new to the 20GA hunting ,I have my dads 1100 but its only a 2 3/4 chamber.Can I use this, and what kind of load?And what kind of distance?
I'm not new to the 20ga club,but I', in somewhat of the same place you are.
My mother recently passed on to me,my stepfather's Winchester 20ga.1400 auto with 2-3/4" chamber,I am in the process of trying it out with some different shells and chokes.I believe I can make a 30yd. gun out of it.
good luck with the 1100
Find some Fed HWT you can make it a good 35 yard and should be able to get 40. Now you go shoot paper you will not like this set up. I have seen it work. Have the gun threaded and chokes cut for it.
Now you can go with some of the hand loads.
Quote from: John D. on October 09, 2013, 03:27:27 PM
new to the 20GA hunting ,I have my dads 1100 but its only a 2 3/4 chamber.Can I use this, and what kind of load?And what kind of distance?
What choke is this gun? The #7 shot Fed HW in 2 3/4" is one of your best bets.
You may also try #7.5 lead loads but figure on 30 yds and under for this to increase shot in pattern.
Winchester has some 2 3/4 #6 loads that do pretty well. Having the barrel fitted for screw in chokes will help but you are limited to 2 3/4" shells and likely calling them close. I have had kills using 20 ga. 2 3'4" modified chokes but they are not ideal turkey guns period. Rather than spend money converting that gun it may be a better fit to purchase a 3" gun with screw in chokes.
My son was shooting this same gun last year for turkeys. He killed 4 with the gun. I patterned various loads and the best I found was TSS 9's. The next best was Federal HW 7's.
The problem with my 1100 is that it was a improved cylinder barrel. I took it to a gunsmith and had him drill it out to accept Carlson's chokes.
It had good killing patterns out to 40 yards with the extra full choke and 2 3/4 inch shells. He also killed a coyote with it on the last day of SC season.