I discovered the joys of the 20 gauge.

[Adam Helmer]

Time catches up with each and everyone of us. I just turned 80, feel fine and work my farm. I found out that my lovely wooded hills on the farm are getting steeper as small game season approaches. I love my 12 gauge guns, but the wife had a solution I agree with. She gave me a 20 gauge Rem 1100 for my birthday and a case if shells.

Trap range experience confirmed this lighter shotgun will do the do. For an encore, she gave me a Savage M24, 20 gauge/.22 Magnum for woods trekking. Old loyal hound and I trek daily and I always have a 20 gauge in hand for porkys, skunks and other varmits. The M24 has a stock shell carrier with a slug, a #3 Buck and a high brass #4, in case of need.

My neighbor farm owner is 78 and has 156 acres to tend. He liked both of my 20 gauge guns and will get his own next payday. He advised me, "I am slowing down fast, so a 20 suits me." Amen.

Adam

[Rhys79]

I inherited an antique Montgomery Ward Western Field M500CD 20ga pump action shotgun recently from my FIL, which is basically a Mossberg 500 with a continuously adjustable choke, and I love it. It's lightweight and easy to carry around in the field, and works great for squirrels, rabbits, and turkey, and with slugs can even take a deer with it, though I'll likely stick to my .270win for firearms season. I like the idea of that Savage M24 combo though, I may look into that instead of trying to lug the shotgun and a .22lr at the same time lol

[Adam Helmer]

Rhys79,

Thanks for your kind reply. The M24 is a break action .22M over 20 gauge, lightweight and with sling swivels. I estimate it about 6-7 pounds and short and handy. Here in northcentral PA we have deer, bears, coyotes, etc., but none are superior to a 20 gauge slug, well placed. Be well.

Adam

[Minerat]

I've carried a 20 ga since I was 16. I like a 12 but I never feel under gunned with a 20. Killed just as many wild ranging Colorado pheasants as my buddies over the years.

My 12s are reserved for ducks and geese over deks

Your wife is like mine, if in doubt she gets me a new gun for my BD. The more you shoot the 20 the more you will like it.

[Rhys79]

It looks like the M24 came in a variety of combinations. 22lr or 22wmr over 410ga or 20ga, as well as 222rem and 30-30 over 20ga. Here in Northern Indiana we don't have much bigger than coyotes besides whitetail deer. I'd probably be perfectly happy with the 22lr over 410ga to be honest. I'll have to drop some hints to the boss and see if maybe one shows up in my stocking this year

[Ithaca Gunner]

Dad always said that a 20ga. was all that was needed for upland game. He was right, I carried a lot more weight around with a 12 when a 20 would do the same thing in a smaller and lighter package. Dad nor myself ever hunted waterfowl, and turkey was taken with a rifle in the fall. I never hunted them in the spring, too busy shooting groundhogs. All along a 20 would have suited me for everything sporting.

[dverna]

Yes, the 20 ga makes for a lighter gun that still gets the job done. It was a good choice. Enjoy it!!!

I used to use a 28 ga for upland birds and it weighed under 6 lbs. It was a joy to carry and very effective within 35 yards. It is one gun I regret selling.

[pietro]

.

FWIW, about 30 years ago, I got tired of the pounding I got from firing 12ga shotguns, and sold all of them in favor of 20gs .410's & 28ga guns.

The smaller gauges have taken as much small game (rabbits, partridge & pheasant) and deer (20ga) as did the 12's, w/o the battering.

My house gun is a homemade Mossy Shock Wave 20, my deer gun is an Ithaca Deerslayer, and my small game/bird guns are a 20ga SxS hammergun & a 28ga Ithaca Flues SxS.

[Half Dog]

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Beautiful!! Let me know when you’re ready to rehome it.

[pietro]

.

Just to whet yer whistle: a long time ago, I ran across this case @ a local yard sale for $20.

It looked terrible, and the seller didn't know what it would fit, but I was able to restore it after I made sure the rabbit-ear shotty would fit.

[Mk42gunner]

What a lot of people don't understand about shotguns is that bore size is more or less irrelevant, the size and evenness of the pattern and shot size matter more than gauge.

I don't hunt much anymore so right now my farm gun is a Winchester Model 37 in 20 gauge, with a 28" full choked barrel. Right now it is 10 for 10. That is not me that has to be the gun.

It did okay with an ounce of sixes, Remington IIRC, but a few years ago during the ammo shortage the local Walmart got in several boxes of WW #5. This shotgun really likes throwing an ounce of 5's.

At the rate I'm using them my grandkids will be using the last few boxes.

Robert

[Adam Helmer]

Rhys79,

Yessir, the M24 comes in .222 over 20 gauge. A decade ago I found one at a nearby yard sale for $100. It came home with me and now wears a 4X scope for the .222 barrel.

Adam

[Ithaca Gunner]

#5 shot isn't real common around here, however it's my favorite bird shot size. A few years ago I was my LGS who gets shot in by the pallet, I don't remember what size I was looking for, but I uncovered a bag of #5 and beat a trail to the register. The owner ask where I got it, I told him it was on the pallet with the rest of the shot. He looked confused like I found something he didn't order, but passed it off and I took my prize home.

[atr]

the size and evenness of the pattern and shot size matter more than gauge.

Very true !

I have two 20ga...a bolt action Mossberg 20ga x 3" and a Springfield Arms Company single shot 2-3/4" I use the 20ga more than I do my 12 ga. Mostly hunting grouse...#6 shot .

[Minerat]

1 oz of #5 in the 20 at 1300+ fps was my go to load using SR4756 in WW cases for pheasant and rabbits until they discontinued it. I'm still hoarding 2#s of the green cans for reloading 20 ga.

[elmacgyver0]

Rhys79,

Yessir, the M24 comes in .222 over 20 gauge. A decade ago I found one at a nearby yard sale for $100. It came home with me and now wears a 4X scope for the .222 barrel.

Adam

Now that's a yard sale!

[Texas by God]

A twenty gauge has always been within reach since I got my first one in 1972- an H&R Topper Jr Model 490.
My Maverick pump twenty gauge is on our Mule 24/7/365.
I bought the short Youth model- then put an adult buttstock on it for my long arms.
I only use 12 gauge for HD and ducks; if not for steel shot requirements- I’d use the 20 gauge like I did in the old days with #5 lead shot.
Many nice 20s have come and gone; the Ithaca Field Grade SxS, Ithaca 37 Featherlight, Franchi, and Remington 1100 come to mind.


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[jonp]

I carried my grandfather's Rem 1100 for years until I bought a Benelli Super 90 Montefeltro 20g. What a revelation. I've used it for everything from rabbits to turkey's.