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Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 4:22 pm
by roaniecowpony
I'm wondering how many of you shoot something other than a 12 ga for your upland hunting. I know there are more gauges like 24 ga and 36 ga , but those aren't common at all in the U.S.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Thu Jul 11, 2013 5:34 pm
by terrym
I have used the 20 most times but just bought a Citori White Lightning in 16 gauge so will give that go this fall.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Tue Jan 28, 2014 1:22 am
by lugmastro
Are you allowed to shoot upland birds with anything other than a 16ga? In my family you aren't.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 3:05 pm
by Ez4
Probably have a different attitude than many, but I usually find 12 for the cheapest. Why pay more for less?

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 5:20 pm
by ezzy333
Use a 20 most often.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Thu Mar 13, 2014 5:55 pm
by uplandrsb
It's always been the 12ga because it was the most versatile for me but for the last year I have been trying to switch yo a 20ga

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 5:45 am
by jimbo&rooster
My first shotgun was a Higgins 16ga. I have always had a love affair with the 16. After not having had one for 10-15yrs this past year I bought a couple 16ga a rem48 and a parker trojan. After buying the 48 my other stuff collected dust and I didn't get the parker till after season. But I imagine next fall I'll be shooting the tweeners.

Jim

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 8:21 am
by roaniecowpony
With 50 respondents, this isn't exactly a statistically significant sample. But, the 20ga is a 2 to 1 leader over the nearest gauge, which is the 12ga of course. To me, that shows that the hunters with dogs and that are dog enthusiasts (if you believe that spending time on the internet site for dogs qualifies someone as a "dog enthusiast" :mrgreen: ), overwhelmingly prefer a 20ga.

I'm really surprised. I would have bet dollars to donuts that the 12ga would have beat out all the others. Although I'm no longer shoot a 12ga much, I think I have four sxs 12ga guns left in the safe. These days, I shoot a heck of a lot more 410 than any other gauge at game. I still like the 20ga and shoot several of mine at clays almost weekly, and sometimes weakly :oops: .

I'm probably going to keep the 12ga Fox AE and a #1 frame Parker GH, just because. The others, another Parker GH Damascus, and a LC Smith will probably go down the road.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 9:26 am
by crazyboy
Currently use a 12, been thinking about picking up a 28 for a while.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:13 am
by Tooling
28 has been making it to the field quite often here lately but overall to this point in my career the 20 has been the standard

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:43 am
by ruffbritt4
Both of my shotguns are 20g.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 12:11 pm
by birddogger
I grew up shooting a twelve ga. But have been using a 20 all my adult life. I have an old Fox 16 ga. that I use from time to time. It is a little muzzle heavy even with the 26 inch barrels. It is a so called "beater" but a great shooter, throwing a great pattern and to be honest, I have more success with it than anything I have but the Two 20's I have (Remington Wingmaster and CZ Ringneck) are lighter, better balanced and more of a pleasure to carry. I have been curious about the 28 ga. and would like to try one with the actual 28ga. frame.

Charlie

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 12:13 pm
by birddogger
jimbo&rooster wrote:My first shotgun was a Higgins 16ga. I have always had a love affair with the 16. After not having had one for 10-15yrs this past year I bought a couple 16ga a rem48 and a parker trojan. After buying the 48 my other stuff collected dust and I didn't get the parker till after season. But I imagine next fall I'll be shooting the tweeners.

Jim
Those old inexpensive Higgins are good guns from my experience.

Charlie

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 7:37 pm
by jimbo&rooster
That old Higgins killed many a fox and coyote over hounds and more than its fair share of rabbits and squirrels. Probly the only gun I've ever regretted selling.

Jim

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 7:53 pm
by rons
I've shot 12, 20, 28, and 410 over the past 50 yrs. I enjoy the 28 now but 40 years ago I only owned a Remington 1100 and SXS Fox in 410. Don't remmeber why I sold them except for the cost of ammo.

Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 10:58 pm
by GoBeavs85
I shoot a 12 but I want to pick up a 20 o/u soon. I like the idea of carrying the same gauge as the other hunters in the group, that way we can share shells if we start to run low. New guys I'm hunting with seem to carry 20.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 11:31 pm
by natel24
12 gauge because I'm not that great of a shot. More bb's better odds

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 10:41 am
by Munster
I like the 20 ga. Light enough to carry on long hunts. It gets the job done!

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:52 pm
by Neil
12 for pheasants, sharptail and Huns, 28 for Bobs, woodcock, ruffs, snipe, and dove, 20 for blues.

I do not believe it sporting to use a .410 on any wild game.

As in the title of Rourke's great book, "Use Enough Gun".

Neil

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2014 9:46 am
by DonF
I've used the 12ga a whole lot. If I could only have one gun and still hunted like I did when younger, I think the 12ga is the only choice. I don't hunt ducks at all anymore and don't get up the chukar hills any more so don't even own a 12ga any more, most versatile ga there is. Used a 16ga AyA for a long time and also have a 16ga Ithica mod 37. Few years ago I started fooling with my 28ga training, love it. Last year I took out my 410 training, super. But my go to gun today is the 28ga aya matador.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Sat Mar 22, 2014 3:24 pm
by Sundby
12 ga citori featherlight o/u for wild pheasants around here but would like to try a 20ga again but just seems like it won't be enough for the longer shots we have to take.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2015 11:50 am
by NEhomer
I shoot a Rem 16 gauge that was modeled after the Browning 50 made some time ago. It was my late father's and I doubt I'll ever swing another firearm at upland birds.

I am perplexed by the loss of popularity of the 16.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2015 10:54 am
by mnaj_springer
I use a 20 ga. for everything. I like the weight of them, and it's more than enough gun.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Sat Jan 24, 2015 11:28 am
by DudeRN
I used a 12 gauge o/u this season (my first with my dog), and I liked it. But a couple of the birds I shot were at shorter range, and the gun really made a mess of them. I have been thinking about trying a 28 gauge for a lighter gun.

Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2015 1:24 pm
by Pheasanttracker
I use a 20 for everything but waterfowl.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 7:18 am
by luvthemud
After a lifetime of hunting with 12 gauges, I bought a 20 gauge for last season and absolutely love it. With the variety of ammunition and chokes available nowadays, I think it is hard to say one is a lot better than the other.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 11:12 am
by ezzy333
I have both a 20 and a 12. 95% of my hunting over the past 70 years has been with the 20. Light and variable with the different shells has satisfied most any hunting a person can do and aided the comfort level.

Ezzy

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 12:57 pm
by jfwhit
I have one scattergun (I know.... The shame) that I have used for 35 years. Browning A5 12 ga. If (and when wife isn't watching) I get another. I would like to go with a 20 or 16.

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Fri Feb 06, 2015 12:58 pm
by Carolina Gundogs
20 gauge. Light and effective

Re: Favorite Gauges for Upland?

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2015 3:32 pm
by ThreeBritts
I have all but a 10GA.

It seems I grab the 20 for most of my hunting and the 16 for windy day "Prairie Work".

I just don't like carrying the weight of a 12 any more these days.