Insight Appreciated

[Gary Kephart]

I have a question that i figured one of you could answer... I am an avid turkey hunter but have been using modern guns for the past 50 years. I recently switched from a SBE 12 gauge to an M2 20 gauge and have not noticed much difference in performance both are deadly. Since i got the SXS bug i want to use my SXS as frequently as possible. Last year i shot my first turkey with my 16 gauge Sterly choked mod and full. So here is the question.... Other then having a bigger payload with extra pellets is there any other advantage of shooting a 12 vs a 16 in a vintage SXS? I currently have 20's and 16's for upland game but considering a 12 for turkey .

Thanks for the input

[Daryl Corona]

Other then having a bigger payload with extra pellets is there any other advantage of shooting a 12 vs a 16 in a vintage SXS? I currently have 20's and 16's for upland game but considering a 12 for turkey .

In my world there is no advantage with a 12 over a 20 or even a 28. So no. YMMV

[Dean Romig]

Use a 12 or a 16 gauge Parker with confidence as long as you keep your shots under 40 yards with full choke or at least IM and use #6 shot for maximum density and good bone-breaking down-range power.
This formula has never failed me. Oh, and your aim point should be the neck, just 4" below the head.

And you can use a 20 as long as your gun has tight chokes and you don't expect to kill a turkey beyond 35 or 40 myards at the most.

Unless you're shooting TSS loads DON'T take any long range chances. You'll only cripple your trophy and never see him again.





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[Gary Kephart]

Thanks for the input. After patterning my 16 gauge sterlingworth las night I intend to keep my shots to 35 yards and under.

[Andrew Sacco]

I think there is really just one really good reason to shoot a 12 over a 16 or 20 and that's availability of ammo if you have to go buy it.

[Paul Ehlers]

The simple answer is "No" it doesn't matter. A pellet of any given size traveling at the same speed has the same down range energy no matter what gauge of gun it's fired from.

The extra payload potential of the larger gauges can be of benefit at times, but it really comes down to choking, patterning & keeping the shots within the yardages you patterned for.

[Andrew Sacco]

The simple answer is "No" it doesn't matter. A pellet of any given size traveling at the same speed has the same down range energy no matter what gauge of gun it's fired from.

The extra payload potential of the larger gauges can be of benefit at times, but it really comes down to choking, patterning & keeping the shots within the yardages you patterned for.

I agree with this but it took me a long time to get there. I HATE patterning guns but do know that sometimes a similar load in similar constrictions gives very dissimilar results. For example I shot a 1200fps 1oz #8 with a constriction of .015 in my GH 16 with 28" barrels, then again same shot weight, speed and constriction in my 12g VH with 28" barrels and the 12g gives a MUCH more even pattern at 20 yards with fewer holes and indeed it's better at breaking clays. That's about where I end it because then I THINK we're talking about wad design, type of powder, length of forcing cones or constriction...etc. I just would rather pull a molar out than test loads all day. And there's something called Sacco's Theorem: If I pattern my turkey gun at 50 yards I will have a 10 yard shot and no head left, and if I pattern it at 10 yards I will only get a 50 yard shot. :rotf::rotf:

[Gary Kephart]

Ha ha thanks and i like and agree with that theory.... I really dislike patterning them too. I was just telling a guy this story the other day. When i was 12 i bought a cheap mossberg bolt action turkey gun with an amazingly long barrel. I had killed a pile of turkeys with it and can only recall missing 1 or 2 . One day when i was about 19 a buddy was home from the military for a weekend and asked me to go to a turkey shoot. I barely put a pellet in the card was totally embarrassed. i decided i better pattern the gun and it was horrible there was a large hole in the very center of the pattern. To this day i have no idea how it was so deadly and can only attribute it to me being a poor shot and not aiming he gun properly and it played right into that poor pattern...

[Gary Kephart]

Thank you that's what i figured too.