28 ga over a 20 ga

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by JKP » Tue Jan 28, 2014 8:31 am

Each gauge allows you to throw out more payload...so you either can have a denser pattern or a larger pattern of the same density if you really want to spend that much time and $$$ fine tuning your gun. Practically, I don't see any difference in effectiveness with either 12, 16 or 20 gauge in the hands of a decent shooter, especially if you are shooting over pointing dogs. I do think you have to know your limitations when you have wild flushing birds at distance. Personally, if a wild phez flushes at 40 yds, I might not even mount the 12 gauge figuring by the time I acquire the target, even the modified barrel is at its limit by the time my pattern gets there. I have hunted with 28 gauge shooters ...and they have done well. I think it takes a bit more skill and you have to be willing to let birds go when they're flushing wild at distance. If its just the birds at the local preserve, doubt it will make a difference.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by buckshot1 » Tue Jan 28, 2014 11:15 am

You can kill anything with a 28 ga if you have it properly choked. You have to match your pattern densities to the birds you're hunting. For example, you probably need to use a full choke if you're using a 28 ga on pheasants. That will give you a similar pattern density to an improved cylinder on a 12 gauge. If you shoot well you can kill them just as easily and at similar ranges as a 12 gauge improved cylinder. The only difference is that you'll have much less room to miss. What you can't do is shoot an improved cylinder on a 28 ga in the same situation where you shoot a 12 ga improved.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by DonF » Tue Jan 28, 2014 11:23 am

Uplandish wrote:
DonF wrote: I think the thing to keep in mind other than available ammo Is that the sub gages will fire the same size of shot just as fast. Difference is the amount of shot in the load. A piece of #6 shot out of a 410 and a 12 ga travels pretty much just as fast and does the same damage. The difference in the two is that the 12ga carry's a bigger load but the 410 is a lot lighter. In my 28 I shoot 3/4oz loads of 6's or 7 1/2's. In the 410 I use 2 1/2" with 1/2oz of #6's. I think 7 1/2's might be better but I've had no trouble dropping birds for the dogs over point's with the 1/2oz loads.
to a certain extent. While a 28 gauge patterns as good as 12 or 16 gauge its effective range is a bit shorter. Shorter still for the 410

IMO the only real reason to try different gauges ( besides for fun) is to find the gun that handles best for you. You can shoot half oz loads out of a 12 gauge and essentially have a heavy nearly recoilless 28gauge, or you can shoot 1oz loads out a 28 gauge and have essentially a light 16 or 20 gauge. there is nothing magical about different gauges unless you spend a lot of time at the patterning board and a lot of time shooting targets,otherwise its just pellets flying out of a tube. the only real outsider in the equation is the 410, whose patterning ability and payload is drastically different from the other larger gauges.
All of that gets thrown out the window when you are talking steel shot, then your stuck with 12,16, or 3" 20 gauge for anything past 30 yards.
I almost agree. I try not to let anything get out to far in the first place because I'm a lousy shot! For 737's at 35yds, I'd need a 10gz! :D
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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by bonasa » Tue Jan 28, 2014 4:01 pm

I have shot a pile of birds (grouse/woodcock/training)with the .410 using 3/4 plated 7's, gun is choked full and full. I also have a 20 that i stuff 1 oz factory trap 8's skeet/imp and do just as well. Another friend of mine shoots a 28 with 3/4 oz plated 7's doing 1300 with an improved and mod, again a pile of birds, still another relies on a 20 auto shooting 1 oz 7.5's factory doing 1225 choked improved. Then again my father still shoots an Ithaca 37 20 gauge with 6's...for everything. I don't see much difference in any of the patterns of the above at pointing dog ranges except for the old man and his 6"s complex, the little guns are a joy to carry , fun to shoot and he shells don't take up much room.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by roaniecowpony » Thu Jan 30, 2014 3:14 am

Uplandish,
Just keep in the forefront of your mind: it's all for fun. :D

Whenever someone shakes their head or gives me guff about shooting a 410 (or a 20, 28, or old side by side), I tell them I do it because I enjoy it. It is truly the ONLY reason I have dogs and hunt. Frankly, sometimes I dont even take a gun out with my dogs. :mrgreen:

If I sound like I've lost touch with reality, think about all the time and money investment you have in your dogs, guns, gear, and vehicle to hunt... as you drive past the KFC on the way out of town. :wink: Then ask yourself: why am I doing this? I'm guessing your answer ain't "because I need to shoot dinner".

