Gun Dog Forum

What gauge do you shoot for upland birds?

I shoot 12 now, but thinking of going to 20....

I hunt most birds with the mighty 12 auto but I trial with a 20 O/U

grant wrote:I shoot 12 now, but thinking of going to 20....

I use to shoot a 12 gauge only, last year I started shooting my dad's Remington 1100 20 gauge after he got his Benelli Legacy 20. last summer I got a Beretta 391 20 guage and next year i am thinking of switching to a 28 guage o/u.

A 12 guage is simply too easy to hit birds with, a 20 is almost just as easy and I have shot a 28 guage a few times at them and that is fun.

I have used a Browning Sweet 16 for most of my years hunting, which have been many. Just recently I have been asked to gun at a few hunt test and needed a brake open gun. I bought a Beretta 20 gauge O/U and love it. Nice and light but my Browning Sweet 16 is still the love of my life.

I have been using a 12 guage - a cheapy - but my first gun to make sure I liked the sport before we paid a bunch of money. I hate the thing! It doesn't pump right, starting to flinch because sometimes it doesn't fire - it is a true hazard. Therefore, I am on the hunt for a new one, being I love the sport and couldn't see not being able to watch my dogs in action!

I was looking at a 20 guage Franchi - I saw someone in one of these threads passed one up. Any advice on that? I thought it was just the perfect weight - very light. We'll see, my husbands always got bright ideas about the guns I need!

Caren

Hank passed on the the Franchi because he had damage from a Noreastern. The cash flow is not there for both gun and damage repair at this time.

20 gauges are light and have enough lead to bring any bird down. There are plenty of loads available and if you hunt turkeys you can get a magnum.

I don't want to start an arguement here but I don't think shooting at birds with a gun that is more of a challenge for you to kill a bird with isn't the thing I want to do out of respect for the bird. I do like the challenge to shoot the small guns on trap. That is a sport. But anything that lessens the chance of a clean swift kill on a bird just isn't right in my opinion. Now if you are as good with the 28 or use it wisely I have no problem but hunting isn't the place to use a weapon just to haver more of a challenge for the shooter. Wounded game is the thing I hate the most about hunting.

Ezzy

I have been using my 20 ga Beretta for both sharptails and pheasants. I have also shot some pheasants with my new 28 ga. Even late season birds can be handled with a 28 when you take the right shots, nothing over 30 yards, the 28 is a lot of fun light and easy to swing. We can get by out here passing up a lot of shots simply because of the numbers of wild birds. If you pick your shots and have a well broke dog just a few minutes the right situation will present itself.SDGORD

I have taken to carrying a 20. I have found it easier to handle, hits just as hard, and if need be, put in 3 inchers and throw as much lead as a 2 3/4 12.

On a side note - 20's also shoot slugs faster and flatter than 12's when deer hunting.

12 gage Browning Gold 3 1/2 Auto - good clay, grouse, turkey, and goose gun use it for every thing. I don't have the money to buy a bunch of specialty guns. Just enough to buy one good one.

I shot 12 ga now but I would really like to get a 16 ga.

20 Gauge

grant wrote:I shoot 12 now, but thinking of going to 20....

Went to 20 and love it...

I have two 12's and two 20's. I am partial to both gauges. I do most of my hunting with my 20's. I have a Winchester 140 Ranger and a Baikal IZH-27. I shot 100% of my game with those this year.

It is turkey season and I'm hunting with a 20, still. Haven't seen a turkey yet.

I don't have a problem using either 12 or 20's to do the work I prefer my 20 o/u for quail, and my 12 for pheasants.Really anymore it just happens to be what ever I grab.You would be surprised at how far out 28 will actually touch.


It is aslo Turkey season here in the Sunflower state and I will be using my new Beretta 12 ga. Xtrema 3.5.

I gave up on my 12 and now I shoot everything with my 20 guage---including those big tuff late season Pheasants!!

