28 gauge limitations?

Status
Not open for further replies.
28 gauge is GREAT

I have a couple of 28 gauge shotguns and love them. One is a Charles Daly/Miroku O/U and the other is a model 12. I've used both to fill game bags on wild pheasants,quail,partridge,prairie chicken and dove. I've carried both afield from the Dakotas to Texas and never felt that I was "under-gunned." The previous posts which discuss the cost of ammo are spot on. You'll spend two to three times more for 28 ga. loads. IMO,the 28 ga. will do everything you require when hunting upland birds,provided you do your part as the shooter. If ammo costs are a factor,then I also agree with those who recommend a 20 ga. to you as a first shotgun. However,a 28 ga. shotgun is a joy to use,is very effective and,I believe, is a "must-have" for the upland bird hunter. Good luck and good hunting to you.
 
I don't use 28 for wild pheasants, especially since all the ones I have pursued were really wild. 12 gauge territory. I shot preserve birds with 3/4 oz of #6s, but I like to let them get out there a little ways so I don't tear them up, and the dog likes it, too. I'll use #5s with the 20.
 
28 gauge loads for wild pheasant

In response to the query of Dr. Winslow.....I have had great luck using Fiocchi Golden Pheasant shells for wild pheasants. The shells I buy ( from Scheels ) are loaded with 7/8 oz of shot and I usually buy a flat of #6 and #7 1/2 sized shot at the start of each season. This ammo will allow me to shoot roosters in the Dakotas in October and close the season with Gambels quail in Arizona in February. I really like the Fiocchi shotshells.
 
Heres another question for you guys...

Which do you think would have less felt recoil?

A 20 gauge gas operated semi-auto, or a pump action 28 gauge? Both guns around 7 pounds and assuming a 7/8 oz. load in the 20 gauge and a 3/4 oz. in the 28.

Thanks for the help.
 
Which do you think would have less felt recoil?

A 20 gauge gas operated semi-auto, or a pump action 28 gauge? Both guns around 7 pounds and assuming a 7/8 oz. load in the 20 gauge and a 3/4 oz. in the 28.
Click to expand...

the other option - the 1100 in 28 gauge.........

otherwise you're trying to compare apples to broccoli.......
 
LT20s are fairly easy to come by.

28s? Not so much. If you do find one, though...

They are lighter than the 20s, aren't they?

I can't feel the recoil of the 20. For all I'm not overly enamored with the 1100, my 1100 does one thing exceptionally well: it absorbs recoil.
 
Recoil - 20 ga gas-gun v 28 ga pump

Guv -

IMO,there is very little difference in felt recoil between a 20 gauge gas operated shotgun and a 28 gauge pump. I have a Beretta 390 and a Remington 1100 Special Field which are both chambered in 20 gauge and will shoot these sometimes rather than my 28 gauge model 12. I really can't tell much of a difference in felt recoil between these three shotguns. Hope this helps.
 
28 Gauge was used by VP Cheney at a certain quail hunt in Texas, some years ago.
 
According to browning their 28 gauge BPS weights 7 pounds with the 28 in. barrel.
Click to expand...

Forgot about the BPS. Browning's tendency to make their guns too heavy for my taste might be perfect for your purposes.

Wouldn't shooting doubles with a pump gun mess with your shoulder, though?

The nice things about a 20 Gauge gas gun would be low recoil, far more versatile and less expensive ammo choices, and easier shooting with a stiff shoulder than any pump gun.

I really can't see a reason to go with a 28 Gauge over a 20 Gauge gas gun, especially when you're looking at the Browning BPS 28 Gauge that weighs as much as a lot of 12s.

There are a few reasons to get a 28:

1. Light weight for easy field carry and quick pointing and snap-shooting on fast birds like quail.

2. Low recoil.

3. Specific 28 Gauge skeet or other competition.

4. To show off. Shooting 28 Gauge is a mark of distinction in some circles, for various reasons. (Note that I am not bashing anyone here. Nothing wrong with "showing off.")

#1 is a downside when shooting Trap. Note that the guys above who use 28 for clays use 32" barrels. That's not a field 28, as a general rule. It's also a $2000+ gun. And if you're looking at a BPS, then you won't get light weight anyway.
#2 is a wash, if you use a gas-operated 20.
#3 doesn't appear to be anything you'd care about.
#4 ditto #3.

Downsides of the 28 are:

1. Expensive ammo.
2. Limited selection of ammo.
3. Dubious patterns with large shot (as used on wild pheasants). This is probably not that big of a deal, though.
4. Most 28s are fast instead of smooth (a downside for clay shooting). The BPS would be slower, at 7 lbs., but the 20 Gauge BPS is 7.5 lbs. (actual not claimed) so recoil should be a wash with the 28.

If the 28 were the common gauge, and 20 were less common, a lot would change. 28 would be the choice, for many things. The fact is, they're not THAT different (.065" difference in bore). I like the 16, too. But the fact is, the 16 Gauge is limited by market reality, not the performance of the round.

I'd try a 390/3901/391 in 20 before dropping cash on anything else, if I were you. That's the key: try it before you buy it, if you can. Nobody can tell what, exactly, a gun will feel like, to you.
 
