20gauge verus 28 gauge ammo

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john wall said:
I own two 28 ga shotguns, but will never hunt with either of them.
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I killed my first pheasant with a 28 gauge when I was in junior high school with a side by side 28 gauge. The shotgun was my father's when he was growing up. It was the first bird we flushed that day.

One of the fondest memories I had with my dad.

I'll second what oneounceload said about the 28 gauge.

As other's have said, reloading 28 gauge gets the cost in line, or a bit less with reloaded 20 gauge shells. There is less powder and shot in a 28 gauge shell.

When I was shooting competitive skeet, my 28 gauge averages were very nearly the same as my 20 gauge averages so I did not give up much. The first time I won my class at a skeet tournament was in 28 gauge.

I like 28 gauge, I guess.
 
28 gauge is not legal for hunting turkey in my state (shotguns for turkey must be between 10 and 20 gauge. You 8 bore fans are out of luck too!).

If you are deciding between 20 and 28 gauge it might be worthwhile to check the regulations in your hunting areas.

Dan
 
28 gauge is not legal for hunting turkey in my state (shotguns for turkey must be between 10 and 20 gauge. You 8 bore fans are out of luck too!).

If you are deciding between 20 and 28 gauge it might be worthwhile to check the regulations in your hunting areas.

Dan
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Man, this thread is so old I cannot remember posting on it.

Did anyone say the 28 was a turkey gun? I'd love to shoot one on doves. My 20 ain't broke, though. :D I'll probably use a rifle for turkey's from now on, a .22 mag. I can hit the sweet spot out to 100 yards with that baby and it will do the job, no head shot necessary. I mean, I have a 10 gauge with a turkey choke, but why mess with it when I can legally use a rifle on Rio Grandes in Texas? I bought the 10 for snow geese, wouldn't use a 28 on those, either. Steel shot is required for migratory birds. Even if they MAKE steel for 28 (don't think so), the 12 or the 10 is the best choice. I leave the 20 at home when I go duck or goose hunting. Every tool has its purpose. I don't use a crescent wrench when I need a hammer, either. :D

I've killed one turkey in my life and it wasn't in New Hampshire. :D
 
i own and shoot two 28ga,s, a 870 rem and a 1100 rem sporting and they are good killers out to 35yrds on small game. i also reload on a mec 9000 with 3/4 oz #7.5 to 1 oz #6 loads. i found that a modified choke works well to 35yrds on rabbits,ringnecks and full choke on doves. as to cost i bought 600 once fired rem st,s for 30.00 from a friend, so if you load it cost no more that a 20ga and maybe a little cheaper than a 12ga due to less shot and powder. while the 28ga may not be for every body its a viable light weight small game shotgun with in its range. as a youth i carried a old model 12 in 12ga with 20 shells(there seemed to be more small game then) and after a day of hunting my body knew it, forward 50 years and my body refuses to do that. as the limites are lower now and the hills have gotten steeper a light weight shotgun with 10 smaller shells make alot of since to me. eastbank.
 
Wow, this is an old thread. I'll throw my 2 cents in since we don't get near enough posts in the shotgun forum here, especially about the excellent 28ga.

No, the 28 will never match the 20 in terms of ammo availability or variety. But, good hunting loads are around the same price, and if you reload the 28 is cheaper to shoot than even a 12.

I have no qualms using my 28 gauge on anything up to and including pheasants. The only place I find it lacking is when you are wanting to launch a lot of large steel shot for geese or pass shooting ducks. It does work fine for smaller ducks over decoys with steel or nice shot. It isn't legal for turkey here in MN, but if it were I wouldn't hesitate to use it out to 30 yards.
I also think a light 28 is a perfect beginners gun. It is much easier to hit with than the .410, and recoils much less than any of the youth/compact 20's. I started my son shooting clays with a 28 O/U when he was 8 years old.
 
The 28 is one of the best upland bore Sizes ever made, especially for quail, grouse, partridges, and pheasants of various types.

Not using it would be a shame
 
Once you use a 28 in Argentina, you will discover 2 things:

It will kill doves just as far out as a 20.

The extra cost of the shells is a bargain on your shoulder after 2000 rounds a day.