12 ga BPS with 21" bbl for everything. I know it well and we get along

ckfowler wrote:12 ga BPS with 21" bbl for everything. I know it well and we get along

You just can't beat the bond between a man and his shotgun.

Birdhunter...

That's why I hunt with a.12.12.12.12.12.14 and a 16..I'm well bonded:>)

Gregory wrote:Birdhunter...

That's why I hunt with a.12.12.12.12.12.14 and a 16..I'm well bonded:>)

If it has a trigger and goes boom and throws a straight pattern I'll find a way to hit my birds with it. If not a straight pattern then I'll hope for alot of shells.

Actually here are my guns of choice (and guage) that I'll use:
I have 100% confidence in myself with these three shotguns, my 870 Wingamster 12 gauge, my Beretta 391 urika 20 gauge and my dad's Remington 1100 20 gauge. Any of those three and I have no doubts when a bird gets up.

Bird.
Sounds to me like you have lots of confindence with those guns of yours..

The 14 gauge and one of the 12's above are vintage Muzzleloader doubles (English) the 14 is an 1828 Thomas Cook,and the 12 is a 1845 John Manton. I hunt with them,but I have to pick my shots as they are Cyl/CyI choked in both...
I usually take three with me when I go away from home.two 12's and the 16...

I had 20's one time or another,but couldn't shoot them worth a darn.Just didn't feel right in my hands for some reason....
The gun that I probably shot more game than any other was an 870 12 full choked.That was many, many moons ago.....


G.

Gregory wrote:Bird.
Sounds to me like you have lots of confindence with those guns of yours..
.

Confidence/cocky/sure of one's self whatever you call it. I shoot alot and each of those three has about the same feel to it as the other, different weight of course but they all have the same drop/l.o.p, and so on so they all fit me perfect.

I shoot 12 Because of the range I can get with it. I am using the Remington 1100. I have a 20 gauge pump here and I am thinking for partridge I will start using it. But for pheasants and ducks I am going to stick with my Rem

I now prefer to hunt with my Browning 16 Gauge Citori. I previously carried a 12 gauge Remington 870 that I have had since I was 14. I'd like to try a 28 sometime.

Kurzhaar wrote:I now prefer to hunt with my Browning 16 Gauge Citori. I previously carried a 12 gauge Remington 870 that I have had since I was 14. I'd like to try a 28 sometime.

Can't go wrong at all with the 870, or Remington in general!

I shoot both a 12 and a 20, and sometimes a 16.

The 20 was my first, a Mossy 500 pump as a gift, and is now also used by Danyelle.

The 12 was my second, a '64 Browning A5 Light Twelve, and was the first gun I bought myself.

The 16 is my grandfather's Browning A5 Sweet Sixteen. I get to use it when I've been good.

I enjoy a variety. I can hit with any of these guns, and the only problem I ever run into is when switching between one of the A5's and the Mossy 500. I end up trying to pump my autoloader, or forget to cycle the pump. (am I the only one?)

No I am with ya. My 20 is a pump and I always forget you reallly look dumb when u go to shoot a bird and ur gun goes click.

I shoot a Browning Gold 12 gauge 3" with a walnut stock. It was the first gun that I owned personally. I recieved it for Christmas like 6 years ago, what a great present. I havent got to use it much although were hopefully were getting some property soon so ill be able to use it alot there definatly. But otherwise I just found a preserve by my house where im gonna train my new Vizsla in a while. Ill get some time hunting there with it as well.

Thats alotta gun. We shoot geese here with3 inch. What r u going to be hunting? I guess you can always throw 2 3/4 in there.

Ryan wrote:Thats alotta gun. We shoot geese here with3 inch. What r u going to be hunting? I guess you can always throw 2 3/4 in there.

Yea I was just telling you what gun I have, I shoot 2 3/4, 6 shot for pheasant.

oops I was thinking there for a second how many birds you actually get to bring home in 1 peice with a 3 inch. lol

I could see people using a 12 or 20 on grouse and pheasants. a 20 with partridge and quail, even a 410 with quail but you gotta make sure that gun will put the bird down with one shot. It is one thing to hunt birds it is another to make them suffer until the dog gets there to put it out of its misury. Sure there is the shot where you iss and it catches the bird funny but we try to not make those shots and go for a clean kill.

