What gauge do you shoot for upland birds?

[Devils Creek]

Now I would consider a 16 as well if the right gun came along, but for the present...

I am a 6'2 former police officer, and carrying around a 7 1/2 lb gun is not really an issue.

I bought a Remington 1187 Premier 12 gauge when they came out with the 26" Light Contour barrel, and I've really enjoyed it. It's been pretty trouble free, balances well, and I know I shoot better with a gun that weighs at least 7 lbs.

With light field loads, or heavy target loads the recoil is non-existent, and follow up shots are quicker.

I shoot AA's on quail without cycling problems, and I believe if my dog has pointed a bird, its my job to put enough pellets in him to anchor him for a clean retrieve.

And should I have to discuss any of the finer points of canine behaviour with my partner of the day, I don't feel quite so bad about dropping it in the grass.

When I'm hunting from horseback, I sometimes will use my 12 gauge Wingmaster, cause its easier to chamber a round than the auto after I dismount, and I get the heebie jeebies about carrying a shotgun with chambered rounds on a horse.

[Wagonmaster]

I always liked a break action for a saddle gun for exactly that reason, quick to load and no need to carry shells in the chamber when mounted. Although I am not the biggest fan of side bys, my saddle gun when we hunted horseback was a little side by 28, by Gamba, not one of the mortgage-your-house English deals. Worked pretty good on young sharptails over a point. Not so good on wild pheasants later in the season though.

[Sorno]

I am a 6'2 former police officer, and carrying around a 7 1/2 lb gun is not really an issue.

With light field loads, or heavy target loads the recoil is non-existent, and follow up shots are quicker.

If a 7 1/2 lb gun isn't a problem, why are you worried about recoil?

Sorry i thought that was kind of a contradiction there.


WagonMaster:

I believe my father gets that magazine so I will have him save them for me, Thanks.

I actually started shooting with my fathers old Win. 97 in 16ga.

[Wagonmaster]

You will need to find someone with an FFL to purchase a firearm by mail from a Gun Digest seller. Some people charge a small fee to do that.

[Sorno]

My father and I have an FFL so that won't be a problem.

[Wagonmaster]

Ahlmann??

[Sorno]

No, but I have been there many times. My father and I just have a small business out of his home. We hit up gun shows around the area and do special order for people.

[Devils Creek]

With light field loads, or heavy target loads the recoil is non-existent, and follow up shots are quicker.

If a 7 1/2 lb gun isn't a problem, why are you worried about recoil?

Sorry i thought that was kind of a contradiction there.

Hey Sorno...finish reading the sentence. I really like shooting those doubles (and occasional triple) on a covey rise, and find it a little easier when the gun is still pointing in the same general direction as before I pulled the trigger

[Sorno]

With light field loads, or heavy target loads the recoil is non-existent, and follow up shots are quicker.

If a 7 1/2 lb gun isn't a problem, why are you worried about recoil?

Sorry i thought that was kind of a contradiction there.

Hey Sorno...finish reading the sentence. I really like shooting those doubles (and occasional triple) on a covey rise, and find it a little easier when the gun is still pointing in the same general direction as before I pulled the trigger

I was just yanken the chain a little bit. I knew what you ment.

[Blade]

Started with a 20 the first couple of years. Since then I've shot a 12. But now I am thinking of going back to a 20 for some of my hunting.

[kstitz]

I started with a 20 when I was a kid and did very well with it, about 10 years ago I bought a 12 Berreta 390 and really like it, last year I bought a CZ RN 20, and I have not had the berreta out since. I like a light gun when I have to carry it all day.

Kelly

[Don]

I used to use a 12 ga Charles Daly SxS, it was my training gun. Then I got an AyA in 12 ga, The past 15 or so years it's been an AyA in 16 ga and I am not changing again.

I haave an AyA in 28 that I've never shot and no, it's not for sale!

[AceofSpades41]

.20 works well for me

[gspjeb]

I have 20 and 12 but my fav by far is a Belgian made Browning Sweet 16. Hard to replace that one

[bnjburgess]

I used to shoot a 12 ga Benelli M-2 but recently switch to a 20 GA Benelli M-2. It swings a lot quicker and with 3 inch #5's I hit more birds.

[BoJack]

16 Ga. Ithaca Model 37 Feathwerlight-1959 model.It don't get any sweeter.[/b]

[grousehunter08]

Right now I shoot a 12 but i think this year i'm going to go to a 20

[Killer Instinct]

Beretta Silver Pigeon 28 Ga

[StandHunter]

20 GA Monty

[BoJack]

16 Ga.

[daddyfid]

12 guage Franchi

[nj gsp]

OK I see I have to modify my earlier post. Again, no vote because the 16 gauge isn't included...

