.410 vs .28 gauge

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I am thinking about purchsing a shotgun for birds, groundhog, squirrel, chipmunk, and othere small game and pests. What gauge would be best for me because I am not very big at all so I am concaerned about recoil. I dont need much nock-down power for just small birds so that is barely an issue. But I still want to be able to fire a tight pattern and kill a bird in one shot. I no next to nothing about shotguns so advice would be much appreciated.
 
.410 is aroud 68 gauge. Obviosly you can see the difference. I would suggest 28 gauge, especally for birds.

However, if I was you, I would get a 20 gauge. If your really recoil sensitive you can get an 1100. For the game you stated you would be using light loads which arent that bad out of a 20 gauge.
 
+1 on the 20 gauge for birds. I started with one when I was 11 years old, a skinny little kid. Recoil was no problem. For the other game you mentioned, a 22 rifle would work well, especially for something like groundhogs. A long shot with a shotgun may only wound them, leaving them to die a slow painful death underground. And recoil from a 22 is about non-existant.
 
for what its worth...

there are some things you may need to think about. 410 shells are kind of expensive for what they are. if you reload, it might be ok in the long run. if you want inexpensive ammo, get a 20 ga, ammo is common and you can buy in bulk cheap at Wally World & Kame-apart. if you are worried about recoil, get a shotgun with a good recoil pad or have a smith cut the stock down and put a thick pad on.

If you want a good break action singleshot, you could go to WW or Kmart and get a H&R or NEF shotgun in 20 gauge for under $100. if you want a pump , you can find a Mossberg 500 for about $200 or a Charles Daily pump for about $150-$170. if you got the $$$ get a Remington 870.

i bought a 100 shell value pack for my 20 ga with 2 3/4" shells with 7 1/2 shot for $15.

you would have to pay about $40 for 100 rounds of 410 shells. i dont know what 28 ga shells go for.

Best of luck to ya! -Eric
 
+2 on the 20. Get one chamered for 3". You can get extra light loads all the way to 3" magnums. That will cover you for all small game and upland birds, and maybe turkey/deer/waterfowl as well, if you limit your shots and use good ammo. Plus, the average 20 gauge shells are considerably cheaper than 28 or .410.
 
+3 20 gauge. Get the low brass stuff or the promotional dove loads they have for cheap at Wallyworld during dove season. Stuff is loaded light and is cheap. You could probably shoot the 12 gauge stuff it's so pathetic, LOL! But, it'll work just fine on small game. I'd get 6s for squirrels and rabbits and such and 7 1/2 or 8s for doves and other small birds.
 
I have shot chipmubnks and squirrels with the .410, and the chipmunks get very devestated and the squirrels are still edible. .410 is highly recommended. USe 3" shells for hunting. Sorry, never tried the 28
 
another vote 20ga

i have a .410 bouble barrel, it kicks as much or more than my rem. 11-48 20ga auto loader.
shells are easier to find for a 20 than either .410 or 28.
 
Where is sm when you need him... ;)

The 28 ga is vastly better than the .410 in terms of actually hitting something, and neither one has enough recoil to notice. I have two 28s and my wife and I both enjoy shooting them. I'm not recoil sensitive, I've been shooting a 12 ga for over 40 years, but 28s are just fun. But then I reload them.

However, I would suggest you get a 20 ga also, sm would suggest a 20 ga Rem 1100. Ammo for the 28 ga will run $7.50 a box for the reloadable stuff (Rem. STS and Win AA) or about $6.00 a box for Estates. 20 ga Estates run about $3.50 per box.
 
I'll vote for a 20 gauge also. They really don't kick hard at all with reasonable loads. Nothing like a 12 gauge, and you're still throwing a decent amount of shot and have a good variety of ammo available commercially.
Also make sure the gun fits you OK. When I shoot clays with the guys we basically throw them as fast as we can keep the guns loaded. With 4 people, rotating off shooting and throwing we went through about 350 rounds last night. Yeah, I'm sure there's hardcore sporting clays or trap guys out there clutching their chests and swearing right now....but we have a good time.
Anyhow, with all that shooting recoil is an issue. With my gun, I don't even feel sore afterwards, it fits me well. I tried about a dozen rounds through another guys gun, and today my shoulder is bruised. The gun didn't fit me well and I always ended up with the toe of the stock in my shoulder. Having a properly fit gun will make recoil much more maneageable.
 
A good recoil pad has little effect on recoil energy. It puts a soft barrier between buttstock and shoulder, and it distributes the recoil over time, but that time is still only a fraction of a second. This can eliminate pain, but inertia is a very real thing, and if someone is small and light, heavy recoil will still knock him/her back.

It IS important to hold the butt of the gun against your upper chest, not out past the shoulder joint. Otherwise, you're asking for a rotator cuff injury.

All of that said, a 20 gauge with a recoil pad is a good choice. Many different loads are available for it, so it's versatile, and not expensive to shoot. Learn about "dram equivalents", and experiment with what loads feel okay to you.

And be careful not to get a gun that's too light. A 20 gauge under 6 lbs. can still kick like a mule.
 
small revision in advice...

i'm gonna just make another suggestion, one that i have done myself.

Get a Mossberg 500 (not Bantam, sized for kids) 20 ga pump with either 24" or 26" vent ribbed barrel for bird hunting.

Send to Mossberg for a 500 Persuader 18 1/2" barrel in 20ga for about $70. this will allow for a defense gun to keep near the bed at night. just change the barrel and insert the mag filler tube to make it legal for hunting when the mood strikes you.

Mag filler tube: makes it so you can only put 3 rounds in the gun for hunting purposes. some states require you to have a gun that only holds 3 shells.
 
what is shot size?

I keep searching on the internet for shells and it always gives me shot sizes lik "00" or 5.5 what does this mean? I noticed when it went higher th bbs got smaller does that mean less recoil?
 
Shot size is the diameter of the shot. A larger size number
means smaller shot. #12 is "dust shot" #8 small birds
#6 larger for rabbits, #4 turkeys and ducks. #0 #00 and
#00 are buckshot #00 is about .32" and #000 about .36"

One ounce of shot leaving the barrel at 1350 feet per second will
generate the same kick or recoil whether it is #12, #6. double-ought
or a solid deer slug. Shot size has no bearing on recoil.
 
Get the 20GA. Recoil is not that bad and it will be better than the .410.
 
The nominal diameter of U.S. bird shot (not buck) can be determined by subtracting the shot size number from the number 17, then dividing by 100. For instance, size 6 shot is 17 - 6 = .11"
 
Go ahead and get a 20

Mossberg 500 is a good choice...With a decent recoil pad, and make sure the gun FITS YOU PROPERLY. There's a huge selection of loads, and you can stick with "light" field loads, to hunt almost any small game (just keep your shots to a reasonable distance).

I'm not dissing 28 or .410, but they are kinda "specialty" guns, and if you're just starting out, can be frustrating. It takes a good shot with either to make clean kills on moving targets. Most people that hunt with either have alot of experience with "heavier" gauges.
 
Just out of curiosity what caliber is 20 or 28 gauge? I know 12 gauge is .72 caliber. I have the 11-87 SM but nothing smaller in shotguns.
 
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