20/70 shotgun shells for 20 gauge guns with a 70 mm chamber. The category holds SAGA steel shot, Fiocchi bismuth loads and Rottweil Exact slugs. Light recoil and a lighter gun make this gauge a comfortable choice for long hunting days in the field and by the water.
20/70 shotgun shells fit 20 gauge guns with a 70 mm chamber. The gauge weighs less on the shoulder and recoils softer than a 12, so hunters who walk long miles behind a pointer, and those who value a fast second shot, often pick it. This category holds steel shot, bismuth loads and slugs.
A 20 gauge covers most shotgun hunting: ducks and geese over decoys, pigeons on stubble fields, small game in open country. Loaded with an Exact slug it also works on driven hunts where smoothbore slugs are legal. A lighter gun tires you less from first light to dusk, and the mild recoil brings the barrel back on target faster. For a young hunter or anyone sensitive to recoil, it is a natural choice.
The category carries steel shot for waterfowl, bismuth for grounds where lead is banned but an older barrel rules out steel, and slugs for hoofed game. Each load answers a different field problem, so many hunters carry more than one type in the cartridge belt during a mixed day.
The SAGA GOLD STEEL 24 load carries 24 g of No. 3 steel pellets (3.5 mm) at 410 m/s. Steel is required across many wetlands where lead shot is banned. Because steel pellets are hard, shoot them through an open choke and keep your shots inside 35 metres.
The FIOCCHI Bismuth No. 5 load (2.9 mm) pairs a lead-free pellet with density close to lead. Bismuth is soft, so it is safe in older barrels and tight chokes. It suits duck hunting over decoys, where birds come in close and patterns must stay dense.
The Rottweil Exact 26 g slug is built for smoothbore barrels. Hunters use it on driven hunts for wild boar and roe deer where regulations permit smoothbore slugs. Shoot a few at paper before the season to learn where your barrel places it.
No. 3 steel handles larger ducks and geese at close range, while No. 5 bismuth covers ducks, pigeons and small game. A smaller number means a larger pellet with deeper penetration but a thinner pattern, so match the size to the bird and the distance you expect.
Start with the gun, not the quarry. Check the chamber length and barrel proof marks first, then pick the pellet material and size for what and where you hunt. That order protects both your barrel and your results in the field. Work through the points below one by one.
Pattern every load on paper before the season and see what your barrel does with that exact cartridge. Two loads of the same shot size from different factories can print very differently, and the same applies to the Exact slug: point of impact depends on the barrel. Keep shells dry. Sitting in a grey dawn blind by the water, damp reaches the cartridge belt fast, so carry loads in a closed pouch. After the hunt, do not leave ammunition in the car for weeks, as temperature swings degrade powder.
European makers stand behind this category. SAGA loads its ammunition in Spain and offers affordable steel loads for waterfowl hunting. Rottweil is an old German factory whose Exact slug is a common sight on driven hunts. Fiocchi from Italy is known for shotshell quality, and its bismuth line is made for lead-free hunting.
If your gun takes another gauge, see the 12-70, 12-76 or 16-70 categories, and for driven hunts you may also need signal ammunition. If you are unsure which load fits your barrel, write to us and we will help.
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