12 Gauge vs 20 Gauge
02-01-2012 | 03:27 PM
#11
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,211
Likes: 0
From: westernPa.
A few things to consider - a semi-auto shotgun recoil is far less than a pump which is less than a single shot - so keep that in mind.
A 20 ga will do just fine at 40 if you pattern. My daughters used a Remington 1100 with 3" #4 copper shot with no problem at all. I even added a Tru-Glo sight to help them concentrate on the hit zone.
And we always tried to get the bird in at 20 yards or so as that is how I hunt.........
What a 12 does bring is more payload as far as number of shot per shell fired
........but a 20 will kill just as dead......
JW
A 20 ga will do just fine at 40 if you pattern. My daughters used a Remington 1100 with 3" #4 copper shot with no problem at all. I even added a Tru-Glo sight to help them concentrate on the hit zone.
And we always tried to get the bird in at 20 yards or so as that is how I hunt.........
What a 12 does bring is more payload as far as number of shot per shell fired
........but a 20 will kill just as dead......
JW
02-01-2012 | 06:18 PM
#12
Typical Buck
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 696
Likes: 0
From:
my next turkey gun is a 20. I too have daughters soon ready to shoot but even without that I have seen 20's perform exceptionally well that the idea of lugging a smaller gun around suits me too. I don't need to prove anything with the larger 12 but I do love my current one.
02-02-2012 | 02:22 PM
#14
Super Moderator
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 7,490
Likes: 8
From: Wisconsin
Careful - My daughter might take offense at that! What does sex have to do with it?
I suggest for any young hunter male or female - AND - At the ages most are getting the youth involved today, the better the experience you can make for the child while out there in the field, the better chance they will WANT tofollow you again in the future.!
Oh my daughter - she will be shooting my Remignton 1187-3" 12 ga this yr. She has outgrown the 20 youth model by about 15 yrs
People now call her Mom!
JW
I suggest for any young hunter male or female - AND - At the ages most are getting the youth involved today, the better the experience you can make for the child while out there in the field, the better chance they will WANT tofollow you again in the future.!
Oh my daughter - she will be shooting my Remignton 1187-3" 12 ga this yr. She has outgrown the 20 youth model by about 15 yrs
People now call her Mom!JW
02-02-2012 | 04:12 PM
#15
Nontypical Buck
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,211
Likes: 0
From: westernPa.
Careful - My daughter might take offense at that! What does sex have to do with it?
I suggest for any young hunter male or female - AND - At the ages most are getting the youth involved today, the better the experience you can make for the child while out there in the field, the better chance they will WANT tofollow you again in the future.!
Oh my daughter - she will be shooting my Remignton 1187-3" 12 ga this yr. She has outgrown the 20 youth model by about 15 yrs People now call her Mom!
JW
I suggest for any young hunter male or female - AND - At the ages most are getting the youth involved today, the better the experience you can make for the child while out there in the field, the better chance they will WANT tofollow you again in the future.!
Oh my daughter - she will be shooting my Remignton 1187-3" 12 ga this yr. She has outgrown the 20 youth model by about 15 yrs
People now call her Mom!JW
02-02-2012 | 04:19 PM
#16
Typical Buck
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 914
Likes: 0
From: Hubbard Lake, Michigan
When i first started reading responses on here, money is the first thing i thought of also, a 12 will prob reach farther than a 20 but realistically, eaven for an experienced hunter you want them within 40 yrds, 35 or less i think. At that range a properly patterned 20 with a good shot will kill them just as dead as anything else. Being new hunters the closer the better no matter what they're shooting. But eaven a 20 ga in a single shot with a 3" mag is gonna knock em pretty good. Just make sure whatever you go with they get some trigger time so they know what to expect when the action hits!
02-23-2012 | 05:30 PM
#19
Spike
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
From: Horseheads, N.y
If it can throw a good pattern of shot out to 40 yds. And smack em in the head 12 or 20 doesn't matter. Patterning sessions at the range and the shooters preference is all that's needed. I'd use anything that shot good. I 've had my 1187 supermag for around 11a seasons. I have let youth hunters use it with no problems. My daughter likes her 20 though. Goodluck with whatever you choose.
