Which?
Looking ahead to invitation for dove, quail & pheasant hunts, this old goat so-far-rifle-only-deer-hunter wants to get a "bird gun". FWIW, and for no particular reason, I'm enamored with the over & under. Just need some help deciding if I'd be better off with a 12 or 20 gauge.

I have a matching set of Winchester 101's in 12 and 20. I usually end up shooting doves with the 12 just because it swings a little smoother for me. For quail and pheasants I carry the 20 because it's lighter and a little faster on the rise.

I shot a 12 till I was 20yo. then went to a 20 sxs and never looked back. P.S. I don't duck hunt.

Started hunting with a 20, then 16 and finally a 12. Now mostly shoot 20 or 28ga shotguns. When picking a semiauto shotgun it is hard to go wrong with the B's Benelli, Beretta or Browning. If I were to replace the 20 Benelli and Browning 28 I have now with one it would be a Beretta A400 in 20. Heck I have 3.5 inch cannons but have gone to using the 20 for turkey most of the time, ligher weight and with todays shells and chokes it is still effective.

Go handle both and see which you like best.

If the frame is scaled for a 20, a OU would be pretty sweet. If it’s 20ga barrels on a 12ga frame.. meh.

12 for dove and pheasant, people some places get weird about using anything but a subgauge for quail.

You can make up for a 20 with high dollar shells. You cannot make up for a gun that does not fit you. You have to be able to mount it smoothly and have the pattern go where you point it. For starters, get an auto with cast and drop shims. At some point in the future you will be settled in enough things don't change. Then get your O/U and have it fitted to you.

12 gauge auto, probably Beretta, adjusted to fit you, Skeet 2 extended choke and a 1 1/8oz load of 7 1/2s that choke patterns well are where to start for a do-all.

Dove, Quail, & Pheasant. 20 guage does all of those well, and is more enjoyable to carry.

Agreed, plus it has less recoil which is felt more in an O/U. Either way I would get a good recoil pad such as Limbsaver etc. If getting a 20 get a 3" chamber so if needed you can get close to 12 gauge performance.

Here is my take. I prefer the 20ga for a few reasons. It is lighter and so is the ammunition, if you are walking for upland birds. It has lower recoil so your shoulder will appreciate it after a full day of dove hunting. With the variety of shells and chokes on the market it will do as good a job as a 12ga with out the downside.

Z

Why "or"? Both excel at certain tasks.

Love my Citori Lightning 20. Dove, quail, duck, squirrel, rabbit, skeet, even dusted the butts of a couple mutts trying to chase cattle on our ranch.
If you want a little extra for duck slip in some 3' mags.

I want a 12 for Pheasnt and Duck.

I’ll take a 20 gauge for anything except duck.

They're both very effective, but I'd lean towards the 12 gauge due to the face that it's a little more versatile, especially with waterfowl. Not saying that the 20 gauge can't do the job, but I just think the 12 gauge is better. If you don't plan on hunting waterfowl though, then it's really a matter of 6 on one hand and a half dozen with the other.
https://thebiggamehuntingblog.com/shotgun-gauges-10-vs-12-vs-16-vs-20-vs-28-vs-410/

If you're truly indecisive, buy a 16 gauge.



Actually, both the 12 and 20 make more "sense" than the 16; but a quality 16 gauge is a wonderful gun.

Citori White Lightning 20
Or find a Belgium made Browning A5 Light 20 and hunt with panache.

DCmac, so funny, I've been on Gunbroker all afternoon looking for the exact same thing. Go look. I want a 20ga.

Its hard, to jump into the O/U game for under $4,000. Not sure YOUR budget but mine is $2,000 +/- mostly under

Used Browning's, Beretta's but their wood sucks in this price range SO, then you get Beretta's cheap wood veneer, until you get to their DT's and up, starting around $10,000.

look at the Rizzini, Connecticut Shotguns, Franchi Instinct L to name a few. My favorite is the new CZ Supreme Field, but I would NEVER buy an O/U without shouldering it because if it doesn't fit, you will never hit chit and get frustrated and sell it. Plus, I shop wood mostly. Cant find any in stock locally.

Its easy to fit an automatic with all the stock shims BUT with an O/U Hummmm, big bucks for fitting.

Buzz, if you like Beretta OU's, and want to shop for nicely figured lumber that fits:
Find the model Beretta over under you like.
Then google Colegun.com. They are in Maine. They have a tremendous selection of wood in various dimensions and grades to fit Beretta. I'm a lefty and they have even had a large selection of left hand wood in various dimensions. They will also Inlet and fit it. They do excellent work and turnaround has been pretty fast.