20 Gauge for Goose Hunting

   I have used a 20 gauge on and off for a few years goose hunting, and finally decided to stick with it since I shot better with it compared to the 12 gauges I have tried. I don't use any fancy chokes or high density loads, just a cylinder or improved cylinder choke with 3" 1500fps #2 steel shot loads. Many geese have fallen victim to this combo. We normally hunt over decoys, and many of our shots are inside 20 yards, at which point the 20 gauge performs just like a 12. I have taken down a few birds at longer ranges too though, and just recently I had an experience that was a real eye opener in terms of the performance of a 20 gauge on geese.
    We hunted a loafing pond on opening day of the Virginia goose season, but didn't have any birds fly by until 11:30 when we packed up! We assume that this was because a BUNCH of corn was recently cut and the birds simply stayed on the fields. About 15 geese did go to a pond we have permission on, so we decided to do a quick jump shoot. My brother Wyatt pushed the birds over a hill to my brother Ewing and I. Unfortunately, the birds didn't fly where we wanted them to, and we ended up shooting about 40 yards at the geese. I dropped 3 on my very first shot, and shot too far in front of the birds on my 2nd and 3rd shots, my brother Ewing missed twice with his o/u 12 gauge. The fact that my gun still had the power to bring down 3 birds at that distance should say a lot to anyone who doesn't believe a 20 gauge is an ethical option for hunting geese!

 Here is my dog, Walt, who actually sat still for a picture with the birds!