When you come home to shoot doves and buy 2 boxes for a 15 bird limit, $10 bucks extra?
"WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?" (In my best HC voice ;<)
 
I understand that but for talking with folk it does seem like a large number are over their 12 Guage magnumitus and are picking up a more packable 20 for when they don't quite need all that extra shot in the air

Kinda like when 45-70 had a bit of a boom a few years ago
 
With a 3" load, my 20 will boom with the best of the 2 3/4" 12s. :D But, the 12 sure patterns better with 1 1/4 ounces of shot. The 20 stays home when I go duck hunting. I find a 2 3/4" 12 number 3 fasteel to kill 'em dead as far out as I remember lead 4s being effective. 28 is not a waterfowler's friend. :D Might work if we still could use lead, but don't count on THAT ever happening. :rolleyes: And, what would a box of 28 gauge hevishot cost, five bucks a shot probably? Ouch.

I remember killling teal when I was a kid with the .410. I'm not going to discount that a 28 couldn't using hevishot. Just not practical. Sure would make a good dove getter, though, with some 3/4 ounce 7.5 loads. :D Even a 20 can get a little rough on the shoulder after 6 or 7 boxes in a 4 day shoot. I know, I know, get better hit percentages, easier said than done no matter the guage. LOL But, I actually find I do better with a 20 than a 12 and a 28 would work fantastic and be lighter on the shoulder.
 
And if your primary hunting is geese, then stick with the 12; that said, your tag line says TX, and that means quail, something the 28 truly shines when hunting.
 
I tried a 28 gauge a year ago at the Winchester range in Alton, Illinois, and it was such a sweet-shooting O/U that I was hooked. Buying one will have to wait a little while until I finish saving for some other priorities, but it's going to happen. When I do, I am definitely reloading for it, since the savings for that gauge are substantial. Still, it's a great gauge. And I shot a Browning, which I believe is not even as svelte as the Beretta 28.
 
And if your primary hunting is geese, then stick with the 12; that said, your tag line says TX, and that means quail, something the 28 truly shines when hunting.
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I've never owned a pointer and never hunted quail with dogs. I have chased scaled quail out in west Texas, though. :D A 28 would be an awesome quail gun, though, I agree.

On snow geese, I prefer 10 gauge, packs plenty of T shot for those high flying bluebird day geese and is easier on me than a 3.5" 12 cause it weighs 9 lbs.
 
square

As I understand the term...a square load is one in which the shot load is as wide as it is long. If you were to look at it from the side, it would appear to be a square.
Such load density, so the story goes, provides the most uniform patterns.
 
I own two 28's a 1924 Webley&Scott and a Baretta 686. I have no issues killing wild Pheasant with either and have done so on multiple occasions. As far as upland game is concerned the 28 does not give up anything to a 20 in fact it doesn't give up much to a 12. For pass shooting doves if it's in range for a 12 it's in range for a 28. A 28 throws the exact same pattern as a 12 with a more shallow shot column.

I've killed wild Pheasant at 30 and 40 yards with a 28 using 6 or 5 1/2 shot and high brass shells on more than one occasion. they won't have as many pellets in them as a with a 12 but they'llhave more than enough in them to do the job. I've never hunted waterfowl with a 28 but I have buddy who dumps ducks all day long with a .410. It's more about the man than the machine. I am not nearly good enough with a shotgun to pass shoot ducks with a .410, this guy makes it look easy.
 
28 GA Ammo can be found, even slugs, and makes a good HD gun for your wife or daughter. BUT 20 ga is much easier to find ,and arguable more effective . Ease of acquisition is the key here, also repair parts are more readibly available. i would go with the 20 ga for any serious applications.
 
The 28 is definitely one of those cult following kind of rounds. Which is unfortunate because it delivers a lot of wallop for its size.
 
also repair parts are more readibly available. i would go with the 20 ga for any serious applications.
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Except for the really nice 28 field guns built on 28 sized frames, most less expensive ones are built on a 20 gauge frame so the bit about repair parts is moot.

Ease of ammo acquisition is readily available over the internet from hundreds of places.
 
Shoedog1 welcome to the forums!

You picked a good thread to raise from the dead! There I am a poet.

I like 28 too! My dad bought a Wingmaster in 28 when he was ill and on high dose blood thinners. I remember him shooting clays with it sitting in a lawn chair. In other words he did what he had to do to still make it to the range nearly to the very end.

BTW he was better at hitting clays sitting in his lawn chair with his new 28 than I was standing up with my old 20 Mossberg and that is saying something.
 
I have a 28, I also live in NY , Internet purchases of ammo are no longer an option here. Thanks to CUOMO and the rest of the Democrats.
 
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