My top three, in order of preference:

1. Browning Citori 525 Field - 16 gauge
2. AH Fox 16 Gauge (presently on hiatus for repairs)
3. Tikka 512 S 12 gauge

In order of actual usage:

1. Browning Citori 525 Field - 16 gauge (100% of all my upland hunting in 2007)
2. Tikka 512 S 12 gauge (Training)
3. Fox Model B 20 gauge (Training)

Observant people may note that the auto has wandered off the list. As much as I like that gun and as well as I shoot with it, at the core I'm just a freak for doubles.

[vols fan]

skb 0/u 20 for roosters and skbo/u 28 for quail and grouse and any released birds.

[CapWPG]

5# 14 oz 20g Greener (1906) ch .003 - .030 for quail
5# 9oz 16g Schnorrenberger & Fils (late 20s british SxS) ch- .018 & .028 for prarie birds
12g muzzle loader that I load with a nice 16g load for Blues.

[Sharon]

I'm a small , 5 foot woman.
I can only afford one gun.
I have a Weatherby Ithica 20 gauge.
I use it for skeet, trap, birds, rabbits. (Ducks with great caution.)
I had it modified to suit me - shortened the pull and modified the stock. Works great for me.

[mtjim]

16 ga. here. Browning Citori Superlight.

Love that gun!

[tommyboy72]

Last year I traded a Weatherby model 82 in 12 gauge for a Baikal 20 gauge uplander side by side. Best trade I ever made. I used it exclusively last year for blue quail and pheasant. I only used 7 1/2 and 8 shot shot on both species of birds and had it choked IC and Mod. This year for the blue quail I am choking it Skeet and IC. All of the hunting I do is on wild birds in the wide open spaces of the Oklahoma Panhandle and I never lost a bird to light hits. My Remington model 1100 in 12 gauge and Remington model 11 sportsman in 16 gauge both sat on the gunrack for the year. I will say though that I do not take shots over about 30 yards and usually the dogs are good enough to put me in that range.

[Don]

Well I've been shooting my 28 on clays a bit and shoot it well. Gonna use it for quail and grouse and my 16 on pheasants, huns and chukars. 28 would probably work well on the huns tho.

[upland-o]

I shoot a 12 for pheasants, quail and grouse. But I shoot a 20 for woodcock, the little birds at close range cant hold the 20 guage and the 12 is a little too much for them, not much left when you hit em with the 12

[ceadmin]

My father borrowed me a 16 ga. bolt that I used when I first started hunting at the tender age of 24. I then moved on to buy myself a Winchester 1300 12 ga pump. That gun jammed up all the time and was a real pain in the butt so I saved up and bought myself a nice light Beretta White Onyx 626 O/U 20 ga. for caring not only in the pheasant fields but in the grouse woods as well. I have dibs on my father's Stevens .410 SxS when he wants to give it up. I did go back and buy a Mossberg 535 pump 12 ga. for Waterfowl, turkey and deer though. But for upland, I can't leave my Beretta behind for nothing.

[BoJack]

16 Ga.Ithaca 37 Featherlight.

[JasonW77]

O/U 12 gauge

[lamoka]

I have always shot 12 ga, never could rationalize any other I use my 870 special field for everything from woodcock to Canada Geese. Once in a while if I know I will be stretching the range for 3" mags I use the Mossberg 835 with 3 1/2" BUT ONLY FOR geese and turkeys. I Got my special field as a gift from my father when I was 14 and it still works great 25 years later even though it is a "little" scratched up.

[BigBoyTank]

Franchi 20 SXS...

[texscala]

I am hoping to find a 16 SxS for next year.

[tn red]

I am hoping to find a 16 SxS for next year.

this is my mission before season starts this fall

[Lemonpointer]

20 ga mostly, but really cold or windy days I'll break out the high brass 12ga. Both the 12 and the 20 are identical guns. It's nice to have both in the field. The decision can be made at the truck and the only difference is the color of the shells.

[fishvik]

I hunt mostly with an 870 12 ga. but also use a Mossberg 500 in 20 ga. I'm looking for a 20 ga. s/s or o/u with 26" barrel though for hunting grouse.

[tommyboy72]

Lemon, you ever try LIl Skeeter gauge reducers 12-20 gauge. That way you can take a pocketful of each shell and throw the reducer in the 12 gauge and shot 20's and if you decide to shoot 12's just throw the shells in and go. Just a thought. I have them and with a little minor modifying they work great.

