20 guage too small
#2
RE: 20 guage too small
when i was younger, i shot alot of deer with 20 gauge buckshot. honestly, a couple of people i hunt with still take them when we do drives.
i think 20 gauge bushot is good enough as long as you are within 40 yards or so. i would rather have the extra "oomph" of a 12 gauge if i was using buckshot, but to each their own. this year, on a drive, i took a buddy's gun that was shooting 3 1/2" 12 gauge buckshot and it put a hurting on the two deer i shot. dropeed the first doe, second deer tripped over the first, got up, and i knocked him down.
now, 20 gauge slugs i hear work really well, and many people prefer them. i know my 20 gauge gun (now my brother shoots it) will outgroup my 12 gauge gun at 70 yards.
just my $.02
i think 20 gauge bushot is good enough as long as you are within 40 yards or so. i would rather have the extra "oomph" of a 12 gauge if i was using buckshot, but to each their own. this year, on a drive, i took a buddy's gun that was shooting 3 1/2" 12 gauge buckshot and it put a hurting on the two deer i shot. dropeed the first doe, second deer tripped over the first, got up, and i knocked him down.
now, 20 gauge slugs i hear work really well, and many people prefer them. i know my 20 gauge gun (now my brother shoots it) will outgroup my 12 gauge gun at 70 yards.
just my $.02
#6
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Maryland but stuck in VA
Posts: 206
RE: 20 guage too small
My first deer was a button buck shot at 30 yards with a 20 gauge slug in 2 3/4". It was just a regular, smoothbore. The entry hole was little, the exit hole was huge. At reasonable ranges, a 20 gauge will do the job. I have a friend who's killed deer with a .410 and buckshot at close ranges, but I wouldn't recommend it (it's illegal in MD too).
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#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location:
Posts: 1,394
RE: 20 guage too small
A .44 magnum and a 410 shotgun slug are very similar ballisticaly, but for some reason people are very impressed the the .44 and not so impressed with the 410. Maybe Dirty Harry had something to do with it. Anyway, another fact is that buck shot is very limited in power and accuracy. Go ahead and fire back at me, but do your research first. Having studied buck shot, I would never take it hunting, unless slugs were not allowed.
That said, if I had a twenty and wanted to go deer hunting, I'd load it up with slugs. No reason in the world not to. If slugs were not allowed, I think I'd have to go buy a 12 or even a 10ga.
Not really realated, but just thought you may want to know. I just bought my son his first shot gun. It is a twenty ga. 870. It is what he requested for X-mas.
Good luck.
That said, if I had a twenty and wanted to go deer hunting, I'd load it up with slugs. No reason in the world not to. If slugs were not allowed, I think I'd have to go buy a 12 or even a 10ga.
Not really realated, but just thought you may want to know. I just bought my son his first shot gun. It is a twenty ga. 870. It is what he requested for X-mas.
Good luck.