12 gauge 2.75" vs. 20 gauge 3"
How do these compare performance wise?
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close in PERFORMANCE but 3 inch 20 Ga. will cost 3 times as much as dove loads in a 12Ga. 0 -
If you're just looking at mass and velocity of shot, the heavy-loaded 20s are comparable to ordinary 12s:
See here for lots of data if you want to compare individual loads:
http://www.winchester.com/PRODUCTS/shotshell-ammunition/Performance/Super-X-Shotshell/Pages/default.aspx
Per Winchester, with similar 1.25 ounce payloads of #6 shot, the 2.75" 12 gauge can spit them out as fast as 1400 fps (depending on which type of shell), with the 20 gauge putting them out a 1175fps. Other brands claim up to 1300 fps for 1.25 ounce 3" 20 gauge shells, making them fully comparable to standard 2.75" 12g shells.
But there is a little more to it than that. 12 gauge has a wider bore, which means a shorter shot string and denser pattern with the same payload. 12 gauge, obviously, is usually a bigger heavier gun, which can be good (reduces recoil) or bad (slows swing speed, heavier to carry around all day) depending on your perspective.
Apart from ballistics, 12 gauge shells are easier to find, typically available in a much better variety of brands, pellet sizes, and payloads (eg you can go up to 1.5 oz of shot with these), and less expensive. There is also a wider variety of 12g guns to choose from.
If you want to shoot things other than small birds and/or clays, a 12 is potentially going to give you more versatility.0 -
Study up on shot strings. The longer the string, the more scatter. This is why the brits use 2 1/2 shells. 0 -
Just courious as I'm looking for a 20 gauage for my son and the Rem 870 and Moss 500 are 3" chambers but will probably never shoot 3" as the cost over a 2.75 does not make much sense to me. 0 -
2.75" will generally pattern better from a 3" chamber. Go with the Rem 870. 0 -
12 guage will have a shorter shot load/string resulting in better patterning and will usually cost less than 3" 20 guage. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by utbrowningman
Just courious as I'm looking for a 20 gauage for my son and the Rem 870 and Moss 500 are 3" chambers but will probably never shoot 3" as the cost over a 2.75 does not make much sense to me.
I'd get him a 12 ga. The 12 ga. kicks less than the lighter 20 ga. and he'll be a better shot with the 12 ga. My Grandpa gave me a 410 as my first shotgun when I was 9 years old and that was the worse thing you could give a kid. You've got to be a good shot to hit something with a 410 and it only discourages young shooters when they can't hit something. My Dad bought me a Remington 20 ga. Wing Master the next year but he should have bought a 12 ga. for me instead of the 20.0 -
With the 20 ga 2 3/4 your loads would go from 3/4 oz to 1 1/8 oz; the 3" gets you to 1 1/4oz; but the velocity on the heaviest loads rarely break 1200 fps. Loads with the 12 ga 2 3/4 go from 7/8 oz to 1 1/2 oz. Since the 12 is a larger bore, it will be able to push a similar amount of shot to a higher velocity than the 20. For informal use, the 20 would be better for light loads and the heavier loads for upland birds. The 12s forte is when you get into formal targets or heavy loads. I find that most of the birds I shoot (Pheasants, chukars) are with 1-1 1/8 oz and smaller birds and clays with 3/4-7/8 oz. And for this the 16 ga cannot be beat. 0 -
The versatility of a 12 ga 2 3/4, is hard to beat. I've bought two kinds of 2 3/4 factory loads that were 2-ounce loads, one being #10 shot, and the other on the opposite end of the spectrum with two 1-ounce .65 caliber roundballs. Bumble bee loads to bear loads, LOL. 0 -
3" shells make sense if you're trying to maximize ("stretch") performance from a 20 a little bit. The bigger shells are usually used from a 12 in goose or turkey hunting where you're trying to maximize range.
I'll say from experience, that recoil on a 20 with the "high brass" (heavy) loads is NOT lighter than a 12 with similar loads.
In fact, the last time I "A-B"d them, I've found recoil to be quite a bit harsher with the 20! That was probably because the 20 gun was lighter, but it may also have been because the smaller 20 gun was a poorer fit to my personal anatomy.
IMO fit of gun to shooter is actually more important than the shell type because if that's "wrong" shooting is going to be difficult and unpleasant.0
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