The 20-
gauge
Gauge ( or ) may refer to:
Measurement
* Gauge (instrument), any of a variety of measuring instruments
* Gauge (firearms)
* Wire gauge, a measure of the size of a wire
** American wire gauge, a common measure of nonferrous wire diameter, ...
shotgun, also known as "20-bore", is a type of smooth-bore
shotgun that fires a shell that is smaller in caliber () than a 12-gauge shotgun (). It is often used by beginning shooters for target practice and for hunting small game.
Description
It takes 20 lead balls of the diameter of a 20-gauge shotgun bore to equal one pound, while it only takes 12 lead balls of the diameter of a 12-gauge shotgun bore to equal the same weight. A 20-gauge shotgun is more suitable for
hunting
Hunting is the human practice of seeking, pursuing, capturing, or killing wildlife or feral animals. The most common reasons for humans to hunt are to harvest food (i.e. meat) and useful animal products ( fur/ hide, bone/tusks, horn/antler, ...
certain types of game or for some hunters because it recoils less, and the guns weigh less and may be smaller.
Regarding the yellow body tube color 20-gauge ammunition usually has, it has been reserved in SAAMI documentation saying "SAAMI has reserved yellow for 20-gauge ammunition" "This ammunition shall have a body tube that is primarily yellow" "Yellow shall not be used for any other gauge/bore shotshell body" "No other recommendations are made as to the color of service body tubes for other gauges/bores"
Specifications
20-gauge shotguns are especially suitable for hunting game birds such as
quail
Quail is a collective name for several genera of mid-sized birds generally placed in the order Galliformes. The collective noun for a group of quail is a flock, covey, or bevy.
Old World quail are placed in the family Phasianidae, and New ...
,
grouse
Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes, in the family Phasianidae. Grouse are presently assigned to the tribe Tetraonini (formerly the subfamily Tetraoninae and the family Tetraonidae), a classification supported by mitochondria ...
and
Mallards
The mallard () or wild duck (''Anas platyrhynchos'') is a dabbling duck that breeds throughout the temperate and subtropical Americas, Eurasia, and North Africa, and has been introduced to New Zealand, Australia, Peru, Brazil, Uruguay, Argen ...
when using lead free, birdshot game loads. A 20 gauge buckshot load would most commonly be utilized in close-to-mid range, self defense scenarios. While
slug loads are generally less accurate than rounds used in
Rifles, powerful, high
grain, slug loads can provide superior ballistics for hunting
deer
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the re ...
, when paired with a
rifled barrel.
Performance
A usually lower gun weight makes a 20-gauge appropriate for young, elderly, or less muscular shooters who may have a difficult time carrying, aiming, and firing a larger shotgun, or just don't need a larger gun to hunt their target game. In addition, 20-gauge shotguns generally have less
recoil
Recoil (often called knockback, kickback or simply kick) is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged. In technical terms, the recoil is a result of conservation of momentum, as according to Newton's third law the force r ...
than 10-, 12-, or 16-gauge versions on average, when comparing standard hunting shells, due to the lower projectile payload. These parameters make the 20-gauge more pleasant to use on extended hunting trips for small game or upland birds, even for people capable of firing magnum-power 12-gauge hunting rounds.
Full-power 20-gauge shells fired from a light gun will have more felt
recoil
Recoil (often called knockback, kickback or simply kick) is the rearward thrust generated when a gun is being discharged. In technical terms, the recoil is a result of conservation of momentum, as according to Newton's third law the force r ...
than reduced-recoil 12-gauge shells fired from a heavy gun.
See also
*
Shotgun shell
*
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge or a round is a type of pre-assembled firearm ammunition packaging a projectile ( bullet, shot, or slug), a propellant substance (usually either smokeless powder or black powder) and an ignition device ( primer) within a meta ...
References
External links
ANSI/SAAMI Cartridge & Chamber Drawings PDF links page
ANSI/SAAMI Cartridge & Chamber Drawings, 2019-04-23 PDF for Shotshells
{{DEFAULTSORT:20-Gauge Shotgun
Shotguns
Shotgun shells