20 gauge

20 gauge refers to the thickness of a shotgun's barrel and the size of its shot. The gauge number is inversely related to the barrel's diameter: a higher gauge means a thinner barrel. Specifically, a 20 gauge shotgun has a barrel size that, if the entire barrel's diameter were made into small spheres of lead, would result in 20 spheres per pound. It strikes a balance between manageable recoil and effective firepower, making it popular for hunting and sport shooting. The lower gauge numbers, like 12 or 10, have larger barrels and shoot heavier loads, while higher numbers like 20 and 28 are lighter and easier to handle.