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?
 
Honeybun0196 said:
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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No, I don't think an once or an once and an 1/8 are the same coming out of a 12 or 20. You are trying to squeeze the same amount of shot through a much smaller tube which can effect your pattern. The usual 2 3/4" 20 gauge shell holds 1 oz. of shot versus a 12 which normally contains 1 1/4 oz. Since you are using less shot I would tend to shoot either 5 or 6 shot in the 20 for a denser pattern. I personally don't like 4's in the 20 gauge for that reason. And if you go to a 3" shell now you are trying to shove 1 1/4 oz of shot down that 20 gauge tube which in many cases can result in blown patterns. The only way you will know which size shot and amount of shot function best in your gun is to pattern it.

Something else to consider is a Feather in 16 gauge. Weight is very similar to the 20 gauge since the Citori 16's are built on a modified 20 gauge frame. The frame in the 16 if just a tad wider to accomodate the larger barrels. With the 16 you will be shooting 1 1/8 oz of shot (lead) versus 1 oz in the 20 and the 16's have a history of throwing a better pattern. Just food for thought.
 
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Makes sense, rather shoot a lighter load that puts more pellets where you need them. Instead the heavier load that’s scattered everywhere or big holes.

The. 16 does sound good especially if it’s close to the same weight. I figured it was closer to the size of the 12. I think I will eventually end up getting a 16 feather, but gonna stick with the 20 for now and see how it works out.

Figured I’d go ahead and start picking up some shells . Went with fiocchi golden pheasant 5’s 1200fps for hunting, 1 oz 7 1/2 & 6’s for training. I’m sure 7 1/2’s are fine on pen raised pheasant but rather shoot the 6’s to make sure. End up ordering Boss 3” 1 1/8 oz 4’s bismuth. Thinking they that they might be a little better than the 5’s for longer shots or if we shoot any ducks. Thought that wouldn’t be a bad place to start
 
I honestly don't know how many heavy field loads that you would have to shoot from an alloy framed O/U to cause damage but it would have to be a bunch and the beating you would take makes me think you would wear out before the gun.
I shoot 1 1/4 oz field loads from my alloy framed 12 ga, 1 1/8oz from my alloy framed 16 ga and 1oz from my alloy framed 20 ga. optimistically one flat between the three but realistically maybe 150 loads all at game birds each year. I won't live long enough to wear them out!
 
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I’d think the gun should outlast me and my kids, especially being a field gun and not shooting flats of shells at skeet every week. I’ve alway been more is better and rather have something overbuilt but trying to get away from that mentality for a 20 since that would defeat the whole purpose of getting away from the 12.

I did end up ordering a half flat of Epic bismuth 3” 1 1/8 oz #5’s to try out. Has anyone else shoot them or know anything about them? Looks like they’re maybe along the same lines as BOSS shells and claim they use better bismuth but who knows. I was gonna try Salt Creek but looked like they only have TSS at the time. Figured if I waited till later in the year after everybody gets stocked back up the prices might be gone up were than they are now. Heres the epics shells
 

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