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View Full Version : 20 ga. for ducks?



Greenhead
10-21-2008, 08:48 PM
Hi Guy's, I have always shot a 12 for ducks but am looking at a 20 for my kid and wondered if anyone has used them for waterfowl? Most shots we take over decoys aren't more than 40 yards and sometimes much less than that.
Any thoughts or concerns?
Thanks.
GH

Marc
10-21-2008, 08:57 PM
a 20 gauge with steel isn't the greatest combination. You can buy bismuth or tungsten matrix but you're spending a pretty penny for shells. Steel shot barely kicks and you'd be better off getting your son a 12 gauge that he's eventually going to grow into. Nothing wrong with a 20 gauge just not the best gun on the marsh if you're planing on lobbing steel shot.

Ian F.
10-21-2008, 09:08 PM
I shoot mine plenty, and am sure my picture is on the duck post office wall!

The trick is finding shells, you can get 1oz steel but have to look and if you compare it to alot of the screamers out there they only have 1/16th of an ounce less pellets. Remember it's about having the shot in the right place at the right time!

if you can't break em on the skeet field, then you should question whether you deserve to be in the marsh!

Very best,

Ian

Marc
10-21-2008, 10:21 PM
I agree that if you can't hit skeet you shouldn't be trying to hit birds, increasing the pellet count or velocity is no substitute for proper shooting.

That being said I started loading my own steel about 10 years ago because I wasn't happy with what was on the market at the time. I was hunting with federal and imperial 1 1/8 oz #2 shells that were doing around 1350fps and I was crippling more ducks then killing. All the shells were doing was breaking their wings, get the dog to fetch them and then ringing their necks, not what I would consider being fun for me or the birds.

My pet load right now is with #3 shot loaded in a 3 inch hull with just under 1 1/4 ozof steel shot doing around 1550 fps and the majority of the birds I shoot over decoys are stone dead when they hit the water. I stoned a huge mallard drake last weekend skirting the decoys at around 35 - 40 yards.

I'm not saying a 20 gauge wont shoot ducks but if the kid can handle a 12 gauge then why not? 12 gauge shells for the majority are cheaper, easier to find, better suited for larger birds like geese if the opportunity presents itself. Higher down range energy with a larger payload with a fuller patter. I'm not saying go out and buy an ulti mag but a 12 gauge that can handle 2 3/4 to 3 inch shells is pretty much what anyone would ever need for any type of waterfowl hunting.

Ian F.
10-22-2008, 09:48 AM
Marc,

I think we need to separate out the issues somewhat.

1. Will a 20ga kill ducks?
Hell yes! Any gun will if the shooter has spent the time learning to shoot and picks their shots

2. Is a 12 better then a 20?
Depends!
On paper a 12 for all the reason you stated is better, but you must look beyond that to the shooter. Recoil robs us of accuracy and enjoyment in shooting. There have been a number of studies lately that show if you reduce the recoil, your target count goes up, plain and simple.

So thinking of that concept, having someone enjoying shooting is more important then the load they use. Shooting decently breeds confidence and it's confidence that kill birds or targets, not guns or loads.

If a 20 is all someone can handle then we have a duty to coach them to use it the most effective way possible, and not chip away at their confidence that 20's are someway inferior to 12's.

I shot with a fellow in Alberta for 3 days, a great shot, a practiced shooter who shoots nothing but a 20 for ducks, geese, upland you name it! The only advantage I had over him was my three shooter to his two. I watched him stone geese and ducks to the point where had I not known his shells where yellow, I would have never known.

3. Shells and leathality?
See my previous post, but a #4 going 1400fps doesn't matter what size tube it came from.

We owe it to new shooters to not develop them to quickly, to develop good habits like mount, swing and follow through. We owe it to our quarry to learn to pick shots and learn distances. And lastly we owe to everyone to continue the widlfowling tradition...

Off my soap box,

Very best,

Ian

Phreddy
10-22-2008, 11:14 AM
I've had .410, 20, 16, and 12 gauge shotguns. from Cooey to Browning, singleshot to semi-auto, and the best all around duck, goose, and pheaseant gun I've ever owned was a Cooey 20 gauge. Killed more birds with fewer cripples with it than all the others combined.
Practice. Practice. Practice. It's a great little gun.

The Dawg
10-22-2008, 11:15 AM
My uncle used to use a 410 for ducks with no issues, so I think as Ian stated previously, the 20g would be no problem.

zaconb
10-22-2008, 06:16 PM
I have to agree that the 20ga will kill ducks. I took 3 mature greenheads today shooting a 20ga semi loaded with 3" bismuth 1 1/16 #4

Gunner
10-24-2008, 03:30 PM
I shot a limit of mallards last week with a 3" 1100 20ga.and #3 steel.However I kept my shots to 30yds or less and turned down any longer shots.The birds I'm hunting are not pressured,we're in a spot that they want to be in,we have good decoys and we know how to call.Without the combination of all those factors I wouldn't use the 20ga.It was easy to notice that while the birds were centred in the pattern,and all were 1 shot knockdowns,the 20 lacked the killing power of a 12,and I had to dispatch several cripples.The 20 can do the job on ducks,as long as you don't use it beyond it's capabilities.(or your own!) Cheers,Gunner

Marc
10-24-2008, 04:34 PM
I have to agree that the 20ga will kill ducks. I took 3 mature greenheads today shooting a 20ga semi loaded with 3" bismuth 1 1/16 #4

The key word there is "Bismuth" and #4 shot. Try shooting steel #2 out of it and compare the density and pellet count of the pattern.

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from buying a 20 gauge. It's a great upland gun but from all the reading I've done on it for shooting steel it wouldn't be my first option for ducks. Most of the steel loads these days don't kick half as bad as the old lead loads used to.

As far as recoil goes here is a comparison I took of the net for lead shot, the two numbers at the end are weight of the gun and felt recoil in ft/lbs. Yes the 12 gauge is a lb heavier but the felt recoil is only 1 lb more then the 20 gauge and the speed of the 12 is 145fps faster equating to more energy down range especially with lead. Yes there are still 12 gauge loads out there that would make even the seasoned shooter shake in their pants if you didn't have the gun tight in your shoulder but the new shooter should stay away from those loads if they feel uncomfortable shooting them.

20 gauge, 3" (1 1/4 at 1185) 6.5 31.0
12 gauge, 2.75" (1 1/4 at 1330) 7.5 32.0
12 gauge, 3" (1 7/8 at 1210) 8.75 54.0


Here is a good read on the subject and I'll leave it at that.

http://www.chuckhawks.com/12gauge.htm