28 gauge shotguns?

I have a 1950’s vintage Remington 11-48 in 28 ga. I recommend that to you. I take it squirrel or rabbit hunting in rotation with some other cool old guns I like. Finding shells has not been a problem but I almost never see a used 28 gauge shotgun for sale.

Rem 1100. Sweetest thing you will ever shoot

Rem 870
Savage O/U
Savage SxS

Hard to find,, but worth the search

Locals stocking 28ga guns at a good price or stocking 28 ga ammunition at a good price? Ammunition is relatively expensive compared to 12 or 20 gauge, and less likely to be found in every store that sells ammo than 12 or 20 gauge will be. I use a 28 ga CZ for woodcock and ruffed grouse. Effective and light to carry all day and not at all punishing to shoot other than the expense for ammunition.

Tons of 28 ga here in the o l e southwest too.
Benelli and Beretta make them all day long. O/U.
Better be a good shot.

Browning Citori for me. https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/guns/best-28-gauge-shotguns-for-upland-hunting/

Shooting skeet with the 28 breaks just as many birds for me, as the 12 or 20.

For hunting, 12ga, ty.

Yildiz for pushing birars. Wanted a Beretta 686 but can't justify the price at the moment, but the utlity of 2 barrels with different chokes is perfect for rabbit. I reload Win AA HS with #8 magnum shot. I've written off 20 ga. You wouldn't think 3/4 oz #8 would pattern that well but you'd be wrong. The awesome thing is that you dont need to go anywhere near 1,300 fps to get there.

I have a fondness for 28 gauge. I shot my first pheasant with my Dad’s 28 gauge side by side that he grew up with. My first class win at a skeet match was in 28 ga with a shoot out in doubles at stations 3, 4, and 5.

My skeet competion gun is a Citori skeet model with sub-gauge tubes for 20 and 28 gauge as well as .410 bore.

I have a Beretta 686 and Browning Citori 725 in 28 gauge as well.

I reload 28 gauge so it can be economical although there are loading recipes fo 3/4 oz 20 gauge loades these days.

At least on the skeet field, the 28 gauge requires you to be a bit more precise to match averages made with 12 or 20 gauge. But it can also show some problems that can be addressed.

I have a little mossberg silver reserve o/u in 28.
im not a huge fan of the gun, but I do love the little 28. it’s just right for upland hunting over dogs. However, you can match the loads with the more popular 20ga especially if you reload your own.

If you have the means and the desire, a 28 is great.

I shoot a Beretta SP 1 28 gauge with 30" tubes for Skeet and Sporting Clays.

Love everything about it other than the price of ammo. Most places locally are almost $17 a box of 25. If you're going to shoot 28 gauge a lot, reloading helps. A pound of powder and a bag of shot will do about 5k rounds of 28 gauge.

For what use ? Quail and a few clays every now and then? That’s what the 28 ga is good for.

Nothing like a properly scaled 28 ga. At one of the spectrum there’s the Beretta Parallelo for example, or one of the Spaniards, like AyA. In the middle, the AKUS made SxS guns are really good value for money and at the lower end but a decent gun, the Czech Bobwhite.

I just picked up a Beretta A400 28 gauge.
I've only shot a couple rounds of skeet with it so far but it is a sweet shooter.
It's very light at only 5.5 lbs. Shoots where I'm looking and has hardly any recoil. Good looking gun too.

IMHO
If your going to go sub gauge you’re better off with a 28 than a 410. I have a few 410s that I really enjoy for certain things but it’s pretty challenging

badwithnames said:

Does anyone have experience with 28 gauge and if so do you have any suggestions for guns chambered in it used or new?

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The Remington 870. No longer produced in 28 gauge by Remarms, so used only. I got one before the collapse and it is a dandy. Didn't know it when I ordered it, but they were built on the .410 action and are quite a bit trimmer than the full-size 870. Steel receiver and gorgeous walnut, the gun swings like it weighs about a pound.

I enjoy shooting my T/C .56 smooth bore (28 gauge) for squirrel and rabbit and the occasional wood cock.

The Tristar viper g2 in 28 ga. I would try . They also make a .410 and a 16 ga. along with the standard 20 ga. and 12 ga. They are gas operated semi autos. They are made in Turkey but the 28 ga. and .410 are getting good reviews from the t.s.s.( tungsten super shot) crowd. Supposedly , Fiochi has produced a 3 inch shell for the 28 ga. one report I read is that all Krieghoff shot guns have 3 inch chambers. For me, i think the tristar would be a good way to get started in the 28 ga. but I would be reloading for it.

I could have had the beretta 28 ga but right beside it was the benelli 828U 20 ga. At 67 the eyes ain't what they used to be and even though there was thousands of 28 ga ammo at the time the Beretta felt like a junior sized shotgun. Way to small.

Armored farmer said:

IMHO
If your going to go sub gauge you’re better off with a 28 than a 410. I have a few 410s that I really enjoy for certain things but it’s pretty challenging

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I have to agree.

I shot competitive skeet in the 1990's and early 2000's so I have .410 bore sub-guage tubes for my skeet gun and I have lots iof .410-2-1/2" shells.

Shooting .410 bore on the skeet field is a humbling experience, just look at the difference in class averages from the larger bores. But, it does help point out shooting problems if you work to correct the problems properly.

Anyway, I bought a Mossberg 500 in .410 bore a number of years ago for some critter control around my hobby horse farm. Using the .410-2-1/2" shells made being successful very difficult. I really should lay in a supply of 3" .410 shells for critter control work. The 11/16 oz loads are nearer to 28 guage loads than the .410-2-1/2" 1/2 oz loads.

Actually, now I keep a 12 ga Remington 870 at the ready for critter control these days. Easily more effective.

The .410 Mossberg 500 is a great gun. I have shot it on the skeet field a time or two and it does a good job of breaking targets if I do my part. I keep considering getting the barrel threaded for screw in chokes but have not taken that leap yet.

I do have a Browning Cynergy O/U with screw in chokes that I ought to bring out for critter control. But I guess I feel it is too valuable to be a knock about gun for average critter control. On the other hand, it would tell me if opoening opo the chokes a bit might make the gun more effective for my purposes before spending money on the Mossberg's barrel.

Found a Franchi 28 o/u, very sweet gun to carry and to shoot.

Lo-Profile said:

I shoot a Beretta SP 1 28 gauge with 30" tubes for Skeet and Sporting Clays.

Love everything about it other than the price of ammo. Most places locally are almost $17 a box of 25. If you're going to shoot 28 gauge a lot, reloading helps. A pound of powder and a bag of shot will do about 5k rounds of 28 gauge.

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Aha, 5k? Not hardly. 533 drops of .3/4 oz of shot, and about the same with powder, depending on what powder and recipe you use.

I've had a pair of CZ SXS's in 28 for about 15 years. One english style with 2 triggers and the other single trigger. Haven't been able to decide which I like better. I'm having recoil pads put on both. As I aged those light guns seem to be kicking a lot harder . I reload all my 28's. Reloading 410's is noticeably more challenging than loading 28's. I use MEC loaders. Shot hangs up in the drop tubes way more often with the 410.

I’ve seen a Dickinson 28GA SxS that was a peach. If I was looking I’d look hard at one of those.