they've dropped:
- a bunch of ducks - 18 lb turkey - deer - goose
Lots of the ducks/goose are courtesy of the "regnar shooting school" which both boys went through one afternoon!
Those 20's have dropped everything clean, deer flopped down stone dead as did the turkey, they are a joy to shoot and drive tacks with rifled slug barrels.
My next gun will be a 20 guage.
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