20-gauge shotgun
Encyclopedia
The 20-gauge
shotgun is a type of smoothbore shotgun
that is smaller in caliber (.615) than a 12 gauge(.729). It takes 20 lead balls of the diameter of a 20-gauge shotgun bore to equal 1 pound, while it only takes 12 lead balls of the diameter of a 12-gauge shotgun bore to equal the same amount. A 20-gauge shotgun is sometimes considered more suitable for hunting
certain types of game, because it damages less meat
,which makes it suitable for most game birds. The 20 gauge is also well suited for turkey hunting because you are only aiming for the neck and head.
20-gauge shotguns are especially suitable for hunting game birds such as quail and grouse, and other small game when using shot shells. A 20-gauge can also shoot slugs
and thereby become an effective deer
-hunting gun. 20-gauge shotguns loaded with slugs are usually less accurate than rifle
s, but they often have better stopping power
at short range—although this depends on the amount of gun powder in the shell's
load.
Deer and upland birds are not the only suitable game for the 20 gauge, its very common for a hunter to use this firearm to hunt for squirrels, rabbits, and waterfowl. In addition to this, many sport shooters will participate with the 20 gauge at sporting events such as skeet and trap tournaments.
The 20 gauge shell is the only shell with a mandated color: Yellow. This was to help people not load the 20 ga shell into a 16 ga shotgun and cause a very dangerous situation. Other than 20 ga, the color of the shell is up to the manufacturer.
This is the second most popular shotgun and the price of ammunition is usually identical to that of a 12 gauge. However the most common buck load for the 20 gauge is #2, which is smaller than the common #00 found in 12 gauge, however more rare, there are larger buck shot loads available for the 20 gauge. Most other shotguns will have a higher cost of ammunition, however sometimes the .410 at certain dealers will be just as cheap, but is usually limited only to bird shot.
In addition, a 20-gauge shotguns can often have less recoil
than 10, 12 or 16-gauge versions on average, and may be more desirable to those who want to experience less recoil for prolonged shooting. The lower recoil also makes a 20-gauge appropriate for younger shooters who may have a difficult time firing a larger shotgun. However recoil is largely dependent on the weight of the gun itself, for instance, a 4.5 pound 20 gauge can have more recoil than an 8 pound 12 gauge. This is widely considered a flaw in the design of so called 'Youth' guns.
Gauge (bore diameter)
The gauge of a firearm is a unit of measurement used to express the diameter of the barrel. Gauge is determined from the weight of a solid sphere of lead that will fit the bore of the firearm, and is expressed as the multiplicative inverse of the sphere's weight as a fraction of a pound . Thus...
shotgun is a type of smoothbore shotgun
Shotgun
A shotgun is a firearm that is usually designed to be fired from the shoulder, which uses the energy of a fixed shell to fire a number of small spherical pellets called shot, or a solid projectile called a slug...
that is smaller in caliber (.615) than a 12 gauge(.729). It takes 20 lead balls of the diameter of a 20-gauge shotgun bore to equal 1 pound, while it only takes 12 lead balls of the diameter of a 12-gauge shotgun bore to equal the same amount. A 20-gauge shotgun is sometimes considered more suitable for hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
certain types of game, because it damages less meat
Meat
Meat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
,which makes it suitable for most game birds. The 20 gauge is also well suited for turkey hunting because you are only aiming for the neck and head.
20-gauge shotguns are especially suitable for hunting game birds such as quail and grouse, and other small game when using shot shells. A 20-gauge can also shoot slugs
Shotgun slug
A shotgun slug is a heavy lead projectile, that may have pre-cut rifling, intended for use in a shotgun and often used for hunting large game. The first effective shotgun slug was introduced by Wilhelm Brenneke in 1898, and his design remains in use today...
and thereby become an effective deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
-hunting gun. 20-gauge shotguns loaded with slugs are usually less accurate than rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s, but they often have better stopping power
Stopping power
Stopping power is a colloquial term used to describe the ability of a firearm or other weapon to cause a penetrating ballistic injury to a target, human or animal, sufficient to incapacitate the target where it stands....
at short range—although this depends on the amount of gun powder in the shell's
Shotgun shell
A shotgun shell is a self-contained cartridge loaded with lead shot or shotgun slug designed to be fired from a shotgun....
load.
Deer and upland birds are not the only suitable game for the 20 gauge, its very common for a hunter to use this firearm to hunt for squirrels, rabbits, and waterfowl. In addition to this, many sport shooters will participate with the 20 gauge at sporting events such as skeet and trap tournaments.
The 20 gauge shell is the only shell with a mandated color: Yellow. This was to help people not load the 20 ga shell into a 16 ga shotgun and cause a very dangerous situation. Other than 20 ga, the color of the shell is up to the manufacturer.
This is the second most popular shotgun and the price of ammunition is usually identical to that of a 12 gauge. However the most common buck load for the 20 gauge is #2, which is smaller than the common #00 found in 12 gauge, however more rare, there are larger buck shot loads available for the 20 gauge. Most other shotguns will have a higher cost of ammunition, however sometimes the .410 at certain dealers will be just as cheap, but is usually limited only to bird shot.
In addition, a 20-gauge shotguns can often have less recoil
Recoil
Recoil is the backward momentum of a gun when it is discharged. In technical terms, the recoil caused by the gun exactly balances the forward momentum of the projectile and exhaust gasses, according to Newton's third law...
than 10, 12 or 16-gauge versions on average, and may be more desirable to those who want to experience less recoil for prolonged shooting. The lower recoil also makes a 20-gauge appropriate for younger shooters who may have a difficult time firing a larger shotgun. However recoil is largely dependent on the weight of the gun itself, for instance, a 4.5 pound 20 gauge can have more recoil than an 8 pound 12 gauge. This is widely considered a flaw in the design of so called 'Youth' guns.