12 Gauge vs 20 Gauge for Turkey Hunting: An Honest Look at the Data

Before I ever got serious about patterning turkey guns, chokes, and loads, I believed the 12 gauge was the king of the turkey woods — and always would be. Like many turkey hunters, I killed my first birds with lead loads and simply figured that bigger was better. But then a few years ago I started shooting patterns and carefully evaluating the results. I interviewed shotshell engineers about their data on Tungsten Super Shot.

Through this I learned that the 12 gauge vs 20 gauge turkey gun debate is a bit more complicated. In fact, in some cases a 20 gauge can out-perform a 12 gauge, ecspecially when both platforms are shooting TSS. 

If you really want to optimize your setup for lethality, the gauge you choose is only part of the equation. What matters most is finding a gun/choke/load combination that works well together.

What follows is a look at what hunters need to know about turkey guns, gauges, and loads along with some patterning results I’ve seen through the years. We’ll also address some of the old turkey gun myths. 

• 12 vs 20 Gauge Turkey Gun Basics
• Understanding Payloads
• Patterning Reality Check
• The 12-Gauge Knockdown Power Myth
• Gun Weight and Recoil
• The Gun/Choke/Load Dynamic

12 Gauge vs 20 Gauge Turkey Gun Basics

Before we dive into the details, it’s best to establish the basics. First of all, turkey hunting is best when it’s a close-range game. Both 12 and 20 gauges plus 28 gauges and .410s are sufficient for ethically killing turkeys at 30 yards and in. But at 40, 50, and 60 yards, there’s a lot more variation in terms of lethality. The main differences between 12 and 20 gauges come down to bore diameter and chamber length. 

• 12 Gauge Bore Diameter: .729 inches
• 20 Gauge Bore Diameter: .615 inches
• 12 Gauge Max Chamber Length: 3.5 inches
• 20 Gauge Max Chamber Length: 3 inches 

Understanding Payloads

The specs above essentially mean that 12 gauges can shoot larger shells with heavier payloads. Remember the payload is the weight of the shot contained in the shell. A heavier payload theoretically means putting more pellets on target (more on this later). Here’s a look at how that breaks down with the best lead turkey load we’ve tested, the Winchester Longbeard XR.

When shooting traditional lead turkey loads, the 12-gauge has a serious advantage. But this all gets much more interesting when we dive into the growing and diverse world of TSS turkey loads. Here ammo makers are loading a variety of shot sizes (sometimes stacked in the same shell) along with hefty payloads. In some cases, you can shoot a 12-gauge sized payload out of a 20-gauge sized shell. 

Below is a sample of popular TSS turkey loads, ranked by the approximate number of pellets they hold per shell.

Of course, all things being equal, a 12-gauge (especially with a 3.5-inch chamber) allows you to shoot a larger payload and more pellets per shell. But by tweaking shot sizes and opting for heavy TSS payloads, the 20-gauge can be competitive. 

Patterning Reality Check

Ultimately it’s not how many pellets you have in the shell, but how many you can put on target. The standard for measuring turkey patterns is to count how many pellets strike within a 10-inch diameter circle drawn around the core of the pattern. Patterns are shot from 40 yards. Because there can be significant variation in pattern density from shot to shot, it’s important to shoot multiple patterns and average them to get a real understanding of how a gun/choke/load perform. 

If your setup puts an even pattern of 100 pellets inside a 10-inch circle consistently, you have an acceptable, turkey-killing rig at that given range. From our experience testing turkey guns and turkey loads at Outdoor Life, pretty much all 12-gauge and 20-gauge turkey guns paired with TSS loads will put more than 100 pellets inside a 10-inch circle at 40 yards. 

However not all gun/load/choke combos pattern tightly enough to ethically kill gobblers at 50 or 60 yards. And interestingly, selecting the right choke/load combo for tight patterns is usually more important than simply going with the bigger gauge. Here are a couple examples where 20 gauges shot just as well, or even substantially better than 12 gauges using the same loads and shot sizes (and smaller payloads).

After several years of diligently patterning turkey guns (and shooting as many turkeys as I am legally allowed) I don’t think that either of the 12-gauge gun/load examples above would be suitable for shooting turkeys much beyond 50 yards. On the flip side, I’m very confident that the 20-gauge Retay/Federal combo would be capable at 50-plus (of course we’d have to test to confirm max range). 

The point here is that just because you have a 12-gauge turkey gun and expensive TSS loads does not mean that your setup is automatically sufficient for consistently or ethically killing gobblers at 50 yards and beyond.

The 20-gauge examples above aren’t even the best sub-gauge patterns we’ve shot. In my review of the best 20 gauge turkey loads I was able to average 301 pellets inside a 10-inch circle with Boss Tom No. 9 and 259 pellets with Apex Greenleaf. (All of these loads were shot with the Retay Gordion Turkey at 40 yards). 

Now to be fair, dense patterns of 250-plus pellets on target are most easily achieved with a 12 gauge. If you search around forums and YouTube you’ll see all kinds of examples of crazy dense patterns. The best pattern we’ve shot recently was from a Remington 870 with a Primos Jellyhead choke (.660) and Apex’s Greenleaf load (No. 9 and No. 10s).

