# 20 gauge for deer?



## Timberhauler (Sep 15, 2007)

My oldest daughter has been taken by the hunting fever,so I'm gonna take her this year every chance I get.I don't want to buy her a rifle until I know she is gonna want to keep hunting.I have a Remington model 7 .308 that I bought for my wife a while back and it's a little heavy for her,my Browning BAR 308 is much too heavy,everything else I own is out of the question....
Except for a single shot 20 gauge that I got when I was ten.It's in mint condition and it has a 3 inch chamber,she can hold it steady and has been doing well with dove loads.I was wondering if buckshot would do it or if I needed to get slugs.I've killed many deer with 12 gauge buckshot,but have never even fired buckshot out of a 20..Anyone have any experience or input?


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## Stihl Crazy (Sep 15, 2007)

Hi, I have never used buck shot ( illegal here ) but I shot my first deer with a 20 guage and a slug. I see no problem if she can hit with it.


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## tree md (Sep 15, 2007)

Definitely go with th slugs. Slugs actually shoot better out of smaller gauge shotguns. She should be fine with 20 gauge slugs. Good luck!!!


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## pbtree (Sep 16, 2007)

tree md said:


> Definitely go with th slugs. Slugs actually shoot better out of smaller gauge shotguns. She should be fine with 20 gauge slugs. Good luck!!!



Exactly!


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## Cut4fun (Sep 16, 2007)

You might try and have her shoot the 20ga with the 2 3/4" (I think thats what I shot in are 20 with my kid and wife) slugs first, definitely not the 3 inches. Buckshot is illegal here too. 
Because I know the 20ga youth model I have even with the rubber recoil pad kicks like a mean azz mule over and over with slugs. Because the gun is so light and short barrel.
Since you are allowed rifles, I would look at a .243 for her and when your done with it you could send it to me for my coyotes, I am using hand loaded.223's now, but really wanted a .243, just the price was right on the .223.. 

A full size heavier 20ga is a piece of cake compared to the single 20.


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## raycarr (Sep 16, 2007)

yeah, I'll go along with cut4fun, single shot 20s can kick pretty hard. the lack of a quick follow up shot is also something to consider. The old 30-30 Win. is a good choice, easy to shoot, accurate enough for shots out to 100 yards, a solid hit will bring down a deer, ammo is cheap, available in 3 or 4 bullet weights. The rifles/carbines are light and fun to shoot. The new Marlins look pretty good.

Ray


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## tree md (Sep 16, 2007)

Yup, if it is a single shot it might be a little heavy on the recoil. I have a single shot 12 that I got when I was a kid and that thing kicks like a mule. I started deer hunting at 11 with a 12 gauge, pump slug gun that kicked so hard I was about afraid to shoot it. When I got my semi auto 30-06 I thought I had died and went to heaven. I wouldn't think that a 20 gauge would kick too hard but it's possible that it might be a little much for a young girl. Whatever you decide on make sure she is comfortable shooting it. Make it fun for her and she will continue to want to hunt. If her gun kicks too hard it might turn her off from wanting to hunt.


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## Timberhauler (Sep 16, 2007)

I just don't have enough $$$ coming in right now to be able to buy her a rifle,so I am gonna have to use what's available.We'll just have to see how it goes,I think she'll do OK shooting,I just want to make sure she enjoys hunting before I buy her own rifle.


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## ropensaddle (Sep 16, 2007)

Kinda surprised no one said a 30/30 killed more deer
than any rifle produced and little recoil but I stick them
much harder and more challenge.


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## nikocker (Oct 12, 2007)

Your daughter will enjoy it more if she doesn't get the snot kicked out of her by the recoil! A 20 Ga. single shot with 3" kicks like H**L. 

Try that Model 7 you have. My wife shoots one and she's barely 5' tall weighs about 120. Her's is a 7mm-08 but your 308 with 150 gr. sould be a managable recoil for your daughter.

Might be worth a try.  

