I purchased a 20 gauge for dove hunting. It was like packing a BB gun in the field. So, I thought I would take it back to South Dakota. I loaded it with 3" #5 and they worked fine on close birds. However, 30-40 yd. shots produced a number of cripples. And, I'm a fair shot. I'm not familiar with shotgun ballistics other than what is on the box. But, my logic was by going 3" and #5 shot might put me closer to a 12 gauge performance. Is there a large ballistic difference in the two cal.? I'm thinking of going back to the 12 gauge this year. But would rather carry the 20.