This combo put 439 pellets in a 10-inch circle. That would be overkill in most normal hunting situations, but if you’re looking for maximum pattern density at range, it’s hard to argue with those results.

The 12-Gauge Knockdown Power Myth

There’s a prevalent line of thinking out there that the 12 gauge has more “knockdown power” than sub-gauge shotguns. But that comes from a misunderstanding of how a shotgun pattern kills birds. Shotgun lethality results from pattern density (which we’ve covered above) and pellet penetration. 

In my interview with Federal Premium ammunition engineer Adam Moser last year, he instructed turkey hunters to consider penetration energy more than kinetic energy. Penetration energy is the measure of pellet energy per cross-sectional area, Moser says. In other words, it is the kinetic energy of the pellet divided by its surface area, also referred to as the 2D area of the pellet (Ke=1/2 mv²).

Here’s a sample of penetration energy generated from 1200 FPS muzzle velocity at 40 yards.

• No. 7 TSS pellet: 535 ft-lb/in²
• No. 9 TSS pellet: 374 ft-lb/in² 
• No. 5 lead pellet: 241 ft-lb/in² 
• No. 6 lead pellet: 205 ft-lb/in² 

In terms of the 12 gauge vs 20 gauge turkey gun debate, the key here is that it doesn’t matter which gauge a No. 9 pellet is fired from. It will have the same amount of penetration energy so long as velocity is the same. And if you compare 12 gauge vs 20 gauge turkey loads from any given manufacturer, you’ll find that they have very similar (or the same) muzzle velocities.  

So do not fall for the idea that because 12 gauge shells are bigger, their individual pellets are somehow more lethal.

Shotgun Weight and Recoil

One of the true benefits of the 20-gauge platform is that it weighs less. Twenty gauges tend to be almost a pound lighter than their big brothers. Lighter guns are easier to carry and maneuver in the woods. They’re also easier to hold steady in a shooting position while you’re waiting for that gobbler to finally strut into range. Here are some weight comparisons for popular turkey guns.

• Mossberg 835 Turkey, 12 Gauge: 7.5 pounds 
• Mossberg 500 Turkey, 20 Gauge: 6.75 pounds
• Benelli SBE 3 Turkey, 12 Gauge: 6.8 pounds 
• Benelli M2 Turkey, 20 Gauge: 5.9 pounds
• Remington 870 Fieldmaster, 12 Gauge: 7.25 pounds
• Remington 870 Fieldmaster 20 Gauge:  6.25 pounds

However, one of the half-myths about 20 gauge turkey guns is that they have light recoil. Yes, it is true they can be less punishing than a 12 gauge gun and 3.5-inch loads, which will recoil like a sledge hammer.

But it’s also true that when you shoot payloads over 1 ½ ounces in a little, short-barreled 20 gauge you will find that the recoil is anything but light. I would not recommend giving a compact pump 20 gauge loaded up with 2 1/16-ounce Boss Tom loads to little Jimmy for his first turkey hunt. 

To really limit recoil, consider shooting a .410 or 28 gauge (there are plenty of good turkey loads for these guns now) or look into Hevi Shot’s Reduced Recoil loads. And, keep shots close. 

The Gun/Choke/Load Dynamic

The real takeaway here is that both 20-gauge and 12-gauge turkey guns can be effective at longer ranges. But also, both gauges can be ineffective at long range. The key is to find the right combination of gun/choke/load for the type of turkey shooting you’re planning to do. 

If you hunt in the woods and only intend to shoot turkeys at 40 yards and in, then a 12 gauge paired with decent lead loads or a 20 gauge with almost any TSS load will be just fine (assuming you’re using turkey chokes). If you plan on shooting at 50 or even 60 yards, then you’ll need to do some research and some patterning work (regardless of which gauge you choose). 

You don’t want to end up hunting with a turkey rig and TSS load that’s packed with 700 pellets but will only put 120 in the circle at 40 yards if you plan to shoot turkeys at 50 yards.   

Many TSS ammo manufacturers make recommendations on the ideal choke size for their loads. That’s a good place to start. You can also check out our review of the best turkey chokes to see which loads tend to shoot the best through different aftermarket chokes. If you’re looking for some cheat codes, here are a few take aways from my experiences:

• The 20-gauge Retay Gordion Turkey throws stellar TSS patterns with both its factory full choke and aftermarket Jebs Headhunter choke (.565). 
• Boss Tom is the ultimate 20 gauge load for maximum patterns. Recommended choke size is .565 to .575. 
• Super-short 20-inch barreled turkey guns tend to be a little trickier to get great patterns from at long ranges.
• A Remington 870 with a Primos Jellyhead choke will typically outperform its (affordable) price range.  
• Apex TSS and Indian Creek chokes tend to be an excellent combination. 

If you’re a serious turkey hunter, it’s worth experimenting with different chokes and loads. Yes, you’ll have to burn some money on a couple boxes of very expensive TSS loads and likely an aftermarket choke or two. But the end result will be a much more efficient and effective turkey killing rig.