Al


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## Mad Professor (Oct 12, 2007)

Might want to try some Remmington "managed recoil" loads for your 308 M7. These loads are plenty for deer and have the ballistics similar to a 30-30.

If you use the 20 ga go with forster type slugs designed for smooth bores, stay away from saboted slugs. Try several brands as some will group better than others.

I have an old M37 Ithaca 12 ga deerslayer. It groups federal and remmington slugs great, for some reason the winchesters open the group up a couple of inches at 50 yds.


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## buck futter (Oct 12, 2007)

*mmmmm.*

I think I would buy a sling for a 308 and go for some managed recoil rounds. 
you should be able to get that stuff for less than 40 bucks. 

I know I have a single shot 20 and I don't look forward to shooting slugs with it I can't imagine a little girl.

buck


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## 12guns (Oct 12, 2007)

Timberhauler said:


> My oldest daughter has been taken by the hunting fever,so I'm gonna take her this year every chance I get.I don't want to buy her a rifle until I know she is gonna want to keep hunting.I have a Remington model 7 .308 that I bought for my wife a while back and it's a little heavy for her,my Browning BAR 308 is much too heavy,everything else I own is out of the question....
> Except for a single shot 20 gauge that I got when I was ten.It's in mint condition and it has a 3 inch chamber,she can hold it steady and has been doing well with dove loads.I was wondering if buckshot would do it or if I needed to get slugs.I've killed many deer with 12 gauge buckshot,but have never even fired buckshot out of a 20..Anyone have any experience or input?



Make sure it's not a full choke barrel, you want mod or improved...if you shoot slugs out of a full, you risk cracking the end of your barrel or choke tube.


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## bcorradi (Oct 13, 2007)

Cut4fun said:


> You might try and have her shoot the 20ga with the 2 3/4" (I think thats what I shot in are 20 with my kid and wife) slugs first, definitely not the 3 inches. Buckshot is illegal here too.
> Because I know the 20ga youth model I have even with the rubber recoil pad kicks like a mean azz mule over and over with slugs. Because the gun is so light and short barrel.
> Since you are allowed rifles, I would look at a .243 for her and when your done with it you could send it to me for my coyotes, I am using hand loaded.223's now, but really wanted a .243, just the price was right on the .223..
> 
> A full size heavier 20ga is a piece of cake compared to the single 20.



I agree with Cut4Fun. A bolt .243 is an excellent youth deer hunting rifle. 
The things that stink about the youth 20 gauge and slugs or buckshot is the accuracy and kill power is so limited it may give her a bad taste in her mouth for deer hunting. When I was young I mounted a scope on my 12 gauge remington wingmaster with a bird barrel (improved cylinder) to see how accurate it was. I wasn't very impressed with the results at 100 yards, even with using expensive sabbot rifled slugs. Slug technology could be a lot better now, but I'm not sure. 

Another thing like Cut4Fun mentioned, is that her youth model 20 gauge will kick like a mule especially burning 3" slugs. I know my youth model 20 gauge with birdshot kicks a lot more than my 12 gauge pump with birdshot. When I was a kid my dog (non birddog) used to follow me into the woods when I would go hunting. One time I thought I'd scare him to make him run home, so I took my youth model 20 gauge and I shot it up in the air with one hand like in the western movies. The damn thing almost took my finger off lol. Needless to say I have never done that again. 

Like you say if money is tight, and want to expose her to deer hunting the 20 gauge may be your only choice. Whatever you chose, I wish you two good luck and I hope she enjoys deer hunting.


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## Timberhauler (Oct 15, 2007)

Just for kicks I got out that 20 gauge that I was gonna let her use today and busted some slugs through it.I stapled a paper plate to a 2x4 and drove it into the ground,then shot from 50 yards away.

First off,the gun is accurate,I hit the plate with every shot.The down side was the recoil.It's a H&R single shot,and I had never fired slugs through it.The recoil was on par with my .338 win mag.It felt even stronger because there is no recoil pad,and the butt of the stock has sharp edges.I'm glad I stumbled across that rifle.the 20 would have been too much.


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