[Mcanes]

16 Ga.Ithaca 37 Featherlight.

My man! That was my first gun that I used for taking many pheasants , back when we actually had wild pheasants in Michigan. It also took some grouse and woodcock before I retired it. I now use a Browning Citori 20 gauge. But I'm thinking of bringing the Ithaca back out of retirement.

[Dakota Swede]

I'm surprised the percentage of 12 ga. shooters isn't higher.

[gsp3333]

I'm surprised the percentage of 12 ga. shooters isn't higher.

Carrying a 12 ga. all day can be a drag. 20 ga. Benelli Monty at only 5.5 lbs is much easier. Even better is the Benelli Legacy 28 ga. at less than 5 lbs. Saving my pennies for one.

[CHJIII]

Model 12 16 gauge.................. best all-purpose gauge and gun there is.

[nikegundog]

Love the 16 gauge, have two old ones I get out for fun. But because of the price and choice of shells I go with the 12 gauge 95% of the time.

[JKP]

16 ga..I got too many of them...got the sickness bad...straight stock guns and 1 oz loads...haven't seen the bird yet that a 16 ga isn't perfect for...

[Crestonegsp]

For quail I will shoot the 20 and sometimes I bring out the old Remington 11-48 .410

[ezzy333]

I've never found the guage made any difference if you can shoot where you are aiming. The different in guages is more for the hunter than the hunted. My father-in-law hunted Kansas pheasants for years with his double 410 and seldom missed. I prefer the twenty for its carriability since it is light and you have a wide variance in shell that are readily available. I do have a couple of older 12's I like but one is too heavy and the other one I do caqrry once in a while.

Any guage will work and do the job. It's just personal preference of the hunter that makes the difference.

Ezzy

[nikegundog]

If gauge didn't make a difference you'd find 90% of trap shooter uses a 410 or 20 gauge because of recoil and swing. Fact being while velocity may be the same extra BB's on target can be the difference between a clean kill or a wounded bird. If your shooting at close range over a point the decision may be mute, however if your hunting over a flushing dog and birds are flushing 30 yards out your kidding yourself if you tell me its the same. The same people who say it's hard to hunt over flushing dogs are the same people who are using a 28 gauge.

[ezzy333]

If gauge didn't make a difference you'd find 90% of trap shooter uses a 410 or 20 gauge because of recoil and swing. Fact being while velocity may be the same extra BB's on target can be the difference between a clean kill or a wounded bird. If your shooting at close range over a point the decision may be mute, however if your hunting over a flushing dog and birds are flushing 30 yards out your kidding yourself if you tell me its the same. The same people who say it's hard to hunt over flushing dogs are the same people who are using a 28 gauge.

In theory it sounds good but I just don't think thats quite right. I do agree if one is more deadly than another then you would have to go with a 12 but in actual hunting conditions there is so much more than number of pettets that are important.

Ezzy

[Mountaineer]

In truth, because of the developments in all aspects of the shotshell, there is little difference to be found between the 12, 16 & 20 for pheasants.
For smaller birds, there is no difference.
Loads are available in all three to handle all sizes of upland birds pretty well...IF, the choke is appropriate to the bird, if the distance the shot is taken is reasonable and, if the scattergunner does his part well.

12s can and do weigh 6# and 20s can weigh 7# or more...weight, like felt recoil, is an over-thought issue...balance and fit are the real tickets.

Only in the 28 does one begin to find less equality due to the reduced payload and bore restrictions.
The 28, and I have one, simply does not handle the larger(6+) shot sizes as well, consistently, as the cartouches of larger bore.
There can be exemptions but I never cease to be amazed that so many folks who shoot on message boards own so many exceptions.
The 28 is not magic...however, it is a great shell to 30-ish yards on grouse-sized birds.
Beyond that, you are working at the limits of the cartridge and only an honest self-appraisal will tell anyone why.

The 410, IMHO, should never be used on a gamebird past those the size and hardiness of a dove, a quail or a woodcock.
Even then, it is often more about the shooter than what is being shot.

Registered Trapshooters, and I was a dedicated one, would never use anything but a 12....because of score alone.
One must never generalize too far tho as some one ounce and even less Trap and International loads can deliver enough on target even past the 43ish yard average shot for a back-fencer.
Difference being, a target can break from a pellet ot two...a pheasant or a grouse are a tad more hardy....and deserve more respect.
Respect is, or should be, the great determiner of scattergun choice.