MNman

I'm thinking about buying a 20ga as my next gun, specifically for grouse/pheasant hunting. I don't have a lot of money, so the purchase was specifically going to be a stoeger over/under. Is a 20ga enough power to take down a pheasant every time? I'd appreciate the smaller weight to carry around, especially through the brush when I'm grouse hunting, as the grouse woods are pretty thick here in northern minnesota.

Any help is greatly appreciated!


-P

jodis girls

I just got a 20ga SxS stoeger took it to a game farm and knocked down pheasants all day. A friend of mine only shoots a 20 in SD and has no complaints. 20ga is more than adequate, shots need to be taken slightly closer but out to 35-40 yrds you are good.

tyleryeags

a 20 gauge is a good light gun for hunting grouse and phesants but i only have 2 12 gauge but if i had lost or something happen to it i would buy a 20 gaugei shot them in dove season a good bit because i ran out of shells they were very nice

Hurricanespg

20ga is all I use for upland hunting, and it has not failed me yet.

birddog3412

A 20 ga is big enough to kill pheasants. Does it have enough power to take down every pheasant you shoot, no, but neither does a 12 ga. Wild pheasants are really tough birds. I have shot pheasant with my 12 ga, and watch them go tumbling to the ground,and get up running

Pygmy

I assume the Stoeger has 3" chambers as most fixed breech 20 gauge guns do nowadays...

That would allow theoptionusingof 1 1/4 oz. loads, which are equivalent to 12 gauge high brass loads and will dump a pheasant as far away as you would want to shoot one..

That said, the standard 2 3/4" 20 gauge 1 ounce high velocity load is more than adequate for 99% of your shooting , and your shoulder won't take the beating it would take with 3" loads...

My "go to" upland gun for the last 30 years has been a 20 gauge SKB double choked IC/MOD... For grouse, rabbits and woodcock I shoot 7/8 oz. field loads in #6 or 7 1/2.. For pheasants I shoot 1 ounce of #6 shot...

gselkhunter

A 1 1/4oz load in a 3" 20ga isn't comparable to a 12 ga load. The average 20ga 3" 1 1/4 is only doing 1187ft/sec and 12ga is doing 1300+ in the hunting loads. Not the same at all.
I do agree the 1oz and 7/8oz loads will take a pheasant down with no problems. The thing I would add is watch your shot choice. If you are going to hit a bird with less shot make it bigger shot. I never shot less than 6s at pheasant and prefer 5s or 4s at longer distance. I also shooting SKB doubles choke IC/IC over my pointing dogs. But have been known to choke at MOD/IMPMOD when shots get long. But if your really want fun shoot a 28ga.
Gselkhunter

Pygmy

Okay....The 3 " 20 gauge load is NOT the same...According to your figures, it's a WHOLE 113 FPS ( MV) slower...My, that's impressive..

However, round shot is a very inefficient projectile, and 113 FPS of MV doesn't mean s*** to a pheasant at 20, 30, or 40 yards... I'm saying a 20 gauge with 1 1/4 oz. of shot will kill a bird at the same distance as a 12 gauge or a 16 gauge with the same shot charge weight, assuming all guns pattern equally, give or take a couple yards....

Shot charge weight ( pellet count)is a whole lot more important than a couple hundred FPS of MV, as far as lead shot is concerned, at least within the velocity ranges of 1050 -1350 FPS... Often the lower velocity loads give more even patterns...

HOGHUNTINGUNLIMITED

I have a 20 gauge over and under and I dropped 2 birds with one shot each at about 30 yards with Modified chokes. It is an awesome shot gun! I have also shot a grouse with it this year and after I shot, it was GONE!!! I nailed the thing but it dropped it so fast all is I could see was feathers floating around! I got it right in the head so no meat was damaged. They are awesome guns. I have only got one goose with it and the one I got dropped and was dead as soon as the pellets got to it, but I would not recomend it just for goose hunting, cause it is a little small. It will take down mallards no problem! I have done a lot of water fowl hunting with it and every time I hit one, they just drop! Thats all I shoot, shotgun wise!

mathewsconquest2

YES. A 20 gauge is more than capable of hunting pheasants. I took my new 20 gauge Browning Cynergy O/Uon my annual trip to South Dakota this year. It was light to carry all day and had no problems knocking down birds out to 35+ yards. My South Dakota group of 13 guys : 5 have 20 gauges ( Browning, Weatherby, Remington and Fausti- 4 O/U, 1 pump); the balance use 12 gauge semi-autos(Browning, Benelli, Winchester andRemington).

Note: Up until last year when I bought my Cynergy, I never hunted or trap shot with a 20 gauge (only 12 gauges). It did take a lot of practice on the trap rangeand sporting clays courses to get use to how light it could whip and also not letting the clays get out to far.

Good Luck
MC2