20-gauge shotgun
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The 20-gauge shotgun is a type of shotgun that is less common than the 12-gauge. This may be due to the fact that the 20-gauge (Ga) shotgun is of a smaller diameter (caliber) than the 12-gauge. In exactness, it takes 20 lead balls of the diameter of a 20 Ga shotgun to equal 1 pound, while it only takes 12 lead balls of the diameter of a 12 Ga shotgun to equal the same amount. A 20 Ga shotgun is often more suitable for hunting due to the fact that it destroys less of a game animal's meat.
20 Ga shotguns are suitable for hunting the following small game with shells loaded with BBs:
(the shot size and type used for hunting these animals varies, and steel/nontoxic shot must be used to hunt waterfowl)
Although shotguns generally fire shell-loaded BBs in patterns, a shotgun also can shoot shotgun slugs and thereby become an effective deer-hunting gun. 20-gauge shotguns loaded with shotgun slugs are very effective for such a purpose, and even though they are less accurate than rifles, they often have better stopping power -- although this depends on the amount of powder in the slug's/bullet's load.
In addition, a 20 Ga shotgun has less recoil than a 10, 12 or 16 Ga shotgun, and may be more desirable to those who need to consider their shoulder joints. A 20 Ga shotgun also is desirable for younger shooters who may have a difficult time firing a larger shotgun in the field due to the recoil.
20 Ga shotguns are a fairly common (arguably the second most common) variety of shotgun that can be used to hunt much the same quarry as other, larger shotguns, with equal or better results(due to less ruined meat), and with less recoil.
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