20 ga. loads & chokes

20 ga gun loads

I use a 20 ga o/u Winchester 101 (1964) impcylinder/mod. On wild birds I use 1 1/8 or1 1/4 oz of lead six. On preserve birds I use 1 oz of 5 or 6 tungsten matrix. This is over a pointing dog. I attempt to limit my shots to 35 yards or less. These loads have worked well for me in Iowa, SD, and IL.
 
I have shot exactly 4 pheasants with a 20 bore. Used a little o/u choked IC/M with 1oz. of 6s on preserve birds. Hammered em.

However I have 4 friends who hunt Kansas with me who shoot 20ga. exclusively. Three are sxs or o/u guys and all choke IC/M, the one auto shooter shoots mod. They are normally using 1 or 1 1/8oz of lead no.6s.

Their kill to shot ratio is as good as any of the bigger gauge guys in the group but they are all experienced hunters and you won't see many shots attempted past 35 yards, which is a smart thing IMO.

I am usually a die-hard 16ga. man but I picked up an older Beretta o/u 20ga. recently. It is choked IC/M and has worked great on clays and decoyed ducks in the past season. Gonna try it this coming season when I head west.

BobM
 
20 ga loads and chokes

Hello 20 ga shooters...

Have used a 20 ga, imp. cyl, 26" barrel, auto for the past 9 years. The shell varies, but have great success with 7.5 shell, but take no long shots. Pellet count between a 6 and 7.5 is significant - 281 vs 437.

Last season a friend gave me 3" 1.25 #6, copper magnums...they really work well with my 20 ga., but a very pricey shell.

Jon
 
rem. nitro pheasants, 3 inch, 1 1/4 oz of #5's out of o/u choked IC/mod are 'my' choice
 
One of my favorite pheasant guns is a Citori Classic Lightning 20. For skeet/clays/birds it has an I/C in both tubes. The pheasant ammo is either Federal Wing-Shok 3" #5 or Win Super-Pheasant 3" #6. No long shots needed, as most shots are in the 25-35 yard range over two pointing labs.
 
chokes,shells - 20 ga

Does anyone else experience difficulty in finding 3" shells for a 20 ga?
 
I use 2 handloads- a 2.75" 1oz load of 7 at 1300fps and a 3" 1 1/8 oz load of 6 at similiar speed. The 2.75 has handled wild Iowa birds with authority at all conventional shotgun range. The idea was to go to the 3" for longer range and later season but I've hardly had to shoot the load as the first barrel 7s have been that good.

First few weeks of season I choke SK/IC and go to IC/M later on in a sxs.
 
jonnyB said:
Does anyone else experience difficulty in finding 3" shells for a 20 ga?
Click to expand...

Should be no problem. Any decent gun shop will have them, around here even Wal*Mart has them. As a last resort you can order them on-line from any source which sells ammo.
 
Lefty, I don't know what all this hype about needing 3 inch to shoot pheasant with a 20 gauge is about. But I do know this "BullCrap." I have been shooing a 20 gauge for well over 25 years. The laws of physics is the same for a 12 gauge as for a 20 gauge. I will talk in "Standard Hunting Loads. These loads have been around for many many years. " For a 12 ga. 1 1/4 ounce shot at 1330 FPS. 20 ga. 1 ounce shot at 1220 FPS. These loads are known for their successful killing power. The only real factor is the "skill of the shooter."
I shoot mainly O/U's I like 2 different choke combo's. I/C bottom... Light Mod. Top..... Light Mod. Bottom... Reg. Mod Top. The difference is the dogs. A Flushing type dog, I will use the LM bottom and RM Top. chokes 6 shot top.... 5 shot Bottom. Over my Brittany. I use IC and 7 shot Bottom....6 shot and LM Top. That is true 7 shot, not 7.5 shot. Good shooting.........Bob
 
Last edited:
I hunt over springers and I shoot my 28 and 20ga exclusively on wild pheasants. After the first week is over out comes my 20. Ic/mod and I (and my gun) like winchester super x pheasant loads 1oz of 7.5s or 6s at 1300fps. Kills them dead out to 40 yds anything longer than that I pass unless th bird already has a dropped leg.
 
