doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com If a 12ga,16ga, and a 20ga. all loaded with 1oz ?

Maybe the best pattern would be out of a bore large enough that none of the pellets were lying under any other pellet. Something like a -0000 bore gun with a 1" long shell.

Nope. Ballisticians can pick nits all day, but the 20 would still be lighter, carry better and mount quicker throughout a hard day's hunt.

Of all the variables in wingshooting - gunner skills, gun fit, weight and balance, choke, pattern, shot weight, range, bird species, etc. - bore size is one of the least important IMHO (I confess that, over the years, I probably owe more than a few kills to those deformed shot at the edge of the pattern ). Shoot the gun and load that works best for you, and leave the worrying to the bean counters.

My experiences and not scientifically tested are, the best shooters down cleanly the most birds. Although there are game limits I want to try to kill cleanly and not leave cripples when ever possible, if a pattern is more efficient with less thin spots it should kill cleaner. Most 16 bore shotguns are lighter then 20's or about the same therefore I like 16's to carry lighter and mount quicker then most 20's (not all). If I am hunting late season wild pheasants, I prefer a more modern 12 that can handle a hotter load.
The most important aspect is to work on your shooting and you will kill more and more cleanly.

Jeff G.
I hunt mostly with 16's but also use 12's and 20's depending on game bird and wild or not. and also the type of dog and terrain can play a part. Mostly I pick the gun I shoot the best.

I have never quite been able to figure how to fire a "Square" load down a "Round" bbl.
Actually I believe the "Original" definition of a square load was one in which the shot column had the same length in the bore as it's dia, while one which weighed the same as the round ball, was simply a round ball equivelent load. A square load can thus be fabricated for any gauge desired (volume for a cyl of L =D is ~Dcube/4) Volume for 1oz of shot is a nominal (varies according to exact size & alloy) .288 cuin. One soon sees the Sq load is useful mostly in the 10 & 12 ga's being approx 1¼ & 1 1/16 oz respectfully.

Meant to add, you will find that 1¼oz in 10ga, 1 1/8oz in 12ga, 7/8oz in 16ga, 3/4oz in 20ga & 5/8oz in 28ga "All" have shot column lengths in their respective bores of between the 12ga dia of .729" & the 10ga dia of .775". You will also note these were the most common loads in the period when shotshells first began to be loaded as commercial products. These loads had nothing to do with round ball weights or Sq loads, but were suitable to the burning rates of the powders being used, & length of shells being loaded.
The Sq load theory is mostly the imagination of some writer Eulogizing his favorite gauge, & is nearly always misapplied anyway.

Last year, I used a 20ga gun a hair over 6lbs with 1 oz of #5s on wild phez. The load was Rem's Nitro Pheasant load at 1300 fps. When I patterned it, it kicked fairly stoutly but had a nice even pattern (IC/M). During the hunt, I never noticed any particularly heavy recoil. The load and 20ga gun were deadly that openner. This year, I used a 20ga 391 with the same load to awesome results. Sure, larger bores have advantages. But, I like having a choice of guns and pushing the 20g up a bit and pulling the 12g down covers similar capability to my pleasure and choice at my whim.

An interesting claim, but I'd sure have to see some data to support it. "All other things being equal," a 16 on a 16 frame will weigh more than a 20 on a comparable 20 frame.

Chuck,
That 20 gauge 391 is an awesome gun that has to be the most comfortable gun I have used. It sure reached out 40 plus yards on that Quail with next to no effort. Wise acquisition on your part.

I'd say Jeff G's comment certainly applies to Winchester Model 12s where the 16-, 20-, and 28-gauges were built on the same frame. May also apply to Model 21s where the 16- and the 20-gauge were on the same frame, but I've only ever owned one. In my Fox doubles the 16- and 20-gauges are built on the same frame one of my 16-gauges is lighter then my heaviest 20-gauge

If you want to split hairs you could say that one ounce of shot is an under load in the 12, just right in the 16 and too heavy for the 20.

My own hunting showed that the 20 was a poor choice for most ducks and geese but was fine for most of the smaller birds. The 12 was fine for ducks and geese but was a little over kill for some of the smaller birds. Like most compromises the 16 was in between. Back years ago when lead was king, I shot several hundred ducks with one ounce in my trusty Winchester Model 12 in 28 gauge not a load that I would recommend but I shot what I had.

If you are a great shot or shoot under the right conditions nothing makes a real difference. If you are looking for a magic bullet there are none. It get harder to get the same pattern out of smaller gauges due to long shot coulum and bore contact causing more pellets to be deformed. But if you are within 12" plus or minus from the center of your pattern all three loads will kill almost every time. In fact if you shoot that well a .410 with a half ounce of shot will do fine. In the end shoot what fits you and what you shoot well. The rest will take care of itself.