Why do you pick 20 over a 12?

[paboxcall]

Agree on the recoil from the 12 gauges. My Winchester 1300 belts me silly during patterning session.

Weight had nothing to do with my choice to move to the 20 gauge platform. For years I carried a H&R single 12 gauge factory dipped in original bottomland. That gun is a pleasure to tote through the big woods.

Bottom line for me is the Mossberg 500 20 ga. patterns better with 2.75" TSS #9s than my H&R 12 ga. with 3" Hevi #7s.

That 20 gauge with TSS patterns so well, stepped up to straight TSS #8s now. That's a freight train of a load.

[Ol timer]

Ok the consensus is most folks like a 20 gauge because of weight. Tell me how far do most of you walk on average every time you hunt? On average I might walk 2 miles or less if I'm patient some days sitting longer pays off better. Weight of a shotgun never seems to be a issue for me.

[RutnNStrutn]

Plus, most turkey hunters that have any skill at all kill most of their gobblers at 20 yards or less. Personally, I've killed 80% of my gobblers at 20 or less. So I feel no disadvantage at all hitting the woods with my lightweight 20 gauge.

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[Tom Threetoes]

I hunted for years with a 12ga. 870 Supermag. When I carry my 3 inch 870 It feels like a 20.

[Happy]

I can carry and shoot both with no complaints or preference. They both do their job well and I look awsome carrying either one. However my boy has taken a liking to my mossberg after carrying it one day last year and my 20 is pretty nifty so I have a feeling I will be carrying the 20 more in the future. But I can't totally abandon a gun I carried 20+ years. I am sentimental like that.

[guesswho]

First turkey I ever killed, I killed with a 410.   I worked my way up to a 3 1/2" 10 gauge.   Then I started working my way back down.   I am now about 50/50 between my 20 and 410.  At no point in my hunting career have I ever felt under gunned.   Just the opposite really.    I feel I can kill a 15 to 20 pound bird with a 410 or a 20 with no issue.     

[Spurs]

Weight and compact.  Mobility is key in the style hunting I tend to do and everything I carry in the woods is there purposely.  I came up with the plan one season to ditch as much as possible and also switched to a 11-87 compact.  Had my best season ever, noticed I could maneuver thick cover much easier, and just didn't get nearly as fatigued.

[FullChoke]

I switched from a 12 gauge (Browning BPS) to a 20 gauge (Remington 870 Express) for a few reasons. I won the 870 at an NWTF banquet and decided to try and make it into a dedicated turkey gun. I liked the lower recoil, the less expensive shells and choke tubes and most of all the novelty of using a 20 gauge shotgun to kill gobblers. I was also really impressed with the patterns the 20 was showing. I have had several birds fly off after being shot with the BPS at 35 yards, but I have had none get away after the 20 Roars. As a matter of fact, they have all died right where they stood. Longest shot was right at 40 yards  .

I don't see any need to go back to being walloped by a 12 gauge again.

[CALLM2U]

Ok the consensus is most folks like a 20 gauge because of weight. Tell me how far do most of you walk on average every time you hunt? On average I might walk 2 miles or less if I'm patient some days sitting longer pays off better. Weight of a shotgun never seems to be a issue for me.

Obviously that depends on the day/terrain/situation, but on average I'd say 3-4 miles.  But for me, it's rarely about the mileage as much as it is terrain.  I hunt mainly mountains so it's a lot of vertical climbs.  I did it for decades with a 12g, so it's not that I can't do it.  But I sure don't complain when I have less weight to carry. 

[Hook hanger]

20ga is not as loud and has less recoil. Allows more chances to double or triple up when the situation presents its self. 410 is even better yet!

[g8rvet]

To start I had a pinched nerve in my neck and was out of the load I had well patterned in my 12 gauge 870, so knew I had some patterning to do.  I shoot a 20 for dove and quail because it is plenty of gun for that. I just like the thought of an auto 20 for patterning to be easier on the neck and shoulder which was pretty dang painful at the time.  I got over that, but never got over the light pointing, smaller gun so it easier to walk through the thick briar underbrush in the Florida swamps I seem to be in all spring.  Can hold the little thing up all day with minimal effort and killed birds at 12 gauge ranges.  Got mega sale price on the ammo I liked and am literally stocked up for life.  Plus it is fun to have people look at me and ask me what the little pop gun is. 

So for me, it started as recoil and now it is not about weight and more about the shorter gun to make my walks easier. 

[paboxcall]

Ok the consensus is most folks like a 20 gauge because of weight. Tell me how far do most of you walk on average every time you hunt? On average I might walk 2 miles or less if I'm patient some days sitting longer pays off better. Weight of a shotgun never seems to be a issue for me.

Obviously that depends on the day/terrain/situation, but on average I'd say 3-4 miles.  But for me, it's rarely about the mileage as much as it is terrain.  I hunt mainly mountains so it's a lot of vertical climbs.  I did it for decades with a 12g, so it's not that I can't do it.  But I sure don't complain when I have less weight to carry.

Agree. Total distance start to stop isn't the issue, its the elevation change in between.

[7shooter]

I carry my 20 the majority of the time but still enjoy hunting with my 12 and 10 gauge guns. Be interesting to see if the small gauge craze continues with the rising cost of TSS and low availability.

[Spurs]

Ok the consensus is most folks like a 20 gauge because of weight. Tell me how far do most of you walk on average every time you hunt? On average I might walk 2 miles or less if I'm patient some days sitting longer pays off better. Weight of a shotgun never seems to be a issue for me.

Obviously that depends on the day/terrain/situation, but on average I'd say 3-4 miles.  But for me, it's rarely about the mileage as much as it is terrain.  I hunt mainly mountains so it's a lot of vertical climbs.  I did it for decades with a 12g, so it's not that I can't do it.  But I sure don't complain when I have less weight to carry.

Agree. Total distance start to stop isn't the issue, its the elevation change in between.

Same here on the "depends on the day", but I have averaged 5-7 miles/day when hunting public and more if I'm out of state.  My personally will not let me sit still and if I hear a bird a long way off, I am literally sprinting...except when I went to WV.  Found out really quick sprinting ain't the best ideal up there 

[Which Gun]

I love guns!!! I have a couple of dedicated 12's a 410 so I added a 20. I'm not walking miles and miles so my 870 supermag isn't any problem. So the 20 really shouldn't be a problem.