Differences hunting with different guns

[Greg Massey]

I will tell you this. I have a benelli blackeagle2 12 ga and a benelli m2 20ga. I will put that 20 ga loaded with 1-5/8 ounce #9 tss up against any 12 ga load out there other than a 12 loaded with more tss shot. It will out perform any 12 ga load at equal distances including heavy shot. That being said , you should tote and hunt with whatever you are comfortable with as long as it is legal. To say a 12 ga will just flat out perform a 20ga is not true. Its about what you are shooting out of it. Factory wise , a 12 will out perform a 20 but throw tss in the mix and we are talking about a different animal all together.

x2

[LaLongbeard]

I've never owned a 20 gauge when I was old enough to hunt I used what we had 12, I never had trouble with recoil because there was no option. I'd not suggest a 20 for Turkey hunting unless it was to get a kid started hunting. I never feel the recoil when shooting at game and there's plenty of things to reduce the recoil when patterning the gun(lead sled etc.) I was on a deer hunt once and a 12 year old girl killed a buck with her dads 7mag. there were two men in there 30's that had spent all morning looking for a deer one had shot with a 243.I was embaressed for them both lol. If you hunt Turkeys long enough your gonna get in a situation were you need the extra range and power of a 12 gauge jmo. And you don't have to worry about a nine year old trying to borrow shells in camp lol.

[Greg Massey]

I've never owned a 20 gauge when I was old enough to hunt I used what we had 12, I never had trouble with recoil because there was no option. I'd not suggest a 20 for Turkey hunting unless it was to get a kid started hunting. I never feel the recoil when shooting at game and there's plenty of things to reduce the recoil when patterning the gun(lead sled etc.) I was on a deer hunt once and a 12 year old girl killed a buck with her dads 7mag. there were two men in there 30's that had spent all morning looking for a deer one had shot with a 243.I was embaressed for them both lol. If you hunt Turkeys long enough your gonna get in a situation were you need the extra range and power of a 12 gauge jmo. And you don't have to worry about a nine year old trying to borrow shells in camp lol.

I think if you ever decide to try a 20 gauge you will leave your 12 on most days.. But now i do and will take my 12 on hunts also...kind of depends on were i'm hunting...

[Spitten and drummen]

I've never owned a 20 gauge when I was old enough to hunt I used what we had 12, I never had trouble with recoil because there was no option. I'd not suggest a 20 for Turkey hunting unless it was to get a kid started hunting. I never feel the recoil when shooting at game and there's plenty of things to reduce the recoil when patterning the gun(lead sled etc.) I was on a deer hunt once and a 12 year old girl killed a buck with her dads 7mag. there were two men in there 30's that had spent all morning looking for a deer one had shot with a 243.I was embaressed for them both lol. If you hunt Turkeys long enough your gonna get in a situation were you need the extra range and power of a 12 gauge jmo. And you don't have to worry about a nine year old trying to borrow shells in camp lol.

Lol. I will tell you that maybe you should read up on tss and a 20ga. There is not a shot i would use a 12 for that i wouldnt use my 20. I dont shoot a 20 because of recoil. I like toting that light weight shotgun and once again i will put my 20 with tss up against any 12 ga factory round including heavy shot and 3-1/2 shells.

[Gooserbat]

Weight

I hunt with both but use the 20 more these days. Lighter to carry and maneuver. Also I load TSS in my 20 so it's prob more deadly then my 12.


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This guy stole my answer. 

[Tombo]

I will tell you this. I have a benelli blackeagle2 12 ga and a benelli m2 20ga. I will put that 20 ga loaded with 1-5/8 ounce #9 tss up against any 12 ga load out there other than a 12 loaded with more tss shot. It will out perform any 12 ga load at equal distances including heavy shot. That being said , you should tote and hunt with whatever you are comfortable with as long as it is legal. To say a 12 ga will just flat out perform a 20ga is not true. Its about what you are shooting out of it. Factory wise , a 12 will out perform a 20 but throw tss in the mix and we are talking about a different animal all together.