Last edited:
Hey ArmedBear, which would you choose for those fast moving quail, in a lightweight scaled double-barrel in 20 or 28 ga:

1. 20" short shotgun, or
2. 26" standard

Which could you hit them better with, with practice? IOW, is the follow through of the 26" more important for quail or the lighter weight and faster handling of the 20" more important? Would answer change or stay the same for pheasant? Thanks.
 
What I like?

26" standard 20 gauge. I use an old Ithaca SKB 500 O/U. It's really quick (don't overdo the LOP) but still has some natural swing to it. The new SKB guns are essentially the same.

Quail sometimes pop up and fly by, or in other "skeet-like" directions. IMO the 26" 20 Gauge break-action really matches their flight.

Pheasant are bigger, and a bit slower into the air. I'd stick with the same gun (and do) or go with something a bit slower and smoother but still quick enough to shoulder (I have an ancient 16 Gauge SxS with 28" barrels that fits that spec).

For quail in the brush, Slick Eez is your friend!:)
 
We have a pair of 870 wingmaster 28 ga and love them. I got the first one for my 10th b-day 21 years ago. yes ammo is expensive and is somewhat hard to find. have been loading using winchester AA hulls and get a average of 10 loads per hull. Yes I have taken a couple wild pheasants with them mostly in my youth. Fairly hard to knock them down with any range. I do love these guns for quail and dove.
 
Well I went to gander mountain today and checked out a bunch of different guns.

They had 1100's in both 20 and 28 gauge. Very nice, fit me well, but expensive.

I checked out a Browning BPS but it didnt fit me well. Length of pull a bit too long and and adding a recoil pad would only make matters worse.

I then looked at a Remington wingmaster 870. Fit me PERFECTLY, action smooth as silk....BUT the 28 gauge version is listed at 6 pounds which makes me think it might have some considerable kick to it.

Lastly I checked out a beretta 391 in 20 gauge. Also fit me well and seemed very well built. Price comparable to the 1100's.

Any thoughts on the Beretta auto's vs. the 1100? From a maintenance/reliability standpoint?
 
Last edited:
Any thoughts on the Beretta auto's vs. the 1100? From a maintenance/reliability standpoint?
Click to expand...

I own an 1100, not a Beretta 39x. The thing has been reliable, though a dirty mess to clean.

However, the 1100 is 1950s mass-production technology with little or no material improvement. Remington has spent their R&D dollars on the ill-fated recent Over/Unders and the 105CTi (which I liked when I shot one). The 1100 is a neat old gun, but it belongs in another era. The sharp edges that can cut you if you reach inside the receiver, the sharp trigger that can catch a glove or even cut your finger if your skin is dry, the trigger reach that is made for easy assembly of the gun instead of optimum ergonomics, etc. Remington could have improved a lot of this stuff, but they never did. The newest 1100 is still pretty much a Sportsman 58. (There are also some aspects of the 1100 that will really turn you off if you ever disassemble one and try to fix it...)

When you pay close attention to details, the Beretta is just a lot less rough (okay sharp) around the edges IMO. The pistol grip is a fuller shape, the trigger is much more comfortable to use both because of its design and the overall ergonomics of your trigger hand. There are no rubber O-rings to check and replace like on the 1100.

Would I buy a good used 1100 for the right price? Sure. I did. Is it reliable? Yes. Do you have to clean the messy thing fairly often? It's a good idea.

But would I pay the new price for one, up against the Beretta at the same price (I assume that was the 3901?)? No way, no how. Is the Beretta reliable? Yes. Does it take as much fussing over as the 1100 to keep it reliable? No. Does the Beretta feel better in the hands, once you spend enough time with the gun to notice the details? A big Yes.

If both fit me, and at the same price, I'd get the Beretta, without passing Go, or collecting $200.:)

That's my 2 cents.
 
BUT the 28 gauge version is listed at 6 pounds which makes me think it might have some considerable kick to it.
Click to expand...
No, it won't, believe me. No such animal as a 28 ga with considerable kick to it. A small eleven year old kid can have a ball with a 28 ga 870, provided the fit is somewhere close. Even better is a short, quick handling double.

Here, both WalMarts carry 28 ga AAs.
 
No, it won't, believe me. No such animal as a 28 ga with considerable kick to it. A small eleven year old kid can have a ball with a 28 ga 870,
Click to expand...

Agreed my two now belong to my 8 and 9 year old boys who both shoot them with no trouble. My 8 year old has a cut down stock on his that I started with as a kid. The other is regular stock from factory on the 9 year olds.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

G
  • Locked
28 gauge/410 bore
2
Replies
30
Views
2K
Virginian
V
F
  • Locked
Considering buying a 20 gauge O/U
Replies
12
Views
2K
flytyer232
F
S
  • Locked
Benelli Barrel Length?
Replies
10
Views
2K
Subsonic
S
C
  • Locked
Couple noob questions
Replies
4
Views
353
PapaG
P
Michael A Ferber
  • Locked
CZ Drake 28 gauge O/U...
Replies
24
Views
4K
Michael A Ferber
Michael A Ferber
Back
Top