20 gauge shot
I’m quite sure I am on the verge of ruffling the ire of some keen 20-gauge enthusiasts when I say that I believe the 28-gauge can, in many hunting situations, be a better choice. But I have also found that many of the 1oz loads, both factory-loaded and handloads, produce excellent results as well. This load leaves the muzzle at about 1200fps and consistently produces excellent results on many species of partridges, grouse and other similar-sized game birds. In fact, my all-time favourite hunting load is a handloaded 2¾^ shotshell that contains a charge of 1 1/8oz of either lead or copper-plated lead shot. And if you shoot factory-loaded ammunition, you will very likely find the 3″ shotshells to be considerably more expensive than the 2¾”.įor me personally, I seldom shoot 3^ shotshells even in my shotguns that possess 3″ chambers. The cold, hard facts about the 3″ 20-gauge are that only marginal increases in both shot charge weight and muzzle velocities are usually achieved over those of the shorter 2¾” 20-gauge. When it comes to fast-moving angling targets, a longer shot string could result in less shot impacts on the target, but in theory, under those identical conditions, that same longer shot string could actually make it a bit easier for the shot to intersect with the target. In reality however, the 3″ 20-gauge generally falls short of that level of performance and is really more closely aligned with the performance of the 16-gauge.ĭepending upon the shooter’s viewpoint, the longer shot column of the 3″ could be viewed as either a blessing or a curse. The promoters of the 3” 20-gauge sold the concept on the basis that these guns were equivalent to the 12-gauge but offered in a lighter weight package. When the 3″ version started to become more popular in the mid to late1960s, I was temporarily caught up in the movement, like so many other shooters. This allows you to get on the target quicker and the milder recoil makes shooting much more pleasurable.įor many years, I have used a 2¾” 20-gauge shotgun for a significant portion of my upland bird hunting and have always been impressed and happy with the results. On the other hand, if you choose, for example, to shoot a good-quality 20- or 28-gauge, you will likely find these shotguns swing more easily and smoother. Frequently, they become slower swinging and the felt recoil to the shoulder of the shooter increases. As the barrel diameter increases, typically the shotguns become heavier and clumsier to handle. However, no-one should assume that a larger bore is always the best choice in all hunting situations. Frequently, the velocities are also increased as the bore diameters become larger and that can sometimes result in adding a couple of metres to the effective killing range of the shotgun. The larger gauge shotshells frequently contain a heavier shot charge, which allows the shooter to use bigger size shot and still be able to achieve acceptable shot pattern densities. There are some advantages inherent in shooting a larger bore shotgun. North American correspondent Thomas Tabor