shells

[youngturkey]

which 20 gauge shells are the best
 

[CB on the run]

Way too general of a question.  You need some range time with different chokes and shells.
I've patterned different loads from Winchester, Federal, Remington and EM Hevishot.  I've shot them through chokes as tight as .555 and as open as a factory modified.  I currently shoot a 3" Federal Heavyweight Flitecontrol #6 out of a Remington SF turkey choke which I'm confident in to 40 yards.  This combo might not work for you and the only way to tell that is a couple sessions at the range.  The standard is 100 pellets in a 10" circle to find your maximum effect distance for the pattern.  If your combo meets that mark at 40 yards that would be your max distance.  Shots over 40 are very debatable.  Unless you're shooting a tunsgun based shot of 15g/cc or better and getting that 100 plus hits in the 10" circle stay at 40 yards or under which is what I do.  Good luck.
 
CB

[Warbird]

I agree....thats a wide spread question..best for the money or best killer regardless?...I put my vote on the Nitro 7's for the 20 for best performance to "amp" up a 20 ga performance....JMO.. 

[CB on the run]

  I agree on the Nitro's and with the right choke and something more than a 'bead' on the front it is possible(read p o s s i b l e and please don't confuse with advocating) to make the 20ga a 50 yard gun.  I just have something against sending $5.50-6.00 a shell especially if I can make the Federals work at $3.00.
 
CB

[Warbird]

I agree the $$$ is a big factor...Lead has killed birds for years and gets the job done well....There are a couple ways to look at justifying the money for the "high dollar" loads. How much time is spent trying "x" brand shell with "x" brand choke..then just to switch up next year to try another lead shell that has hit the market. The Nitro shell compliments any gun or hevi compatible choke. You can run a basic $30 hevi-shot choke if you wish and save money for the shells..they will still flat out shoot. You will save a lot of time patterning and being frustrated over a "decent pattern" that may leave you guessing when you have the bead on the gobbler...it's true misses come from any setup regardless. Also, Is a dead gobbler worth $6? Spend the extra money on the shells and know your giving Ole tom the best you can when the time comes. Knowing your setup is the best you can have and you will question your rigs performance a lot less...Save the shells for hunting only..When it's put in the chamber consider it "killin time" I spend a lot of time patterning chokes and loads and not all are Nitro setups...None of my "others" shoot like em. It becomes more of a hobby than a need but there are far worse things to spend your money on. All just my opinion but try just one box of those Nitro 20's in straight 7's with a .555-.575 dia choke. You won't regret it...
 
Take er easy.    

[dawei]

ORIGINAL: youngturkey

which 20 gauge shells are the [color="#000000"]best[/color]

[color="#0000ff"]That is a difficult question to answer as there are an infinite number of variables between: gun, choke, and shell. For example I use Fiocchi® Golden Pheasant™ ammunition for all of my upland hunting and it is fabulous. As Turkey ammunition however it absolutely stinks in my  20ga guns - Go Figure.[>:] Each of my guns favors different ammunition.

• Mossberg® Mdl 500C, pump, 26" barrel, Hastings® .570" choke (#I20570) shoots Winchester® Supreme™ 1 5/16oz #4 Lead better than any load, from any manufacturer, to include Hevi•Shot™.
• Remington® (Baikal®) SPR220, 26½" barrel, Colonial Arms® choke #TSKTX, .570" shoots the cheap Remington® Nitro Turkey™ 1 5/16oz #5 Lead again better than any load, from any manufacturer, to include Hevi•Shot™.

You must understand however that these loads, IN YOUR GUN, using the same exact chokes may be absolutely terrible. You don't know how a given load will perform until you test it.

HTL (heavier than lead) loads are nice, but again, ONLY IF THEY PATTERN WELL IN YOUR GUN.

For me personally I'll stick w/Pb as these two patterns show it's performance in my guns: [/color]

[CB on the run]

Dawei,
   What do those loads do at 40?
 
CB

[dawei]

ORIGINAL: CB on the run

Dawei,
  What do those loads do at 40?

CB

[color="#0000ff"]18 of #4's; 23 #5's
[/color]

[Warbird]

Nitrocompany loads a H276 3" 20ga with 1-7/16 oz of 7's...admittedly a lot are sub size 7.5's +/- pellets at 12gm per cc. We also call em (pixie dust). Patterns show 175+ pellets in a 10" circle at 40yds. These shells are firing at 1200 fps. The 20 ga will more than do the job...I doubted em for years too....but after switching have gone 8 for 8 in two years with Nitro 7's. Definitely not "needed" just preferred.

[ncturkey]

I have heard that the Hevi 13 1 1/4 oz load of #6's pattern well through the Indian Creek and Pure Gold Chokes. I have also heard good things about folks that use the Nitro Straight #7 Hevishot loads in the 20 gauges. The exit diameter really depended on the shotgun and pattern you are loooking for. Plus I have heard that guys are choosing a little more open choke for there kids and reducing there range some to avoid them missing with the real tight shooting choke like the .555. This is all by what I have heard. Good luck, Mike