Handloads: A 20-Gauge Load For Beginner Bird Hunters

by
posted on December 31, 2024
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
Remington 20-Gauge Load

A good deal on a slightly used Winchester 1200 20-ga. pump-action shotgun showed up at a local sporting goods store just in time for my grandson to start practicing for bird hunting. Most of grandson John’s shooting will be hand-thrown clay pigeons to prepare for grouse hunting along the edge of the forest.

20-Gauge Load specsThat shooting is easily handled with 7/8 oz. of lead No. 8s for targets and No. 7½s for hunting. A mild muzzle velocity of about 1,200 f.p.s. will help keep recoil light against John’s skinny shoulder. Increasing velocity doesn’t add all that much to pellet energy, anyway; a No. 7½ pellet fired at 1,330 f.p.s. carries only 0.32 ft.-lb. more energy at 20 yards than the same pellet starting out at 1,200 f.p.s. Switching to larger shot is the only appreciable way of increasing energy—a No. 6 packs nearly half again as much energy as a No. 7½ when both are fired at the same speed.

I picked Alliant 20/28 propellant for the recipe’s load. It provided even velocities with a standard deviation of 6 f.p.s. across five shots. Many other propellants, though, perform just as well firing 7/8 oz. of shot in the 20 gauge. A few include Winchester Super Field and 572 and Hodgdon Universal and Longshot.

The Winchester’s fixed full choke printed the recipe’s load in a pattern diameter of 25" at 30 yards that was centered well on the point of aim. The 15" center circle of the patterns contained an average of 61 percent of the load’s pellets. At 40 yards, 72 percent of the load’s pellets landed within a 30" circle.

We’ll see how John’s shooting progresses. Perhaps a spreader insert in the shot will enlarge pattern diameter a bit to provide some aiming leeway—something both beginners like John and shooters with years under their belt can use to their benefit.

Latest

Walther Arms Pd380 Rifleman Review 1
Walther Arms Pd380 Rifleman Review 1

Rifleman Review: Walther Arms PD380

For its latest compact carry pistol, the PD380, Walther Arms combined elements of its Performance Duty Pistol series with its legacy PK380 platform.

Black Beauty: Nimschke’s Masterpiece Sold By Rock Island Auction

German-born Louis Daniel Nimschke is widely recognized as one of the most talented and prolific firearm engravers of the 19th century.

Springfield Updates Saint Victor AR-15 Lineup

Since 2019, Springfield Armory has offered its Saint Victor line of AR-15s with enhanced features, and for 2025, the company has updated those features to keep pace with consumer demands.

In Memoriam: Wiley Clapp

Longtime American Rifleman Field Editor and contributor Wiley Clapp passed away June 4, 2025. He was 90 years old.

Fiocchi Of America Joins The Kinetic Group, HEVI-Shot Moving Operations

The Kinetic Group has officially added Fiocchi of America—and exclusive rights to Baschieri & Pellagri in the United States—to its lineup of top ammunition brands.

Inside NRA’s New America’s Rifle Challenge

NRA has developed a new competition designed to promote better marksmanship with America’s rifle—the AR-15 platform.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.