Just bought a new to me 20ga browning gold hunter. I have always hunted with its big brother in 12 gauge.

I dont plan to hunt with it but a few times this season. What duck loads do yall like for a 20ga? I was thinking bismuth #4s or #5s. Maybe even tungsten matrix in #5s.

What are yalls recommendations?

While were at it what dove and clay loads do yall like?

TIA

Lets clear up some common misconceptions first.


A 20 gauge is just as powerful/more powerful in many cases that a 12 gauge.....it just holds less shot. so its not necessarily a handi-cap going to the 20 over the 12....I shoot my 20 gauge O/U much better than I do a 12.


I have a browning Silver Hunter and I liked the Kent Fasteel ( 7/8th's oz. of no. 4 shot at 1550 fps ) when shooting ducks over decoys. I never had a problem killing decoying ducks with that load. IMO....for a waterfowl gun, and especially with bigger shot sizes, I think a 12 is better due to payload.

For Dove and Sporting Clays, I like the Winchester AA's Super Sport Load 7 1/2's @ 1300 fps and Rio's of the same shot and speed.

Hypersonic #4’s for ducks, geese, turkeys, and pheasants

7.5 for everything else

Boss shotsheels in #5

I've used a Browning Citori lightning 20 ga for almost 30 years. For Duck I like a 3 in mag with #4 steel and I usually have Mod and Imp Mod chokes.

Sometimes I would hunt a pothole that was fast,close, pass shooting and I used 2 3/4 in #7 steel

There were days did better than guys with big ole 12s.

Just bought this for ducks
20 Fair Goose SX600

This^^^^

My son shoots a 20ga and I shoot my 20ga quite often...3" 1oz #4 Winchester Dryloks or Federal Black Cloud with Mod choke. They kill them just as well as the 12ga does.

Just to stir the pot a little bit. There's no arguing that one is "not more powerful then the other" but with my 12 gauge I can shoot a shell that's 1 3/8 oz. A 20 gauge shell is normally a 7/8 oz shell. On average an one ounce shell #4 shot has 135 pellets per ounce., thus the 12 gauge shell has roughly 185 pellets vs 118 pellets in the 20 gauge. This means I have 57% more BB's in a shell, and thus a much better chance to hit a duck with the same shot from two different gauges. This might not mean much with close shots, but your more likely to land that lucky BB in the neck with those extra 60-70 pellets.

My first 20 gauge was a Yildiz OU from Academy I got about 7-8 years ago.
Haven't had a chance to hunt waterfowl with it yet but taking it pheasant hunting this November.
Maybe there's just something about the way it fits me, but it is an absolute dove slayer.
I shoot winchester heavy game loads with 1 oz.of #8 shot.
Have the 2 most open chokes it came with in the barrels.
A limit per 1 box of shells is the norm.

They are usually yellow.

Why would you compare the 12 ga 1 3/8 oz to a 20 ga 7/8 oz? If I recall, his 20 ga Gold Hunter will shoot a 3" shell that has 1 1/4 oz of shot. That's 169 pellets vs 185 or 16 pellets difference.

Those silver bullets AA knock the crap out of you. I shoot 1 oz feather lights or Fiocchi 1 0z for everything. I’ve knocked down dove at 70+ yards with 1oz loads as often as heavier loads- all it takes is one BB

Tungsten for waterfowl. Cost more per shell- cripple a lot less waterfowl and can shoot smaller shot for larger count. Heavy X is best load on market - outside of heavyshot-which is 3x cost. Steel is a joke.

I'll disagree, I'll say boss is the best out there, and I patterned a lot of loads from my 20 gauge last fall.

Thanks guys. Just placed an order for a box of bismuth #5 and 2 boxes of tungsten matrix #6. Well see which one I like more, or if there is any noticable difference between the two loads.

Good call on the Bismuth 5s, just know that much past 35yds your kind of on the ragged edge of killing ducks with that gun, unless you choke the gun down pretty hard...I would try LM choke extended no ports...the bore size is already pretty tight, Good Luck!

What does bore size have to do with it?
Maybe you know something I don't.
I'll have to get the book back and check, but I'm pretty sure that it's at 30 yards that a .410 has a wider pattern than a 12 gauge.

Why the non ported extended choke tubes?

Huh??? where do you come up with that?

Ragged edge of killing ducks is 35yds with a 20ga? What is the ragged edge of killing ducks with a 12ga?

What does gauge of the gun have to do with killing distance? Shooter's ability, choke/pattern, and downrange energy of the shot do matter, but not sure where the gauge of the gun comes into play there???

And to stir the pot even more...…. your argument wouldn't be an argument if you spend enough time at the range during off-season.
Shoot a round of sporting clays once a month during off-season, know your comfortable range, take the shots you can make and you'll have no problems with whatever gauge you decide to shoot. This is a win-win for everyone at the lake, imagine no skyblasting, pray and spray and ducks that die in the decoys...…...

You’ll like the Gold Hunter, I’ve had one for many years. For dove and quail I prefer Federal 1 oz. loads in 6, 7.5, or 9. Depending on wind and time of season.

1 ozw #6 Heavishot BGH IC choke, not just for teal.