---
title: "Is a 20-Gauge Enough for Deer?"
description: "I admit to being a slug-gun newbie. I can tout the ballistics and virtues of the .270 all day. But a shotgun for deer? Hah. I know nuth-tink! (Trivia?) I just figured nobody in his right mind would use a pip-squeak 20 when you could go with a big-stocked, thick-actioned, 12 with the heaviest chunk of lead you could sling at a buck. Read the full story here on Mike Hanback's Big Buck Zone"
date: "2007-09-18"
modified: "2007-09-18"
authors:
  - name: "Mike Hanback"
    link: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/authors/mike-hanback/"
url: "https://www.outdoorlife.com/articles/hunting/2007/09/20-gauge-enough-deer/"
categories:
  - "Ammo"
  - "Big Game Hunting"
  - "Deer Hunting"
  - "Guns"
  - "Hunting"
  - "Shotgun Ammo"
  - "Shotguns"
  - "Whitetail Deer Hunting"
---

# Is a 20-Gauge Enough for Deer?

![](<https://www.outdoorlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/22/JPFSXACYVZQSK3GJZDWX52SGYA.jpg>)
*Outdoor Life Online Editor*

I admit to being a slug-gun newbie. I can tout the ballistics and virtues of the .270 all day. But a shotgun for deer? Hah. I know nuth-tink! (Trivia?) I just figured nobody in his right mind would use a pip-squeak 20 when you could go with a big-stocked, thick-actioned, 12 with the heaviest chunk of lead you could sling at a buck.

Read the full story here on [*Mike Hanback's Big Buck Zone*](<https://mikehanback.blogs.com/bigbuckzone/2006/04/is_the_20gauge_.html/>)