20 ga Feather lightning

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Honeybun0196

New member
I’ve been shooting a 12 gauge white lightning for a couple years and planning on getting a 20 shortly. I was planning on going with the regular white lightning but the weight of the feather sounds pretty nice. I’ve been kinda weary on the aluminum alloy on the feather not holding up like the regular full steel model. Has anyone ever heard or known of any problems with the feather’s or should they hold up to everything and last just as long. I’d guess I might shoot 6-10 flats of shells a year at the most, and majority of those being 1 1/4 oz 7 1/2’s with some 5 & 6’s. It definitely won’t be a safe queen or just a looker, it’s gonna get used and tossed around.
 
BrownDogsCan2 said:
What do you shoot so many heavy shells at?
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Probably out of habit or incase I go back to my benelli SBE2. I’ve never had any issues with my benelli cycling 1 oz loads but I’ve always just shot the 1 1/4 oz and figured the little extra pellets couldn’t hurt. I mostly shoot 7 1/2’s dog training, skeets and a little dove hunting mostly the 5’s and 6’s are if I’m shooting hunt tests or the once or twice a year we get to make a trip somewhere for wild birds. It’s probably more of a mind thing than anything else just hard to get out of old habits.
 
Speaking from experience, shooting 1 1/4 ounce out of a light 20 can hurt. But it will mostly be your shoulder and ability to not flinch that will be hurt if you are shooting high volume with those loads.

Shoot 7/8 ounce (or 3/4) for dog training or clays and you will be fine. Save the 1 1/4 for hunting.
 
Sorry about that guys Guess my comments are kinda confusing on how I worded it. That’s basically what I’ve always shot with the 12 gauge but not necessarily what I’m looking to shoot with the 20. I’ve never really looked into the 20 ga shells but would assume they’d be lighter loads in general. I’m not worried to much about recoil or shells yet. I figured I’d probably end up going with fiocchi golden pheasant 5’s for pheasant and decent 7 1/2’s for training and skeet. I was mostly just wondering on how the aluminum feather would hold up compared to the steel white lightning. I would assume the feather would hold up way longer than I ever will but just wanted to know if anyone had ever had any problems out of them.
 
I shoot the 16ga White Lightening and really enjoy it. I only shoot a 1oz load of #6 shot for pheasants. It does a great job on the birds.
 
Thanks thats what I was looking to hear. Up until recently I was planning on getting a 16 after I had been shooting my 12 for a little bit. But got to thinking the extra weight savings on the 20 will be worth it over the 16. And like was said earlier I can back off and shoot lighter loads and do just fine without all the kick. There shouldn’t be any reason a 20 shouldn’t handle most everything I shoot.
 
Thanks, after some looking that’s what I was starting to think would be a good start to cover most anything I do. If I can’t shoot lead I’ve went to bismuth, would yall say stick with 5’s or would it be better to drop down to 4’s.
 
5s. By far. Im assuming pointing dogs? If not then bismuth would work betyer. But you will never need 3 inch for pheasant. Been hunting them 30 yrs, and nope never.
 
I’ve never really hunted with pointers much. I’ve got a springer and the rest of our hunting and training crowd have boykins. It’s a pretty good hike to wild birds for us so we only get a week or so that we go each year. I have been shooting lead and bismuth 5’s the last few years with the 12. I just wasn’t sure if the bismuth 4’s would be better in the 20 or is pretty much 1 1/8 oz 5’s the same rather is coming from a 12 or 20?
 
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