Thread: 20/12

short answer is yes, esp if its build, on a scaled 20ga frame, and is not overly heavy, if you have never used such a shotgun in the field, once you start you will understand why, they are so common for upland. generally they are lighter and faster handling, less fatiguing to carry all day, and the slimmer stock and profile sits in the hands better. the 20ga is suitable for all NZ game birds and looses nothing to a 12ga esp with ability to use lead,

a 1oz load of #5 in the right place beat a 11/4 slight behind or off.

Over the years I have loaded and fired, many thousands of rounds, in everything from 8ga to 410, Pattern test pretty much every shotgun, and most loads during development.
every gauge has a max charge (weight and pellet size that they start to become over whelmed and pattern poorly, and like wise a excessivly heavy charge, of smaller pellets, tends to ruin what you hit, excessive dense patterns, don't much matter with clays, but shot a duck at 20 yards with a 1 1/4 of number #8, lots holes.
What I am trying to say, is match the gauge to the job, sure you can use a 12 for every thing, but a heavy semi 12 is good in a duck blind, not so ideal hunting chucker all over the southern alps, you want light and fast handling, and not to be fatigued or tired, as reactions will be slow.
quail are another game bird, that will leave you wondering, how the hell, I did I not, get a shot off, there were a dozen.

Over the years, as my ability with a shotgun has improved, I have chosen to shoot smaller gauges, mostly now I shot a 16ga for bigger birds and a 20 or more often a 28ga for upland, shot gunning is not about the size, or weight of shot, but pretty much putting it, in the right place.
if the shotgun does not fell right, you will shoot it poorly, want to shoot well, get a shotgun fitted to you,

On a final note, for all the 12ga can do it all's.
why do you need a .22, .223, a bush pig, a std cal and a long range rig, just get a 3006 and sell the rest.