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What's Behind the Sub-Gauge Shotgun Craze?

Answers to many questions as bird hunters are leveling up their abilities while scaling down their bore size.

What's Behind the Sub-Gauge Shotgun Craze?

What makes a shooter want to switch to a small-bore shotgun for bird hunting? (Photo By: Chris Ingram)

Like many things in life, fads pop up and trends come and go with the seasons. The bird hunting community is no stranger to fads, and many times becomes the perfect venue for testing the waters on new developments in the wingshooting and shotgunning world. Arguably, there’s no bad time to be a bird hunter, and while some of my elders may debate me on this, I’m going out on a limb to proclaim that we’re living in the golden era of upland bird hunting right now.

Whether you’ve only got one season under your belt or you’ve been busting brush for a lifetime, you’re well aware of the surge in sub-gauge shotgun offerings and the abundance of industry-leading, lead-free ammo availabilities. These are indeed the good old days, my feather-fetching friends. No longer are we forced to haul around a hulky, hand-me-down 12-gauge, or daydream of shooting Grandad’s vintage Parker collection in the gun safe. For one reason or another, many wingshooters are increasingly finding themselves shooting sub-gauge shotguns—20-, 16-, and 28-gauges and .410 bore.

Scaling Down

I started my own wingshooting wanderings as an adult-onset hunter, initially toting around a camo-clad 12-gauge super magnum shotgun, mostly in search of ducks and geese. After a few years in and having “accidently” discovered the woodcock on a wood duck hunt, I quickly became familiar with the challenges of carrying a big, heavy gun in the uplands. The weight fatigued me. The excessively overpowered shot strings plucked the tiny timberdoodles in mid-air. I needed something smaller, lighter, and more properly equipped for this new woodland game bird pursuit.

I soon picked up my first 20-gauge over/under and reveled in its smooth swinging and snappy shooting, along with its just-right balance point. Everything felt just fine. I was shooting straight, bagging birds, and enjoying the rewards of using a better tool for the job.


Fast forward a few more years and along with becoming a decent wingshooter, I began to develop an interest in targeting additional species such as snipe and bobwhite quail. These birds can easily be brought down with smaller sized shot and reduced payload power packaged in a smaller gauge. I then enlisted a tight-shooting 28-gauge into my arsenal to further challenge my shotgunning ability and more closely mix and match the right gun gauge and shotshell for the bird at the end of the bead.

ruffed grouse hunter in woods carrying shotgun
Many upland bird hunters are bringing their shotgunning abilities to new levels with sub-gauges shotguns and newer non-toxic ammunition. (Photo By: Chris Ingram)

Make Up Your Mind

Sub-gauge shotguns are often ideally sized or a much closer fit for shorter-statured and smaller-bodied hunters such as women, youth, or even senior shooters. The lighter, smaller guns make carrying, mounting, and shooting feel much more natural, and in turn, makes for more success and enjoyment in the field. These compact models can sometimes come with slightly shorter barrel lengths that still maintain a smooth swing and balance. Shedding several pounds into a smaller form is often the winning ticket for someone seeking to swap out from a bigger 12- or 20- gauge frame, perhaps due to health or mobility issues.

female pheasant hunter pointing side-by-side shotgun
Bird hunters have come to appreciate the form and function of lighter, shorter sub-gauge shotguns. (Photo By: Chris Ingram)

There are also individuals (somehow I’ve placed myself in this class), who reach a benchmark in their bird hunting career, where there’s a yearning for something new, and the challenge to shoot a sub-gauge gun emerges. At some point this may sound inviting to you, and if you’re not intimidated by thinner, smaller patterns and reduced pellet counts, it’s surely worth considering. You do you, but I wouldn’t advocate for jumping on any small-bore bandwagon until you have a solid understanding of your current choke and load configuration and are consistently and cleanly killing birds before you start shooting a smaller sub-gauge.

Gunning for Glory

Shotgun manufacturers have taken note of the sub-gauge craze and are now producing shotguns in all common gauges in new and existing models to keep up with consumer demand. They’re currently hitting the shelves and are available in all action types from sleek side-by-sides and sporty stack-barrels to premium pumps and smooth-cycling semi-autos.


Whether you’re looking to scale down in the same gun you’ve come to know so well or are looking to pick up your first small bore, many of the most popular shotguns are now coming out in the sub-gauges, including several new offerings in 2023.

Shopping for a sub-gauge shotgun? Be sure to check out the following: 

Best New Shotguns from SHOT Show 2023

Top Shotguns for Pheasant Fest 2023

Top 16-Gauge Shotguns

Small Frame, Big Bang

Along with the increasing availability of new small-bore shotguns, shotshell manufacturers have also responded to this latest craze by expanding existing lineups, creating new lines, and cranking out products in the sub-gauge categories. The reduced availability of .410, 16- and 28-gauge shells that used to deter shooters from using these guns is now a thing of the past. Empty sub-gauge load shelves are now—barring any sort of ammo shortage and supply chain hang-ups—filling up with plenty of lead, steel, and non-toxic ammo options. Ballistically speaking, you’re not giving up much by going down in diameter, and with recent unprecedented growth and development in the shotshell market (particularly for premium non-toxic, stacked, and blended loads) there are more ammo configurations than ever before.

Bismuth has made a big splash among uplanders as a viable lead-free option. With a density somewhere between that of lead and steel, bismuth packs a punch that doesn’t completely break the bank. In addition to the increased lethality of bismuth, these new lead-alternative loads are safe to shoot in any of your vintage shotguns, unlike steel ammo. This modern revolution of ammunition has certainly unlocked the potential for shooters to bring back some of their favorite relics and return their most prized scatterguns to the uplands. The new year also saw several new and innovative beak-busting loads from popular shotshell makers, including a few unique blended bismuth products.

If you’re really open to levelling up on this distinct shotgunning challenge (and if you don’t mind dishing out some hard-earned dollars) tungsten and tungsten-blended ammo loads are sure to bring down birds and steal the show this upcoming season. With a downrange destructive density much greater than that of lead, tungsten can be shot in sizes down to #9 with clean-killing confidence that when paired with a smaller sub-gauge shotgun, will make any capable shooter look like a pro.

Don’t miss the hottest new shotshells of 2023!

Whatever reason you want, maybe it’s a novelty or a unique upland challenge, there are endless options for sub-gauge guns and abundant ammo choices to make it happen. If you’ve grown tired of heaving around that heavy heirloom or are looking for your next personal quest, consider upgrading to a sub-gauge gun and grabbing some of the most advanced, hard-hitting new shotgun ammunition before opening day.

pheasant hunter with yellow labrador retriever and dead rooster ring-necked pheasant
No matter your motivation, there’s no better time than now to pick up a small-bore shotgun. (Photo By: JOHN HENNIGAN/Shutterstock.com)
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