Buy a 12 gauge if you are going to own one shotgun. Buy a 20 gauge if you walk a lot, weigh under 60 kg, are buying for a kid, or already own a 12. That is the whole 12 gauge vs 20 gauge argument in two sentences. The rest of this post explains why, with the numbers on recoil, payload, range, ammo cost and what each one is best at, and the guns we have in stock in both.
What gauge actually means
Gauge is the number of lead balls of bore diameter that weigh a pound. Twelve balls the width of a 12 gauge bore make a pound; it takes twenty for a 20 gauge, so the 20 is the smaller bore. A 12 gauge is .729 inches across, a 20 gauge is .615. Smaller bore, smaller shell, less shot, less recoil, lighter gun.
12 gauge vs 20 gauge payload
| Load | 12 gauge | 20 gauge |
|---|---|---|
| Target, 2-3/4 inch | 1-1/8 oz | 7/8 oz |
| Field, 2-3/4 inch | 1-1/4 oz | 1 oz |
| Waterfowl steel, 3 inch | 1-1/4 oz | 1 oz |
| Turkey, 3 inch | 1-3/4 to 2 oz | 1-1/4 oz |
| Slug | 1 oz | 3/4 oz |
A pellet of #6 shot from a 20 gauge flies exactly as fast and hits exactly as hard as the same pellet from a 12. The 12 just sends 25 to 30 percent more of them. At 25 metres over decoys or on a flushing grouse that does not matter. At 40 metres on a goose it is the difference between a full pattern and a hole in it.
12 gauge vs 20 gauge recoil
This is the reason most people ask. A 1-1/8 oz 12 gauge target load in a 7.5 lb gun gives about 23 foot-pounds of free recoil. A 7/8 oz 20 gauge load in a 6.5 lb gun gives about 17. That is a quarter less, and it shows up as less flinch, better second shots and a longer day. The catch is that 20 gauge guns are built lighter, so a 3 inch magnum 20 in a 6 lb gun kicks about as hard as a 12 gauge field load in a 7.5 lb gun. The 20 gauge recoil advantage is real for target and field loads and mostly gone with heavy loads.
What each one is best at
- Ducks and geese: 12. Steel shot needs pellet count. A 20 works over decoys with 3 inch #2 steel; a 12 works everywhere.
- Grouse, woodcock, upland: 20. You carry the gun for six hours and shoot it twice. A 20 gauge over-under or semi-auto weighs a pound less and swings faster in the alders.
- Turkey: either. Modern tungsten loads made the 20 gauge a 40 metre turkey gun. With lead, the 12 has the edge.
- Clays: 12, mostly. Target loads are cheap and soft in a 12, and a heavier gun swings smoother. Plenty of good skeet shooters run a 20.
- Deer with slugs: 12. A 1 oz 12 gauge slug carries about a quarter more energy than a 3/4 oz 20. Both kill deer inside 75 metres; the 12 gives more margin.
- Home and farm: 12. More ammo choice and it is what every pump under $500 comes in. A 20 gauge pump is the right answer for a smaller shooter.
- A first shotgun for a youth or a new shooter: 20. Recoil is what makes people quit. A 20 gauge that gets shot beats a 12 gauge that sits in the safe.
Ammo cost and availability
This is the quiet argument in the 12 gauge vs 20 gauge debate, and it favours the 12. Every store that sells shells sells 12 gauge, in every load, and it is the cheapest: Challenger target loads are $13.50 a box and Sellier & Bellot 7.5s are $13.55. Twenty gauge target loads cost a little more and the specialty loads, steel, turkey and slugs, are on fewer shelves. If you shoot a lot or live far from a gun shop, that matters.
12 gauge guns in stock
Husan HSP406 pump at $254.88, Mossberg Maverick 88 18.5 inch at $424.88, Charles Daly 601 Field semi-auto at $448.88, Girsan MC312 inertia at $618.99, Remington 870 Fieldmaster at $729.99, Beretta A300 Ultima at $1,400.00. Our best budget shotgun and best duck hunting shotgun guides go deeper.
20 gauge guns in stock
Charles Daly 101 single shot at $144.99 is the cheapest gun in the store and a classic first gun. Husan HSP408 pump at $278.88 is the 20 gauge version of our best-selling budget pump. Akdas 20 gauge Hybrid semi-auto at $688.88 in Turkish walnut is the light upland gun. Stoeger Condor Outback 20 gauge over-under at $740.00 is the grouse gun with 20 inch barrels. Benelli M2 Field 20 at $1,925.00 and the Super Black Eagle 3 20 gauge at $2,970.00 are the 20s for the hunter who wants to carry less and give up nothing. Browse the 20 gauge category for the rest.
The short answer
- 12 gauge vs 20 gauge for one shotgun that does everything: 12 gauge.
- Upland, youth, recoil-sensitive, second gun: 20 gauge.
- Ducks and geese: 12 gauge, 3 inch steel.
- The .410 and 28: for experts and children, not for a first gun.
Prices current as of September 2026. Check each product page for live stock. A non-restricted PAL is required.