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Uplandish » Fri Jan 31, 2014 9:20 pm

roaniecowpony wrote:Uplandish,
Just keep in the forefront of your mind: it's all for fun. :D

Whenever someone shakes their head or gives me guff about shooting a 410 (or a 20, 28, or old side by side), I tell them I do it because I enjoy it. It is truly the ONLY reason I have dogs and hunt. Frankly, sometimes I dont even take a gun out with my dogs. :mrgreen:

If I sound like I've lost touch with reality, think about all the time and money investment you have in your dogs, guns, gear, and vehicle to hunt... as you drive past the KFC on the way out of town. :wink: Then ask yourself: why am I doing this? I'm guessing your answer ain't "because I need to shoot dinner".
Roger that Roanie, I have several of each gauge and shoot them all poorly. One of these days when I am sick of having fun I will take my own advice and get rid of all my shooters but one or two and see if my scores go up a little bit.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by roaniecowpony » Sat Feb 01, 2014 9:06 am

Yeah. I might be a decent shot if I didnt shoot all these wacky guns from 100 years ago. Maybe.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by ChetB » Sat Feb 01, 2014 10:03 am

For what it's worth, my dad started me at 10 years old with a single shot 20 ga. It was an Ithaca Model 66 Super Single. Being a "youth" model, it had a short stock and I outgrew it after a few years. I don't remember the barrel length. My next shotgun was Dad's 16 ga. Ithaca Model 37. I've also used a couple different 12 ga. pumps and an auto-loader. These days, I prefer my 20 ga. Model 37 for everything I hunt: rabbits, Pheasant, Grouse and Quail. I always carry different loads in my pockets, know my own and my guns limitations and choose my shots carefully. Sometimes my GSP looks at me curiously when I don't shoot at a bird that flushes too far out in front of me, but we have fun anyway and I'm never worn out at the end of the day from lugging around a heavy gun. I'm not an expert, but I believe with the proper loads my 20 does as well as I could expect from any other gauge. I never shot a 28, but I think the availability of ammunition would be the deciding factor if I was trying to choose between a 20 or a 28.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by roaniecowpony » Mon Feb 03, 2014 2:12 pm

Coming from the perspective of having shot all of my upland game, from dove to pheasant, with a 410 for the past several years, I look at both the 28 and 20 gauge as pretty big bores capable of any upland bird in North America. The 410 has such a small pattern that it is a big difference up to the 28g. Still, for shooting over a pointing dog, even the 410 does better with a cylinder bore.

As for chokes for the 28ga over a pointing dog, my vote is for cylinder and modified. Tighter chokes would only be needed for walked up birds or over a flushing dog, IMO.

I think a man should have the gauge (s) that he wants for no other reason than he wants. It's intuitively obvious that a bigger bore shotgun has more capabilities and increases your probability of taking game. But this is a sport that every aspect is about challenge. A man should pick the gauge that gives him the challenge he wants. Picking a gauge isnt necessarily about maximizing game in the bag. I look at small bores the same way i look at bowhunting.

As with any shotgun, fit is the single most important characteristic in selecting a gun. Most people have no idea what that means. Since there are no sights on a shotgun, the shooter's eye is the rear sight and the front bead is the front reference, albeit the point of impact is slightly higher. Anyone interested in reading a good book on the subject of shotgun fit, Michael Yardley's Gunfitting The Quest for Perfection, is a great little book. If given a choice of guns to borrow for a hunt, I will always pick the one that fits best regardless of bore size.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by TonyS » Sat Feb 15, 2014 9:49 pm

Like having trouble finding ammo and paying alot more? Then 28 ga is right for you.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Frankug » Sat Feb 15, 2014 10:26 pm

The 20 ga is probably a better all around shotgun. I shot one for years but got bored with it and picked up a 28. Awesome, less recoil, less noise, tons of fun. Shot that for years and got bored with it. Picked up a .410 and really like the less noise recoil etc. been shooting that ever since. Sure i let some game go but thats alright too. I have a couple of combo guns, 28 .410. take whatever i feel like that day. A combo gun is worth a look, however i think it works better 20/12 combo or 28/.410 combo because of frame size differences or something. You get 2 barrels and one stock. 2 guns in one. The size difference of bullet from 20 to 28 is very small, so if you can hit it with the 20 you can hit it with the 28.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Tooling » Sun Feb 16, 2014 5:46 am

I've got a few .410 lever actions that tend to follow me to the clay games...the look on all of the other groups at the range when I pull out my 30-30 to break clays is priceless...tote one of those to the field for a hunt & I'm thinking a guy just might get to know all of the game wardens on a first name basis :)

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by roaniecowpony » Mon Feb 24, 2014 8:39 am

I was up at a hunt club Saturday and our whole group of 5 regulars were shooting .410. An 870, 3 model 42s, and my Parker Repro with Galazan barrels. I was shooting 3" #6s. One rooster volunteered and was out around 40 yards going straight away when I hit him. He folded and never wiggled after hitting the ground. The little guns can kill at decent distance under the right conditions and can even be very destructive up close. I put the whole load of my 410 up the rear of a planted chukar at 7 yards. It puffed the bird.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by DonF » Mon Feb 24, 2014 5:47 pm

roaniecowpony wrote:I was up at a hunt club Saturday and our whole group of 5 regulars were shooting .410. An 870, 3 model 42s, and my Parker Repro with Galazan barrels. I was shooting 3" #6s. One rooster volunteered and was out around 40 yards going straight away when I hit him. He folded and never wiggled after hitting the ground. The little guns can kill at decent distance under the right conditions and can even be very destructive up close. I put the whole load of my 410 up the rear of a planted chukar at 7 yards. It puffed the bird.

