12 ga. vs 20 ga.

[PapaG]

Tongue-in-cheek comment here: I've heard, or read, where R+$@/y W@?@?man can run 200 straight with an imp cylinder 20 gauge. Can anyone verify? Maybe my 95% average with a full choke 12 gauge 870 TB over thirty years could have been 99. Stan

[rking22]

Apparently I am misremembering, been 40years since I read Bristers book.Thanks to the guys who pointed this out, made me go check! I personally don't worry about the stringing as it is a very minor effect compared to properly pointing the shotgun and use of the eyes. When you just chip the nose of the target, the tail of the shot string got it for you, low percentage shot plan as the tail is very loose. Here is more info and another reference from a study done in England. Lots of other good info here, author is a bunker shooter, knows his business.
https://shotgunreport.com/2014/04/29/shot-string-2/

[Blood Trail]

When it comes to sabot slugs, with the newer loads, the 20ga holds a noticeable advantage. Higher sectional density and better ballistic coefficients even though they give up a little weight.

I recently aquired a Savage M220 in order to better hunt some Shotgun only areas. I'm loading the Lyman "pellet" slug. At 75yds, it exceeds accuracy of all but better factory slugs. My partner shot a 150lb buck through the shoulders at 65yds with one. Bang flop. Can't beat that.

Working on minor details of load to tweak accuracy. Also working with a Lee .575" RB. IT SHOWS PROMISE from the 20" twist. The Lyman sabot is showing key-holes at 100yds. Not sure what is going on.

What’s your pellet load?


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[Hogtamer]

I can attest to 5 hogs 1 deer taken with the 220 and uncle dinos lead slugs with plastic basewad attached. 2 of the hogs were with one shot. Very accurate at 100 yds, running about 1700 fps, not bad at 150.

[GEOMETRIC]

In regard to 12 vs 20, back when I was a pup, Dad did what was traditional wisdom at the time & bought me a .410. It was a SXS as all my shotguns are DT, SXS. I am inflicted with the curse of being a South Paw & that is what Pop shot until Mon gave him an A5 Browning. I couldn't stand in a barn & shoot it out the door but Pop could shoot anything. Back then left hand guns were few & far between. I found myself a military brat in Taiwan. I got to hunt birds there & shot numerous times with the .410 at the numerous species of doves they have over there. The only way I could kill a dove was to shoot is out of a clump of bamboo. Then Pop decided I was big enough to shoot "Little Betsy" his light weight L.C.Smith bird gun. I remember thinking," Wow, I can actually hit something with this". I still have that gun, it is still tight as a tick & I still shoot it. I later acquired a 12 ga. but my most prized possession to this day is a 20 ga. L.C. Smith Pop bought me when I was 16 for the extravagant sum of $125. I have a safe full of shotguns ranging from 20 ga. to 3.5" 10 ga. but I have killed more birds, ducks & small game with that little gun than all the rest combined.
Back then the standard .410, 3" load was 7/8 oz.. The 20 ga. does a much more efficient job of patterning that same load. If bore size didn't matter, you would see people killing geese at 60 yds. with .410s. Load efficiency is to a degree, shot specific. If you don't think bore size makes a difference, go look at the non toxic reloading data for the various gauges & tell me what you see. I have become a fan of the 10 ga. when hunting in extreme conditions.

[Geezer in NH]

Manufacture's wanted to make just 2 frame sizes is why IMHO. Two size barrels also.

The pubic as usual sucked into the advertising hype same as todays shooters.