why a 20 over 12

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why a 20 over 12

Post by -DIRTNAP- »

I have always carried a 12 gauge 3 1/2" for turkeys. I want to get a 20 to play with after seeing all the craze about them with tss shells. but would love to know why everyone likes them so much over a 12. when I compare stats on the gun manufacture websites they seem to be about the same size and weight. my maxus weighs 7.5 lb Remington site shows the 20 weighing 7.1 and length to be about the same (unless you get a short barrel but you can get a short barrel in 12). maybe less recoil but I don't notice that when shooting at a turkey. maybe someone can help me on what i'm missing ?
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ccleroy
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by ccleroy »

Light weight, lower recoil, better payload for a sub gauge. My main reason is lighter weight, all my 20's are significantly lighter than my 12's, by a long shot.
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by bullethead »

If you handload, the 20ga will throw better patterns than any factory 12ga shell. It will have less recoil and most of the guns do weigh significantly less than the bigger bores.

I shelved my SP10 for an 870 youth 20ga and have never regretted it.
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turkeyinstrut
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by turkeyinstrut »

bullethead wrote:If you handload, the 20ga will throw better patterns than any factory 12ga shell. It will have less recoil and most of the guns do weigh significantly less than the bigger bores.

I shelved my SP10 for an 870 youth 20ga and have never regretted it.
Same here, I hunted with a 11-87 Super Mag for years and killed a ton of turkeys with it but this year I started shooting TSS and ordered a M2 20 ga. and after shooting it with Hal's Big 20 XL load I will never carry the 12 ga. again. The 20 is a pleasure to carry and will kill one farther than we ought to be shooting, everyone told me if I went to TSS I would dump the 12 gauge and they were right.
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el diablo
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by el diablo »

I would say it is all about the weight to me. I have a certain limit in distance that I would shoot a turkey at, and the 20 gets me there and then some in a 1 pound lighter gun.
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by Spuriosity »

Yeah, it's all about the weight. No reason to tote a gun that weighs over 6 lbs, whatever the gauge, if you shoot TSS. I know some 20s weigh over 6 lbs, but I would not buy one of those. My 12 ga 1187 weighs 8.75 lbs with FF II and sling. Consequently it sits quietly in the safe. Never plan to carry that boat anchor again unless I have to.
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by 2Shooter »

Be careful or tss will have you looking at a 28ga, and a.410, and it levels the playing field for a 16ga!! :D
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howl
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by howl »

The Federal heavy 7s 20ga load works about as well as a 12ga with lead shells. Unless you are into sniping at long range, a 20ga with those factory shells is all you need for gobblers at normal ranges. A 6# or less gun is much nicer to hunt.
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by redarrow »

I switched to a 20 to protect my retinas. Eye surgery really sucks.
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by Hoobilly »

I use what every I feel like when I get up in the morning to go hunt.

I might use a 12, or a 20. I now have 2 28ga shotguns to choose from. I have to get the loads made and patterned for this fall.


With that... I used 20ga turkey guns way before I ever used TSS


Federal HW7 and the Hevishot 20ga offerings made the 20 do anything the 12ga can do at 40+
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by -DIRTNAP- »

Well guys talked me into it just bought a 870 youth now what choke for fed 7 and I will be loading TSS 9
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by Waddle Whacker »

-DIRTNAP- wrote:Well guys talked me into it just bought a 870 youth now what choke for fed 7 and I will be loading TSS 9
Don't discount the cheapo Primos Tightwad. I've tested 3 870 yutes with that choke and fed7's, and tss. It did well in all 3. In my gun, the Fed's ran around 140-150, t9's 280. You're only out about $15 if it doesn't work.
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by Hoobilly »

-DIRTNAP- wrote:Well guys talked me into it just bought a 870 youth now what choke for fed 7 and I will be loading TSS 9
you might want to look around for a used 555 Indian Creek BDS choke

I see a lot of patterns posted on Facebook with outstanding pictures with that tube and TSS
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by SpitNDrumN »

-DIRTNAP- wrote:Well guys talked me into it just bought a 870 youth now what choke for fed 7 and I will be loading TSS 9
Please start with a very cheap .570 Primos Tightwad. They cost anywhere form $5-20 depending where you find them. After turkey season is over Walmart had them on sale for $5 if there is any left. I have patterned the Federal 7's in youth 870 20ga from several different constrictions of Jebs to a non ported Indian Creek smooth bore .565 made for the federals to tru locks Federal 7 choke to factory full to a $10 Primos Tightwad and the Tightwad puts up some awesome patterns.