My girls drop them with Polywad or RST 2 1/2 " #6 7/8ths ounce or 3/4 ounce, depending on what specific load. But all are light recoil, low pressure. They pick their shots, and are careful but the loads kill, and pattern beautifully. I have seen english gunners drop driven "high bird", pheasants at incredible range using what would be equivelent to a ordinary U.S. high base 2 3/4 inch 20 load. Most of these gunners shoot 12's with 1 ounce loads, they think they have stepped up to the nosebleed company when they shoot 1 1/8th's loads!
 
I'll bite on the "why" of the 3" 20 ga load. My reasoning in using the 3" is for the use of larger pellets. The good old 12 ga recipe of 1.25 oz at 1330 I still consider the gold standard. The 1oz load of the 20 ga is most definitely a killer. But for the guy that likes 5s or 4s, that drop of a quarter ounce is alot of pellets- 212 vs 170 in #5 shot. SO for larger pellets I will use the longer hull to get my pellet count back up.

Now I can hear the internet long knives getting pulled with a "heres one of those guys that thinks he has a 12 guage in a 20 load". Not true. A 20 is still a 20, the longer shell has more pellet scrub, etc, etc. I have no illusions of it being an equal to the 12. Inside 30 yards I think I can safely say you'd see no practical difference- but ballistics and physics will always make the 12 supreme.

All that said, I'm with Bob on the true #7 shot and I can't leave the 1 oz load alone long enough to really use the 3". When the going gets tough enough that those bigger pellets are needed I find myself reaching for the 12, and I've hardly shot the 3" loads I've made. I'm considering a "yellow only" season next year to push the limits of the 20 all around.

Keep also in mind all of my argument assumes use of lead. I hate non toxics and find the whole concept silly.
 
Bobeyerite, I will be shooting 1oz. loads of #5 in my 20 ga Citori in SD on wild pheasants. I will be hunting with flushing dogs. I was thinking L.M. bottom barrel and I.M. top barrel. Would this be O.K. or too tight?
 
Lefty, That is dependent on your swing speed. An old duffer like me Old and slow, Yea, the IM second barrel would be fine. But for a young person with quick reflexes. The IM would be too tight. Reg. Mod. would work much better there.........Bob
 
Going to Nebraska this year first time hunting prarie grouse,,been hunting Kansas and SD pheasants and do well with my 20ga....Sharptails any tougher??should I need more gun? or will old faithfull get it done..
 
Never fear, Cocktails, that 20 will get the job done and then some. It is the skill of the shooter that is going to be the problem.........Bob
 
cocktailsncigars said:
Going to Nebraska this year first time hunting prarie grouse,,been hunting Kansas and SD pheasants and do well with my 20ga....Sharptails any tougher??should I need more gun? or will old faithfull get it done..
Click to expand...

3" Magnum 6's and a Mod choke would be my choice. Most Sharptail don't hold close, at least in my experience. Shots tend to be on the long side.
 
IC bottom, Mod top using 2 3/4" RST #7 shot. Most shots are 35-yards or less, tho I have clean-killed birds out to 45. Put the bird in the pattern & the bird goes down.
 
quail hound said:
I hunt over springers and I shoot my 28 and 20ga exclusively on wild pheasants. After the first week is over out comes my 20. Ic/mod and I (and my gun) like winchester super x pheasant loads 1oz of 7.5s or 6s at 1300fps. Kills them dead out to 40 yds anything longer than that I pass unless th bird already has a dropped leg.
Click to expand...
Where do you hunt wild Pheasants and kill them at 40 yards with 7.5 at 40 yards in Calif. ??
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top