Which?
Looking ahead to invitation for dove, quail & pheasant hunts, this old goat so-far-rifle-only-deer-hunter wants to get a "bird gun". FWIW, and for no particular reason, I'm enamored with the over & under. Just need some help deciding if I'd be better off with a 12 or 20 gauge.

If I could have only one I'd choose a 12 unless you're recoil resistant.

20 is plenty good for dove and quail, lots of folks shoot pheasants with them as well, I sure like the 20 and 28 gauge better than a 12, hardly ever pull a 12 out anymore.

for dove,quail and pheasant hunting,get the 20 gauge....both Browning and Beretta make great 20 gauge over/unders...

This works for me.

20 no question

12. The more pellets in the air , the more likely you are to hit something.
Mo

410.... give the birds a chance.

That Ruger Red Label is on my wish list and has been on my wish list a long time. 12 or 20 would work for all you're looking at. I shoot only a 12, I need as much lead in the air as possible

Do you shoot a .243? If so get the 20ga.

I have access to both but tend to pull out the 20 more often.

12 is better all around. With a 20 you will be limited to dove and quail for the most part. If you get the opportunity to hunt ducks, geese, turkey, etc, you'll be a little under-powered. 12 will work fine for all of the above. Get good with it and buy a 20 down the road if you want more of a challenge.
And someone is going to get on here talking about how their uncle took an elephant with their single shot 20 gauge, but I promise a 12 is a better all around gun if you are only going to own one shotgun.

12, either pump or semi. The over/under leaves you 1 shot short. I need every advantage I can get.

How proficient are you? Going down to 20 or 28 gauges from 12 is going to significantly reduce your margin for error.

Recoil is also a factor to consider. If you're getting a little older and more fragile, a 20 gauge might be a better option for an O/U. Felt recoil on an O/U will be much greater than that of an auto due to the lack of an action. If you're still in decent shape, go with the 12.
That being said, if recoil truly is something you are considering as a factor, I would look into an auto. Gas operated actions (and even some inertia operated) have come a long way and it is possible to find a 12 gauge semi-auto that kicks no more than a .22.

Nailed it

If I was only going to own one shotgun, it would be a 12 ga semi auto. That will work for any hunting you want to do.

That said, for quail or pheasant hunting where you are walking all day in the brush, I take the 20 O/U. 20 because it is lighter to carry all day. O/U because I always try to pick up my brass and I don't want to have to hunt for it when I am trying to watch a downed bird and watching dogs and everything else.

This is my theory. If 12 gauge gets to easy you can always buy a 20.

it was not an elephant, it was a rhinoceros and he was charging. jeeeeeeeeez man!

12 easy
its hard enough to hit a dove
&
you want to kill them clean

20 for those who can shoot straight

There are 410 pellets in one ounce of #8 shot. Apparently I need the most I can get. So I go 12.

20gauge IMHO

My daughter shooting her 20 gauge Berretta AL391 proved that thinking wrong with many successful hunts including geese and Sandhills. Changed my mind about the 20 as well.

Ammo, choke pattern and skill are the most important.

This is an example.

https://www.huntershandbook.com/articles-1/2018/7/22/12-gauge-versus-20-gauge-for-duck-hunting

https://www.chuckhawks.com/twenty_vs_twelve.htm

You could buy a couple of Yildiz O/U shotguns in 12 and 20 plus a case of each in birdshot for one of the three B's. Go to the skeet range to see what you're better with then sell them and buy a B.

Anything the 20 gauge can do, the 12, can do better.
Peter Capstick
I have both and just pick and chose.

SBE2 in either gauge

20 gauge in an over/under will be a pleasant gun to shoot. If you can�t hit any birds then switch to a 12 gauge with 3.5 inch round. Or practice... take your pick. My preference is a Remington 1100.

20 will be fine.

This

I've got both the 12 and 20 gauge Yildiz O/U from Academy. I bought the 12 first after shooting a friend's and liking it. My shoulder started bothering me so I went back for a 20 gauge. I've shot dove, quail, skeet & trap with both and like both, but I really love the 20 because I can burn a couple of boxes of shells without the pain I get from the 12. I've also become a better shot with the 20 because I know I have less shot in the air. Just my 2 cents.

Incorrect.....depending on the load a 20 gauge is just as powerful as the 12 gauge. people always assume that a 20 is lesser powered than a 12 but mainly its just less shot

a lot of my game loads from my 20 are actually hitting harder than a standard 12 gauge load, there is just less pellets. My duck load from a 20 is flying 1500 fps my 12 gauge 1450fps....so the 20 Is hitting ducks harder too.


For waterfowl, I suggest going to a 12 gauge auto. for all my other wingshooting I mainly use a 20 gauge O/U and have never had any issues, a thousand birds later

See my last sentence (hint: the elephant was hyperbole). Many people also shoot birds out of the air with a bow and arrow. I understand a 20 gauge CAN be used for hunting all of the above, and in many cases it may be the better choice if you are too small to effectively handle a 12 gauge (your daughter for example). Semantics aside, it sounds like both of you shoot a 12 gauge for waterfowl, so I have a feeling you both agree with me.

I've dove hunted in south America the past 16 years and having killed literally thousands of doves with a 20 gauge,it has made a believer out of me...actually the past 3-4 years,I've shot a 28 gauge as much as I have a 20 gauge...both will kill doves easily if you are an average shot or above and is certainly all you need for quail hunting which is almost always close quick shots.......having said that,I shoot a 12 gauge/3 inch magnum for ducks and geese and the guy on the dove field shooting a 12 gauge with imp. cylinder choke will kill more doves than me but I will enjoy it more....

That�s a different hunt down there
Right?

couple of million doves difference....

Nice

16 Guage is where it's at