Why did you decide to start carrying a 20?

[FullChoke]

We all know that the most popular gauge shotgun being pointed at turkeys in the spring woods is the 12 gauge. We probably all started with that gauge when we first began. Somewhere along the way, something happened that made us all rethink our gun situations.

Why did you decide to start carrying a 20?

FC

[xarcher]

I had a friend show me how his 20 ga patterns with TSS handloads and I saw it was better than any 12 gauge shell and choke combo that I had tried ever.  EVER.  By better I mean a more even distribution of the shot on the target and a higher pellet count.  Well at that point I didn't even own a 20 gauge so I was looking at a fair chunk of change to cross over to the dark side.  Well just about then, my wife (hunted ducks and geese with a Win SX2 12 gauge at the time) spoke up one day and said how she wished she had a lighter gun to tote into the swamp.  And this was a month or two before her birthday.  So I did what any loving husband would do and buy her (uh, me) a Remy 1187 for ducks (uh, turkeys).  But in the category of poetic justice, she has taken up turkey hunting recently and so I don't get to use my (uh, her) gun all the time.  But all is good.  I got a new turkey hunting buddy (uh, wife).  And I get to buy another gun???

[Rick Howard]

My father gave me my 870 20ga when I was 12.  It is my hunting shotgun for 22 years now. 

[FullChoke]

In 2010, I won a nice raffle package at our local NWTF chapter banquet. Among other goodies in that package was an NWTF 20 gauge Remington 870 shotgun. I had seen a number of folks on this site who were putting up some incredible patterns using the 20 gauges, so I decided to make that gun into a dedicated turkey killer. I first worked on finding a good shell/choke tube combination that it liked. Then I outfitted it with sling swivels, a sling and good fiber optic sights.  The first real test of it came on opening day when I shot a longbeard at 39 paces. It flipped that joker backwards into a ditch and by the time I got to him (seconds) he wasn't even twitching. I felt completely justified in my decision and have never looked back.

I still play with it, trying to trick it out even further and still experiment with choke tubes. I shot TSS shells that I handloaded until I had shot them all up. The price of the shot has skyrocketed since then so I have stepped back to the Federal Heavyweight #7 shot shells and don't expect anything less that dead birds.

Cheers   

FullChoke

[Hooter]

Got tired of carrying my 12 lb, 12oz Browning 10ga Auto around!!! 
Bought the little Nellie for my wife, but she never really liked it, so it is now my main killer now.
At 5 lb,12oz, I ain't missed the 10 or the 12s one bit!

[harleytom]

I have always been a bit of a contrarian. So, after growing up carrying an Ithica Featherweight 20, this was just a natural move. The light weight is just a plus.

[mason3toes]

I like being different.

[jakesdad]

I see'd it on the internet so I thought it was what all the real elitist hunters were doing so I jumped on board so I could be cool and people would think I was a prostaffer or something real important

No really just got tired of packing the extra weight and dealing with lots of unnecessary recoil.Most of my birds are shot within the range of 20 lead anyway so why not!

[FL-Boss]

With the advancement in both ammo and chokes - I think a 3.5in 12ga is just overkill these days for turkey. Just my opinion.  Most 20ga guns today shoot better than 12ga from years ago. Plus the 20ga is just a lot nicer to carry and shoot.

I don't hear of many turkey hunters switching from a 20ga to 12ga ....seems to always be the other way around.

[surehuntsalot]

Been hunting for years, when my son got old enough to start tagging along, santa brought him a 870 youth, as he got older, he really didn't care much for hunting anymore (have not figured that one out yet). the 20ga was sitting in the gun cabinet, I decided to give it a try one year for turkeys and the rest is history.

[old frank]

I guess I like to be different and a challenge. I have always used a longbow to deer hunt in archery season. I only use a handgun during firearms season. So it was only logical to dump the 12 for the 20.
The 20 is so effective it is really not a handicap and it is so much lighter.

[Eric Gregg]

When I bought mine I was just looking for a light weight shotgun to carry instead of the heavier 12.
I really didn't know what was out there for them in regards to chokes and shells until I came across OG.
I am still amazed that most of the stores/shops that you go to are not fully aware of the patterns and devastation you can get with a 20