Why do you pick 20 over a 12?

[Meatseeker]

I'd rather carry a gun that weighs 5.5 lbs with substantially less recoil, than my 7.5 lb 12 gauge that kicks like a mule.  The turkeys I've killed with my 20 gauge out to 40 yards are just as dead as the ones I've killed with my 12 gauge. The ammo for the 20 ga is also cheaper.

The advent of TSS has made the 20 ga the best all around turkey gun in my opinion.  If I were shooting lead I'd stick with a 12 gauge

[Gooserbat]

There's a certain mystic about using a sub gauge to accomplish better performance than was attainable just a few years ago from a 12 ga 3.5" or even a 10 ga.  Now I went down that rabbit hole and came back to the 12.  Yes it's a little heavier but reloading components are easier to get and I've settled on a 2 3/4" load. The performance is still overkill, but so is most 20 ga tss combos.

[DirtNap647]

Was wondering your guys thoughts on why you chose a 20 over a 12 gauge.  weight can be lil heavier not much.  Wouldn't you be better off just dropping to a 2 3/4 or 3" shell?

I didn't chose one over the other. I still use both. Sometimes I hunt the mountains, and sometimes I hunt public land where I have to walk or bike miles. When I do those, I take my little lightweight 20 ga. It weighs less than 5 pounds, compared to my 12 gauge land cannon. LOL!! Switching down from a 3-1/2" to a 2-3/4" or a 3" doesn't change the weight of the 12 gauge.

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

You can't change the weight of a 12 but you could certainly choose a lighter one

[hunter85]

Weight! I wanted something lighter than my 13lb 12. And I personally believe tss in a 12 is silly and there are no longer any htl loads being made that are worth a flip and plain lead loads just don't hold a candle to htl in performance. Plus squeezing off a 3 or 3.5 load out of a sub 6 lb gun didn't sound appealing.

[DirtNap647]

I'm not knocking a 20. Just trying to find out why you choose it?

[njdevilsb]

I originally chose a 20 just for something different to try. 

After a while, I enjoyed shooting it a lot more than I do the 12 and at 40 yards and in, it will work just fine.  Honestly, hate the shoulder busting punch of my Mossberg 535.

[DirtNap647]

Weight! I wanted something lighter than my 13lb 12. And I personally believe tss in a 12 is silly and there are no longer any htl loads being made that are worth a flip and plain lead loads just don't hold a candle to htl in performance. Plus squeezing off a 3 or 3.5 load out of a sub 6 lb gun didn't sound appealing.

Lol didn't even know they made a 13lb 12

[the Ward]

Weight! I wanted something lighter than my 13lb 12. And I personally believe tss in a 12 is silly and there are no longer any htl loads being made that are worth a flip and plain lead loads just don't hold a candle to htl in performance. Plus squeezing off a 3 or 3.5 load out of a sub 6 lb gun didn't sound appealing.

Lol didn't even know they made a 13lb 12

Concrete for a magazine plug?

[bigriverbum]

I ended up picking the 20 over the 12 mostly because......... I had to, at the moment.  Had a dot sight (an expensive one) crap its britches in the middle of a Wyoming/Nebraska hunt.  Had to go from my 3.5" SX3 12 gauge to my spare gun on that trip which was a 20 single.   The performance of the 20 in filling my final tag in Nebraska was enough for me to slide the SX3 into the back row of the safe.

Let's face it................. The capability of the 20 with today's chokes and shotshell technology is beyond what ANY 12 gauge would do 20 years ago.  So, if you want to, there's no reason NOT to.  Sure......... An NEF Pardner 12 gauge can be had in every bit as light and compact a package as the 20 (I have one that's actually MORE compact than my 20) and with a 2 3/4" shell would have nearly identical recoil.  I just have seen over and over and over again what my 20 will do and I have COMPLETE confidence in it.  So, now......... I chose it over the 12 simply because I can.

is that a harrington and richardson topper jr.?

[CALLM2U]

Boredem, mostly.  I had a 20g 870 from my childhood that was collecting dust in the safe.  Decided to play with TSS and red dots. 

I still carry a 12 a few times each season. But it is amazing how much heavier it feels and how much more it seems to stomp me.

[Yoder409]

is that a harrington and richardson topper jr.?

NEF Pardner.

Same difference.

[hunter85]

Weight! I wanted something lighter than my 13lb 12. And I personally believe tss in a 12 is silly and there are no longer any htl loads being made that are worth a flip and plain lead loads just don't hold a candle to htl in performance. Plus squeezing off a 3 or 3.5 load out of a sub 6 lb gun didn't sound appealing.

Lol didn't even know they made a 13lb 12

My 1187 on my scale when loaded ready to hit the woods was 12.6 lbs so 12 and a half but close enough. The NEF 10 my dad has is a single that is probably close to that too.

[bobk]

When I was starting my kids it was less weight and recoil  that brought me to the 20 guage.

More recently when starting my grandkids reduced weight and recoil lead me to the .410.

With TSS ammo they are both  Turkey killers.

[lacire]

I don't own a dedicated turkey gun. My guns are used for all types of upland hunting and weight has always been the main issue for me when selecting a gun not recoil. The older I've gotten my 7lb. 20ga. Browning magnum started getting a little heavy for me so last year I went looking for something lighter and bought a 20ga. Benelli that weighs 5lb. 12oz. For me that one and a quarter pounds made a big difference in carrying a gun for four or five hours on three different upland hunts. I also carried it for several days and finally shot a nice fall merriam with it. Anyway for me its the weight.

[Huntress]

Hunting isn't a one-size fits all deal.  For me, I ONLY hunt turkey with my shotgun.  Just not into wingshooting.  With the evolution of ammo and turkey chokes, there's simply no need for me to have a 12 gauge when I can get the job done with a nice little .20ga  Just a preference/use thing for me.