Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Anyone Use a 20 Gauge For Pheasants?

I recently picked up a 20 gauge Browning Citori for pheasant and it seemed that everywhere I read, people think that a 20 is too light for a pheasant gun. I never knew you needed a 3.5" 10 gauge for pheasant:) Anyway, I was wondering if anybody uses a 20 for pheasants and if so, what shot should I use. Thanks for the help!

I love to. For years now, I've used a 20 gauge with skeet choke and #4 shot. It's a combination that's worked well for me.

I've used a 20-bore off and on over the years. Hit them with an ounce of 6's out of a 12/16/20 and they go down. Miss them and it doesn't matter what gauge you use.

I have used my 20 off and on for ringnecks for many years.. I usually use a ounce of #5's or 6's.. 5's are my first choice..

I also always have one of my 12's with 3 1/4 - 1 1/4 - #5'S. I for one do see a difference in killing birds with the heavier loads, although they are NOT always needed some days they are good to have..

If you have a #" 20 you can get the same load, and if it patterns well you are in tall clover..

Most of my pheasant guns have either a mod. or imp. mod. choke.. Mostly mod..

Use a 20 alot.
Early season hunting it's more than enough.
By December when they are more jumpy I stick with the 12.

Yep, like the others have said a stout load of #4's is a bone buster. 20 is plenty and I bet that Citori will soon be your go to rooster gun

All I had was a 16 when I lived in Nebraska, so that's what I used. It worked as well as my buddy's 12. No reason a 20 won't do fine.

Some 20's pattern more evenly with #6 than with anything larger, but the pattern board will answer that for you. I had better success with 6's myself, even with larger gauge guns.

A lot of people will tell you that a 12 is the only gauge there is for anything larger than quail. Sometimes the same guys consider the .30-06 the minimum caliber for centerfire rifles. However, one of the best turkeys I ever saw was shot by a beardless youth with a Mossberg 20.

Pheasant hunting is great sport. One of the things I dislike about SW MO is pheasant don't live here.

I load Bluedot powder in a 20 gauge Federal case with a Remington SP20 wad with 1 oz of hard 5's. This load patterns extremely well and drops them in the dirt.

One of older members carried a Browning Citori in 28 gauge shooting Winchester 28 ga factory ammo with #6 shot. He gave me a new respect for what the little 28 can do....he dropped his birds... dead right there.

Doc

Back when pheasant hunting was my life' passion, I used a 12. Not because I deemed it necessary. But because it's what I had. Used a 1400 XTR with a special order 22" VR barrel. Shot 7 1/2's through an IC tube since over my Britts, shot distances were wherever you chose to pull the trigger.

So were I to go out and start all over again today, I would likely carry a 20 o a 28 and be none the disadvantaged over the "old days".

I do.

Yes, I downsized to a 20ga, and do not regret it. #5's.

I like 5's and an IM choke.


DMc

I don't regularly hunt pheasants now, but most of the hunting I did when I had the chance was with a 20ga O/U Browning fixed M/F... Killed them very dead, used Remington copper plated #6s or Fiocci Golden Pheasant (nickel plated).
A couple boxes lasted several seasons.
I preferred the 6s for load density over the 5s and was using tight chokes. With good dogs shots are not long usually.

My X uses a 20 ga Wingmaster for everything from geese to quail with great success. Her load of choice was Federal #6 for longtails.

20 gauge fiocci Golden Pheasant # 6. Ugartechea SxS

I use a 20ga SKB O/U choked mod over full. I like the Fiocchi golden pheasant loads and carry 6's and 5's in my vest.

Usually use 6s in mod barrel and 5s in the full barrel.

Unless the wind is up, then 5s in both.

The only time I carry a 12ga anymore is if shooting steel for mixed bag hunts or waterfowl.

Yes, used a 20 on lots of preserve/planted birds (the majority of what I shoot). Will kill any pheasant DRT. A dozen pellets; 4,5, or 6's, at ~1200 FPS will kill any pheasant out to 30-35 yards regardless if they come out of a 28 or 12 gauge and anything in between. True, you have more pellets to work with if using a heavier shot load. But if you only whack them with 11 pellets with your 12 gauge then 13 pellets at the same speed from a 20 gauge will drop them a tad quicker. It's lead on target that matters, not lead missed with!

I'm a former 27 yard ATA trap shooter and been to Vandalia more than once. Therefore can say I know my way around a shotgun a little bit. Because of recoil I know I shoot better with 20 gauge shotgun. Recoil is not my friend. It would take some really wild, fast flying, long flushing pheasants to make me reach for a 12 gauge.

28.

Two primary guns are a model 12 20 ga and a sweet 16 A5. Loads run 1 oz to 1 1/16 of #6 std gel shells. Work fine. I killed a rooster dead in the air at probably a good 50 yds with the 16 ga last hunt load 1 oz 6s

All I use s a 20 ga with #6's

Last year I used a SXS Imp and Mod choked 20 ga.

I was really surprised how many fell to the Improved barrel; which fires first.

As explained above, hit them center of pattern and they will go down.

All 30 roosters were pointed and flushed by my dogs. I do not shoot at passing roosters.

Most miss because they are slinging lead at out of range birds. If can see the white ring around the roosters neck it is going down.