20 gauge for turkey?

[luieb45]

I was thinking of getting a ml shotgun and using for turkey hunting, rabbit hunting, squirrel hunting, and maybe a few dove hunts. What kind of range could I get with a 20 gauge ml shotgun with a cylinder bore? Would it be big enough? Would a 12 gauge fit my uses better? Thanks.

 

[Dave K]

All the proof you would need would be in patterning the gun. Sure a 12 ga. can throw more lead, but if the 20ga. gives good patterns and energy out to the range you expect to score at, it will work fine. Spend some time patterning the gun and you will know for sure. What one guns does, may not be what your gun does.

 

[rabjr]

.20 will do just fine if your a good caller and get em in close. Otherwise you may want to jug choke that .20 but then it's probably a dedicated turkey gun then. Excuse to get another one! :wink:

 

[luieb45]

Well I'm not exactly the best caller. Does a 12 gauge tear up rabbits and squirrels that much?

 

[rabjr]

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I plan to use my 10 gauge for everything from rabbits and squirrels to grouse and turkey. I'll just vary the weight of the shot and the load and the powder charge according to what I'm after that day. There's no reason why a 10 or 12 bore should tear up small game anymore than a smallbore if it's loaded properly, plus the bigger bore can be used more effectively with heavy shot loads due its ability to produce a shorter shot string.

 

[roundball]

I was thinking of getting a ml shotgun and using for turkey hunting, rabbit hunting, squirrel hunting, and maybe a few dove hunts.

The .62cal/.20ga is fine for small game...here one reference web site of .62cal information that I've followed and its worked for me.
http://members.aye.net/~bspen/SmoothboreLoads.html

What kind of range could I get with a 20 gauge ml shotgun with a cylinder bore?

25yds give or take a few depending on the size of the game and the load configuration used.

Would it be big enough?

Based upon my experience, yes

 

[Skychief]

I was thinking of getting a ml shotgun and using for turkey hunting, rabbit hunting, squirrel hunting, and maybe a few dove hunts.

The .62cal/.20ga is fine for small game...here one reference web site of .62cal information that I've followed and its worked for me.
http://members.aye.net/~bspen/SmoothboreLoads.html

What kind of range could I get with a 20 gauge ml shotgun with a cylinder bore?

25yds give or take a few depending on the size of the game and the load configuration used.

Would it be big enough?

Based upon my experience, yes

DITTO! :thumbsup:

 

[paulvallandigham]

With BP shotguns, you can load DOWN- ie. a 16, 20, or 28 gauge load, for shooting small game. You don't have to shoot lots of powder or shot, JUST BECAUSE Its a 12 gauge!

For Dove, you want to be using #8, or #7 1/2 Shot. For Rabbits and Squirrels, where you are not having to shoot through a thick canopy of leaves, use #6 shot. In the early Squirrel Seasons, where the leaves are all on the trees, consider using #5 shot instead, as they carry a bit more pellet energy and penetrate further.

Whether a load "tears" up game " too much " depends entirely on the load used, how much choke is in the barrel, and at what distance you take the shot. YOu will learn these answers about a given gun and load by shooting at various measure distances. Most people are shocked, for instance, to learn that the shot column doe NOT open until about 9 feet from the muzzle, regardless of whether the barrel is choked or not. And, you will be surprised at how open the pattern is at 20 yards- 60 feet. At 30 yards, without choke, its difficult to keep enough shot in a pattern to be sure of killing some game, unless the barrel is choked. So, you will find the limitations of your shotgun simply by shooting at paper targets in 5 yard increments. You will also find out where the POI of a load is, as compared to your POA. That is the primary reason for testing your load on paper- so you know where to aim to put the load on your target. :thumbsup:

 

[No Deer]

hmmmm.....didn't hear no complaints from none of the turkeys I have taken with my 20 ga. trade gun. :thumbsup: Like someone else said, just let em get close

 

[luieb45]

So if I were to use a cylinder bore 20 gauge with no. 5 shot and loaded as heavy as possible for turkey how much range would I have?

 

[luieb45]

Would it throw better patterns if it were a green mountain barrel?

 

[longfowler]

still only about 20 to 25 yards - maybe 26 if it was a Green Mountain barrel, but only if it was used in the Green Mountain State!

 

[rabjr]

What matters is the cylinder bore and how long that barrel is. You'll find out when you pattern the gun, try turkey targets at 20, 25, 30 yards. You just maybe surprised and disappointed. Now jug choke that barrel to full and you'll be surprised, if you load and do everything right, just what it can do at 35, 40 yards.

Just don't ask much from a short cylinder bore gun cause your not going to get it.

 

[Jason Lewis]

have good patterns and keep your shots inside 30yrds and you should be fine. don't shoot more than 1 1/2 oz of shot though. too much for a 20.

 

[buttonbuck]

I own the gm smoothbore 20 gauge percussion I only shot round balls so far. IS it the case that you match the powder amount to the pellets. For example if I measured 80 grains of 2f I would load a measured 80 grains of shot of any granulation say #5 since could use this grade of shot for small game and turkey? Is this a guideline and say go five or ten grains any way plus or minus? I was currious since i want to hunt a turkey this spring and would obviously need to spend some quality time with my firearms.

 

[Protrucker]

IS it the case that you match the powder amount to the pellets.

That usually considered a good starting load. Try that & see what your patterns look like. Often, people end up with a load that has more shot than powder to eliminate a hole in the middle of the pattern. You just have to experiment & see what works best in your gun.

 

[lone hunter]

I bought a .62cal GM barrel last year for turkey hunting. Used the recommendations from folks on this site and it worked great. Took a few paper shots to get things where I wanted then I was good to go.

 

[Jason Lewis]

I own the gm smoothbore 20 gauge percussion I only shot round balls so far. IS it the case that you match the powder amount to the pellets. For example if I measured 80 grains of 2f I would load a measured 80 grains of shot of any granulation say #5 since could use this grade of shot for small game and turkey? Is this a guideline and say go five or ten grains any way plus or minus? I was currious since i want to hunt a turkey this spring and would obviously need to spend some quality time with my firearms.

that's correct, start with equal volumes of powder and shot, then either add a little shot or add or subtract a little shot or powder. as an actual working rule of thumb, this should get you pretty close to a great pattern.