This one with the Tight Wad broke 200 but most are 180s and 190's in the 10 with decent 20"
Image

This is the .565 non ported smooth bore Indian Creek
Image

.565 Jebs put up the best patterns the fed 7's out of the constrictions I tried from Jebs but for the price of a Jebs vs a Tight Wad it was a no brainer and Tight Wad put up my best patterns with the 7's.

Hope that helps you. I would defdaintly start with the Tight Wad if I was you.
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by SpitNDrumN »

-DIRTNAP- wrote:Well guys talked me into it just bought a 870 youth now what choke for fed 7 and I will be loading TSS 9
Please start with a very cheap .570 Primos Tightwad. They cost anywhere form $5-20 depending where you find them. After turkey season is over Walmart had them on sale for $5 if there is any left. I have patterned the Federal 7's in youth 870 20ga from several different constrictions of Jebs to a non ported Indian Creek smooth bore .565 made for the federals to tru locks Federal 7 choke to factory full to a $10 Primos Tightwad and the Tightwad puts up some awesome patterns.

This one with the Tight Wad broke 200 but most are 180s and 190's in the 10 with decent 20"
Image

This is the .565 non ported smooth bore Indian Creek
Image

.565 Jebs put up the best patterns the fed 7's out of the constrictions I tried from Jebs but for the price of a Jebs vs a Tight Wad it was a no brainer and Tight Wad put up my best patterns with the 7's.

Hope that helps you. I would defdaintly start with the Tight Wad if I was you.
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by Turkinator »

Awesome for federal 7s
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by ICDEDTURKES »

I'm probably one of the first to switch exclusively to 20 MKW was prolly the first. One dead turkey and it was done. 40-50 yard gun is all I desire, lighter, recoil etc. I started on circa 04 - 05 hevi 6s would do 140-150 then 06 or 07 they went to crap I shoot Fed for years. Never handloaded, never ruled it out but 180-230 with fed not sure it's justified.
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by -DIRTNAP- »

ok question most guys say 20 will do everything a 12 will my question is wouldn't a 12 gauge 3 1/2" shooting tss9 kill farther..? its got to have more whop behind it
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el diablo
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by el diablo »

-DIRTNAP- wrote:ok question most guys say 20 will do everything a 12 will my question is wouldn't a 12 gauge 3 1/2" shooting tss9 kill farther..? its got to have more whop behind it
Not necessarily. A #9 pellet going 1100fps is going to have same amount of energy no matter if it is fired out of a 10 gauge or a .410. The advantage for a 12 if shooting 9's is that you can have a larger payload and send more of the pellets down range. So you can get sufficient pattern density at longer ranges. Thing is that to realize this added benefit you will be shooting a lonnnng ways!
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by -DIRTNAP- »

see I always thought that... but we took a 3" shells and a 3 1/2" shell (same shells) shot metal at 50 yards and the 3 1/2 had a lot more pass thrus...?
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el diablo
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by el diablo »

Same velocity?
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by GLS »

ICDEDTURKES wrote:I'm probably one of the first to switch exclusively to 20 MKW was prolly the first. One dead turkey and it was done. 40-50 yard gun is all I desire, lighter, recoil etc. I started on circa 04 - 05 hevi 6s would do 140-150 then 06 or 07 they went to crap I shoot Fed for years. Never handloaded, never ruled it out but 180-230 with fed not sure it's justified.
A deceased buddy was exclusively using a 20 ga. Ithaca M37 2 3/4" back in the 1970s. He worked for a major Kraft paper mfg. that had a Kraft paper mill and huge timber holdings and "hunting clubs" for its employees and big shots. He ran one of the hunting preserves and guided the "sports". He would occasionally use plywood silhouettes of turkeys painted flat black as decoys when he took the big shots and wanted results. He preferred to not use the flatties, but call birds in close. His "vest" was a hardware store nail cloth apron spray painted green. He died young. Gil
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by -DIRTNAP- »

yes same velocity
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by -DIRTNAP- »

me and my buddies have been trying to wrap our heads around this ...?
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Re: why a 20 over 12

Post by Spuriosity »

el diablo wrote:
-DIRTNAP- wrote:ok question most guys say 20 will do everything a 12 will my question is wouldn't a 12 gauge 3 1/2" shooting tss9 kill farther..? its got to have more whop behind it
Not necessarily. A #9 pellet going 1100fps is going to have same amount of energy no matter if it is fired out of a 10 gauge or a .410. The advantage for a 12 if shooting 9's is that you can have a larger payload and send more of the pellets down range. So you can get sufficient pattern density at longer ranges. Thing is that to realize this added benefit you will be shooting a lonnnng ways!
^^^^This is all absolutely true.
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