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hi guys what do you think about 20ga on ducks i have a db stevens that i might get fixed to shot steel out of it like to no what everyone thinks about 20ga and is there any canadain hunter that come into here have not seen any so far but then in just new here thanks for any help on the 20ga

Wingmaster:

First, I'm not sure you can easily fix that Stevens to shoot steel. If you mean by opening chokes that might work, but depending on the age, the steel might effect the solder between the barrels. I haven't had any experience with doing that, so am just speculating.

Second, while the 20 ga with steel will certainly kill ducks, you really need to use 3 inch shells which your gun may or may not be chambered for. I'm kind of prejudiced, I don't like a 20 for anything, but it will certainly kill 'em if you restrict your ranges to good decoying range, say 35 yards or less.

While I'm a long ways from Canada, I've gone to the Swift Current, Sask area duck/goose hunting for many of the last 20 years or so. Missed last year, drat, but certainly intend on going this year. Where are you located?

I have used a couple of 20 gauges for duck hunting. I tried a variety of steel loads and was not awestruck by their effectiveness. I then had a chance to try some bismuth and was converted. #4s and #5s (the 1-1/16 oz, 3" factory load) worked very well for me in the 20 for shots within about 35 yards, killing mallards at least as well as the 12-ga steel loads. Bismuth is supposed to be safe for softer steel bbls too. I have been shooting it in a 1970s vintage SKB SxS for a couple years now and still have bright, shiny bores.

FWIW

tq

Don't know if it will work in your gun, but a friend of mine has shot some birds with Hevi-Shot and says it's better than lead.

Hevi-shot is wonderful stuff and it is better than lead, but it is costly, especially for starving Canadians with the beef ban on <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />, and it is as hard or harder than steel so he has the same problem as far as suitability of the gun is concerned.

true on the hardness of the shot i had may 12gs full choke open to mod from gunsmith he told me it be ok to shoot steel in it i was thinking of doing the same with the 20ga if the choke's were open up might work as well thanks for all ur help guys hope the ban last little longer then ill be able to buy the best beef in the world at good price lol <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Modified is suppose to be the tightest choke for steel, but steel will eventually screw up any choke. That's the big advantage to screw in chokes, when it gets messed up you just replace the choke. You could have it changed to screw in chokes but it's expensive. I have to disagree with your smith, reaming it out to modified won't make it suitable for steel. IMO.

A 20 ga. works fine on ducks, within it's limits. If you shoot Bismuth, you won't have to change anything on the gun or worry about any damage, except to your wallet. Hevi-shot is as hard as steel, and both of them have the nasty potential to separate the barrels from the rib with lots of use through tight chokes (a ring bulge may develop just ahead of the choke constriction, separating the barrel from the rib).

If this is your close-range grouse gun, the best choking for it would be OC/IC. Believe me. Have a gunsmith ream them out. And now, coincidently, you've also got a nice close-range duck gun that you can shoot some steel through. And keep the shot sizes to about #2 maximum, otherwise you'll risk damaging the forcing cone. Considering it'll be for close range work (25 yards and under) on ducks (not geese), then #4 will work just fine.

I'd also recommend getting the fastest steel loads possible, and stay away from the slower, heavier magnums. Shoot a 3" if it gives you more speed, but don't go to it for payload.

grouseman

(P.S. I'm a Manitoban)

I have two 20 ga. duck hunters who do very well with 3" Hevishot #6 Waterfowl Loads from Remington. The two guns, an 870 Rem and a Mossy Bantam 500, the Rem with a Mod Rem choke and the Mossy with Trulock Skeet #2 chokes are lethal to 35 yards. An IM choke adds another 10-12 yards. These loads put ~267 pellets in to 70% patterns at 30 yards.

Yes they are expensive but the kids get more ducks with 10 Hevishot rounds than with 25 steel #2's so the price per kill is about a wash.

Also it can be very motivating to my 3.5 12 guage steel buddys to think that they might be out shot by a couple of kids with funny shot coming out of a 20 guage

I bought an 870 express in 20 a couple of years ago. It worked as good with no3 steel as my buddy's 3in 12 did from the blind. then I tried bismuth , nearly had heart failure from the price , but it took less shots per bird than steel so it sort of evened up. Now I reload my own bismuth shells.
If I get a chance to go this year I have gathered a couple of boxes of heavi shot and am curious to see if they work as good as the advertisements say.

Ditto to what some others have said. I would avoid steel shot esp in a 20 ga. And if you shoot Bismuth you could avoid the gunsmithing cost all together. Bismuth does a decent job on game without compromising your barrel.

20 ga. will work just fine. use heavi shot, you'll get more range and won't have to do anything to the gun. I've even used 28 ga. for jump shooting ducks.

Got a chance to go duck hunting yesterday, with the cold front the light wind and inch an hour snow it was a fantastic day for ducks. I was using my 20 with the hevi shot. It worked beautifully. Shooting over decoys on the river it dropped those ducks very nicely. Haven't seen anything like it since the last time we could use lead. I think no 6 shot was better than 4 but either one was deadly.

Ripsnort - it's a 20ga 870express , modified choke. The birds we shot were all mallard drakes. The decoys were mostly flambeau I think. I was the guest of the local game warden. He has a good blind down on the Platte. It truly was awsome to see the amount of ducks we saw. You know it's gonna be good when they try to land in the spread while you're still setting out deeks. Had a robo duck and a blue heron confidence.
Like I said the number of ducks was phenominal just clouds and clouds of them going over. Joe was even impressed, he said he didn't know there were anywhere near that many ducks around. And thats sorta part of his job to know what critters are here.