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A number 4 shot from a 20 guage has exactly the same killing power as a number 4 shot from a 12 guage or even a 10 guage. The only real difference between various guages is the number of pellets in each shell, and therefore, the density of the pattern at any given range. So a 10 guage appears to have a longer killing range because its patterns have enough pellets to remain dense enough at longer ranges to produce kills on game.
If the pellets from a load are so spread out that hitting becomes difficult, then that is the "killing range" for that load. In truth, there is only one way to know the maximum effective range of any gun/shell combination, and that is to pattern it.
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