12 guage or 20 guage?

[mark davidson]

I got a bad case of the "wants" with a smoothbore shotgun high on the list.  I have never owned or shot a bp shotgun but I know I want one and I need advice on which guage, 12 or 20. Just how much difference is there in the high end of performance between the two?  With MLer shotguns is the difference between 12 and 20 guage the same or equal in difference as it is with regular shotguns in those guages? I will want to shoot turkey for sure and likely some ducks. I know where there is a deal on a flintlock fowler in 20 guage but my heart leans toward the 12. Please advise. Thanks in advance.

[Mitch]

I like my 20g-it'll take any game I've hunted-including geese and I'm still after a turkey...bigger is not always the way to go(sorry, bigsmoke!)-the "only thing that really matters" is-get what you like and are comfortable shooting and PRACTICE(a lot!)-know you smoothie and your limits(find your own "limits", not just what "everyone" says)...just my opinion,Mitch

[jbullard1]

Love my two 12's but have a 16 and 20 barrel breached and propped in the corner waiting on me to start  

[No Deer]

Hmmmm....... guess it is a matter of personal taste.  I have taken squirrel, quail, duck, turkey and deer with my 20 ga. trade gun and never felt undergunned.  I also have a 12 ga. flintlock Pedersoli Mortimer that I have used for turkey, squirrel and deer, but like my trade gun much better, just personal preferrence.  I have a 12 ga. double flint that I have taken turkey, quail, and squirrel with.  Have not had it long so that is extent of game taken so far with it.  I like them all, but the trade gun is by far my favorite.  Maybe for geese the 12 will be a little more dependable at a little longer range.  So I guess I go back to my opening statement, just depends on your personal taste.

[Fletcher]

In general shotgunning - the more shot, the easier to hit the target.  However with ML you have the luxury of customizing your loads.

I have a 12 ga sxs ML and I love it.  But I have no trouble hitting what I want with the short flinter .62 smoothie when loaded with about 1 1/8 oz of shot and about 75 gr FF.  I use FFF for priming  The load may stick up about half way up the barrel, but seems to perform alright  

If I get rich I am going to get a good .62 Trade Gun - I think about 38" barrel.  That will be a hoot both for Trade Gun Shoots and shotgunning as well.

[Bigsmoke]

No offense taken, Mitch.

Mark, I think you should utilize your modern shotgun experiences to determine what you will want with a muzzleloader.  Do you like the 12 or the 20 best?  Well, that's probably what is going to happen with the muzzleloader as well.

Frankly, I don't think there is a right answer.  Big surprise, I would lean towards the 12 ga myself, but on the other hand, I sure do not discount the viability of the 20, either.  As has been said, it is whatever feels better to you.  And if you can get around a group of fellows who have some smooth bores before you lay out the $$$, so much the better.

[nobber]

What no talk of a 10 ga. this is blasphemy!! I actually shoot both and there is enough variance in loads that either 20 or 12 works, 20 is prolly more common for period correctness., I use my SXS Pedersoli for pheasants and chukars but my 20 works for rabbits and other bird types. I do use my Pedersoli for turkeys because it has choke tubes and I can tighten up my pattern that way. I t all boils down to personal preference and if you are trying to create a certain persona.

Eric Davis

[Gordon H.Kemp]

Remember1 most waterfowl hunting has to be with "other " than lead shot. I assume you could have the barrel chromed on any fowlers. The new shot can tear-up a plain bore quickly. As to what gauge? unless you intend to do much waterfowl hunting , my choice would be the 20'

[sse]

What no talk of a 10 ga. this is blasphemy!!

What no talk of 14 ga...?  I'd sure like to get my mitts on a shootable antique in 14 ga...

[vermontfreedom]

for that matter, why no talk of 11 gauge - fairly common in the 1700s here

how about an 8 bore..

seriously...i'd lean toward the 12

most post 1780 or 1790 smoothbores were closer to 20 even 28 gauge than 12, but if this is a hunting gun, i recommend using what will be most effective on your game

yes, you can customize the load in the 20, increasing pellet volume to match the 12 with 1 1/4 or even larger loads, but you might experience shot stringing.

stringing is the effect of longer/taller shot columns leaving 'trails'. imagine shooting at a piece of 4 x 8 plywood mounted on a moving car. a shot column that is short and wide will have more pellets hitting the board in one location whereas the same volume of shot in a taller column will tend to string out as it impacts the plywood. think of the extremes of a 2-ounce load in a .410 versus a 10 gauge. which shot column is taller - .410 and it will have a serious string. the difference is less great between 20 and 12 gauge, but still measurable

this is not so much an issue when shooting turkey because your target is or effectively is still, but if you're wingshooting, shot stringing can be important: the longer the shot column, the greater the shot string. a larger bore, all else equal, will have a wider shot column, so less stringing.

[Roaddog]

You said you would be hunting turkey? Well in good ole Minnesota you can't use a 20 ga. it must be 12 or bigger. So check you state laws.

[mark davidson]

Thanks to all. I think my mind is made up. Bigsmoke's comment was right on the money....I need to draw from my modern shotgunning experience. For my normal hunting I would never consider a 20 guage. I shoot 90% 3 1/2" magnum loads from a nice Beretta O/U that I had bored out to handle 3 1/2" magnum duck loads. I will hope to shoot a turkey and will for sure shoot ducks and the occasional goose so the 12 is the obvious choice for me it seems.  With a plastic shot cup the shot does not contact the barrel so why is steel going to tear up the bore?  As for 10 guage, I would love one! However, are 10 guage wads and stuff not harder to come by at most local gunshops?  I assume I will use plastic wad cups but as you can see I have no experience so feel free to correct me. Do you use wad cups or just dump the shot in on top of an over the powder pad?

[jbullard1]

Mark
I don't duck hunt but I do love turkey hunting
I don't think BraveHeart will ever shoot a 2 ounce load of shot like my Anderson built Winchester Super X II
The gun will handle it but Jerry can't  

[mark davidson]

Jerry,  Thanks for the info. Pardon my stupidity but I am real new to BP shotgunning. Do you use a regular plastic shot cup for the pellets or just pour them in on top of your felt op wad and wasp nest? I know you gotta use an overshot wad last to keep the shot from pouring out the end. I am just not clear on what the shot goes in if anything?

(As for the neighbors, mine already think I'm crazy and I don't mess with wasp nests other than throwing gasoline on them while the wasps are present. :-)  I have been known on occasion to use WD40 and a lighter as a torch for them. It works great but sometimes you gotta put the barn fire out immediately afterward. :-)

[jbullard1]

I just put the shot in loose