This is absolutely correct

[g8rvet]

One thing I love about my 20, and it is not recoil or the lesser weight in carrying it.  It is that I can hold it in position longer without fatigue.  It is a pistol grip and very light weight.  I have never not killed a bird because I was waving my 12 around though.  My 20 just points so nice.  I was having neck issues and anything I could do to lessen recoil was a bonus for my pinched nerve is why I gave the 20 a try. I may pull out the 12 for nostalgia, but not because I need it. At 40 yards and in, the only reason Tom will not be dead is because I mess up (same for a 12).  It will not be because the 20 gauge with HW#7 did not have enough punch to kill one cleanly.  167 pellets in the 10" circle at 40 yards attests to that.  I am not advocating the 20 is better, but inside ethical ranges, it is not worse.  How dead do you need? 

[yella yelper]

I, in no way, feel under-gunned with my 20. As others have said, easier to carry, hold up for a while, and swing on one. I think this pattern is more than adequate at 40 yards. No reason for me to ever carry a 12 ga again

[Dr Juice]

Concur. Great pattern.

[Spitten and drummen]

I, in no way, feel under-gunned with my 20. As others have said, easier to carry, hold up for a while, and swing on one. I think this pattern is more than adequate at 40 yards. No reason for me to ever carry a 12 ga again

these are typical with a 1-5/8 oz load of #9 tss out of a 20 ga. People get these kind of patterns even with a factory choke.

[BowBendr]

All of the vast years of knowledge on this forum and got people still claiming that the 20 is a kids gun...wow...just...wow...

[g8rvet]

TSS is unfair!   Killer pattern for sure.

I don't even think TSS is needed to get a stone cold killer at 40 yards and in.  My 20 HW#7 has equaled any pattern I have ever attained with my 870 and hevi #6.  There are plenty of ballistics charts out there that clearly show that HW#7 in a 20 gauge is at no disadvantage to any load of a 12 gauge in penetration and energy.  If that Tom is tough enough to walk out of a 150+ in a 10" pattern at 40 yards, he is tough enough to walk through a 200+ pattern as well. 

But if the 12 gives you confidence, have at it.  All of the modern loads and combos, properly sighted in and patterned are all very competent at killing turkeys at ethical ranges. 

Honestly, I could have killed plenty of birds with a 410 and #7.5 lead.  I mean, inside of 15 yards, it is all overkill. 

[LaLongbeard]

I guess maybe I offended a few people with the 20 gauge remarks lol. Personally the 1lb difference between a 20 and 12 870 is not enough to matter.And if the super TSS is as heavy as advertised the wt. difference between the guns is even closer. I'm not convinced the point ability or wt. difference is the reason people are  handloading a super 20 gauge shell.

[Marc]

I've never owned a 20 gauge when I was old enough to hunt I used what we had 12, I never had trouble with recoil because there was no option. I'd not suggest a 20 for Turkey hunting unless it was to get a kid started hunting. I never feel the recoil when shooting at game and there's plenty of things to reduce the recoil when patterning the gun(lead sled etc.) I was on a deer hunt once and a 12 year old girl killed a buck with her dads 7mag. there were two men in there 30's that had spent all morning looking for a deer one had shot with a 243.I was embaressed for them both lol. If you hunt Turkeys long enough your gonna get in a situation were you need the extra range and power of a 12 gauge jmo. And you don't have to worry about a nine year old trying to borrow shells in camp lol.

Being primarily a wing/clay shooter, I do not "feel" recoil while shooting at game either...  That is not to say it does not effect me though.  I see guys going to bigger loads to kill ducks, only to have their shooting get worse and worse (due to flinching issues).

Turkey hunting is extremely low volume shooting, where shooting a single shell generally means some degree of success.  The recoil issues for someone shooting only turkeys is not at all the same as someone shooting too much recoil with high-volume shooting (as we generally hope for in wing-shooting).

Also when speaking of women and children, it is easier to find a gun that they can physically handle (as in properly shoulder and shoot correctly).

[g8rvet]

I guess maybe I offended a few people with the 20 gauge remarks lol. Personally the 1lb difference between a 20 and 12 870 is not enough to matter.And if the super TSS is as heavy as advertised the wt. difference between the guns is even closer. I'm not convinced the point ability or wt. difference is the reason people are  handloading a super 20 gauge shell.

Did not offend me at all. If you are happy with your 12s, enjoy.  I think most folks just wanted to say that 20s, properly outfitted, are at no disadvantage to the 12s.  Shoot what is fun is my motto. I like killing with my little pop gun.