20ga or 12ga for upland birds

Preferred Guage for Upland ND birds

  • Total voters
    48
Dakotazeb said:
Thanks for adding the 16 ga. You could probably eliminate the .410 that is really not a viable gauge for pheasants.
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Not agreeing or disagreeing, but my Gpa in Iowa when I was a kid, only had two pheasant guns. He had a 410 and a .22 revolver. He killed a lot of pheasants.
 
I started using a 20 gauge (Stevens O/U 555e) about 4 years ago. Mostly due to weight of the gun. I haven't noticed any additional cripples using a smaller gauge shotgun from my 12 gauge 870 Wing master. Plus I have a dog that has only not found one bird the past 5 years. Actually I think I'm a bit more accurate. Great value gun.
 
I have hunted with 12, 20, & 16 ga in SD. I like all of them. I just purchased a new browning sweet 16 for next year. I’m 75 & really looking forward to hunting with this gun. I have always wanted one but in my younger years I couldn’t afford it. I can’t wait to see how straight it shoots ?
 
My dad grew up on a farm in western Ks. He had some cousins that would come out and hunt , city boys from Tulsa. My dad or one his brothers would hunt with them take them around show them some birds.
My uncle got elected this time and was carrying a .410. They were giving him a lot of crap,,, nice gun,,,what are you going to do with that pea shooter….

The story goes 4 shells 5 shells what ever the bag limit was at the time and as many birds. Whatever it was he made quick work of it.
He started walking back to the house, the cousins started hollering , hey hey where you going,
My uncle hollered back,, I’m going home I got my limit. You guys go find your own damn birds!
?
 
I am sure there are some guys out there that can effectively hunt pheasant with a .410 but I'm not one of them. When I hunt pheasant, I'm carrying a 12 or 16 gauge. If I am hunting grouse or quail, I'll probably carry 20.
 
You are a beginner. Don't flirt with maybe enough. If this "first real hunt" will be wild pheasants, shoot a 12 ga. 1-1/4 oz loads, whether lead, bismuth, or steel. #5, #4, or #2 respectively. Modified choke. And be done with it. If steel, that'll mean 3" shells. Don't use gimmicky stuff - duplex loads, shot that's not spherical, super fast loads, etc. They don't help & only cost more. With 1-1/4 oz loads in the sizes I listed, you'll be prepared for any reasonable shot you're presented with & have enough load to kill the bird if you make a decent shot. End of story.
 
MOwens79 said:
16GA fan here. It gets you in the secret handshake club and chicks find it sexy!?. No not really but the Nostalgia is off the charts. Carries like a 20ga and hits like a 12ga doesn’t ring true anymore but there is nothing like carrying dad’s Sweet Sixteen in the field behind my Springer!
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I shoot a 1958 sweet 16 28 in. I also shoot a 1972 20 gauge side-by-side Ithaca 26 in. And a 2022 Beretta 28 gauge silver pigeon.
 
As far as firepower goes, you can't beat a 12 gauge, for pheasant. 16s are lighter, and easier to carry. Twenties are nice.
 
MOwens79 said:
It gets you in the secret handshake club and chicks find it sexy!?.....there is nothing like carrying [a] Sweet Sixteen in the field behind my Springer!
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Perfectly put. All 3 of those things are 100% true & all the reason anyone needs to shoot a 16.
 
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