20 ga except for Phez, then I up to 12 most of the time.

didn't vote. no slot for a 16.

I shoot 16 ga mostly.

I shoot a Browning Gold 12 ga and love it. I suppose when I get better and can afford it I'll get a 20 ga double gun...

12ga for the only reason of not wanting lots of different shell sizes around. I just make sure i grab the right size and style shot I want and I am off to the field.

I had a 16ga for a while. Loved it but when in a hurry those shells feel like a 12ga.

I love the twenty. The guns are light and the payload more than adequate for what I hunt. IMHO, if the gun is loaded right, that makes all the difference. When we hunt pheasants, I shoot the Federal copper #4's with great results. On grouse...my favorite...I handload special brush loads for both tubes. The big thing, I think, is having a gun that fits you and a gun that you practice with. Back to the post...I just love the twenty!

I used to shoot nothing but a 12 ga citori. But soon came to realize from the influence of some friends a 20 ga would be a good fit. So I switched to a 20 ga Franchi o/u and loved it so much I now shoot a 20 ga. s/s. I have found no handicap with it, not even when shooting late season roosters. The way I look at it is if your dog is pointing the bird it will only be a short to medium shot anyways.

ou hav to remember a twety shoots just as far as a twelve. The twelve just has more beebees so you might have a killing pattern out a little further. And if I feel I need a little extra I go with a 3" shell.

Ezzy

A three inch shell? The only time I shoot a 3 inch shell is on waterfowl or turkey. That is probably a good choice in alot of scenarios. I just perfer to shoot a lighter load. I usually shoot 2 3/4" - 7's or 7 1/2's. I realize it maybe light, but it brings them down for me so I perfer that. It is alot cheaper as well the way I shoot.

I've been shooting 12 guage for 20 years, but recently bought my 13 year old son a Browning BPS 20 guage and actually shoot it better than my 12 guage o/u. I may have to shop for a new gun during the off season.

ezzy333 wrote:The twelve just has more beebees ...

Of course you're referring to the most common loads, not the gauge, right?

Sometimes when we go to the gun club, my dad shoots my A-5 Light Twelve with 1oz loads, and I shoot my Veloce 20 ga. with 1oz heavy game loads (cheapest thing at Gander/Rural King). Two different gauges, same amount of lead in the air.

I've heard that larger gauges pattern a load better than a smaller gauge, but that's just hearsay. I've not seen any data. And from the score sheets at the club... well, I'm not gonna go there.

Wagonmaster wrote:didn't vote. no slot for a 16.

I didn't vote either for the same reason.

I only use the 12 ga for deer, geese, and ducks these days.

In order of preference:

- Remington Sportsman 48 16 ga. auto
- AH Fox 16 ga double
- AH Fox (model B) 20 ga double

The 16 ga. is definitely my all time favorite. If more people tried it, I think more people would buy it. Shoots loads like a 12 with recoil of a 20!

Shot a 1100 12 gauge for years, but switched to a Benelli Montefeltro 20 gauge about 8 years ago and haven't shot a 12 since. Of course I hunt about 90% quail and 10% dove.

I mostly use 12 but am looking at getting an O/U 16ga.

Sorno, what are you getting? I have the Browning, but have been looking at the F.A.I.R. which comes in 16.

Wagonmaster wrote:Sorno, what are you getting? I have the Browning, but have been looking at the F.A.I.R. which comes in 16.

I am actually looking for a Browning Super Feather in 16ga. They only made them for a short while and i didn't have the cash at the time. Now they discontinued them and I have to find a nice used one or a NIB one. I have been looking at Gun Broker every day.

Another good resource, better than Gun Broker, is to buy a subscription to Gun Digest and keep watching the Browning section.

Have not tried the Featherlight, have the Citori G V which I really like. It has made a believer out of me.