3", I have a couple box's of three inch but prefer the 2 1/2" shells. Gives me a good reason to use the 28! I recently had my 28 opened up to Imp cyl/skeet 2. Going to get my 410 done next and thinking mod/mod and if I don't care for that then go for Imp cyl/mod.
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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by roaniecowpony » Tue Feb 25, 2014 12:25 am

Don
my favorite quail gun is a 410 is a cylinder bore and mod sxs Ithaca NID ejector field grade. You'd be amazed at the pattern it throws at 25 yards.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by huntcrazed » Sat Apr 12, 2014 1:06 pm

The 28 is for experts as it is the tightest shooting smooth bore out of all of them.

You can kill as far with the 28 as any 12.

The 20 is better over pointing dogs and short distances and it can throw patterns much wider than the 28 with open chokes.

A true 28 scaled frame gun is a delight to shoot as they are light and fast,but beware unless you shoot open chokes your shooting will be tough with the tight patterns the 28 puts out.
On the other hand if you are a good shooter you can surprise lots of friends with 12s killing birds they missed with your 28....with some reloads with little gun powder and 3/4 of an ounce of shot.
This powder was made for the 410 and it does wonders with the 28 where you can have real high velocity loads and good patterns at the same time.
I shoot everything upland with the 28 and go to the 20 with open chokes on mearns so I do not destroy the very close birds for eating as I was with the 28 if I did not miss.....

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Mountaineer » Sat Apr 12, 2014 4:50 pm

To keep some clarity and perspective for anyone wisely considering a 28 gauge over the 20 gauge:

The 28 would not be an expert's gun and it is not any tighter shooting than any other scattergun gauge.
Choke and bore specs and load determines "tight" shooting.
However, it is true that a 28 gauge requires a bit less constriction to achieve comparable pattern densities than say, a 12 gauge....how much that matters to a practical extent is the real question.
The "hits like a hammer and knocks the tacks out of the pattern board"-type comments are highly overplayed.

A 28 maxes out in effectiveness on gamebirds with distance before a 12......but, that can vary a bit with the bird and the conditions and habitat involved.
Some fail to factor in all the elements that make a successful shot possible if they get a bit too enamored with any particular personal choice....best to not generalize.

The 20 is not better at throwing wider patterns up close...the 20 does, in most standard loads, carry a bit more shot than the 28 gauge and is often found in promo loads where the softer shot and often cheaper wads can deliver wider patterns which can fool some folks into making dem bad generalities....but that "wider" action is not a given with equivalent loads.

The 28 is a wonderful gauge when built and applied appropriately for several uses in the uplands...but, it is nowhere near magical.
Hulls may, just may, not last as many reloads as a quality 20 hull, shell cost can be higher, availability is lower at times and, the often light weight of a scaled 28 gauge or the new semi-autos can require a bit of work to shoot well. We often appear to gain super-strength as a bird flushes....that super-strength can over-power some scatterguns.
The lighter-carrying aspect can be nice but it, like the tack-lifting, is over-played in the uplands....too often we all shoot way too quickly as it is, imho.
Try a 28 gauge as it is one of the latest must-have but, be judicious with it and never fail to recognize it's limitations that follow hand in glove with it's particulars.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by tfbirddog2 » Sat Apr 19, 2014 10:40 am

28 gauge proven holds a pattern longer than any other gauge! I would rather purchase a 28 for kids and women than a 20, yes the price for shells sucks but all around better and lighter gun and round! IMO! IMO due to amount of brands and gauges I see every year guiding its just the gun of choice after a person shoots them! I have seen a 28 in the hands of 12 yr kill a pheasant at 97 steps! 28's work! Tri Star makes a semi-auto 28 and the price and gun a awesome about $450 to $500
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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Neil » Sat Apr 19, 2014 11:12 am

97 steps?

I really try to ignore these nonsensical threads, but if a pheasant died a 97 steps it was from natural causes, not being shot.

And all gauges shoot at about the same velocity, it is a matter of payload, the number of shot and how it patterns. Heavy loads in sub-gauges do not pattern well. And a. 410 at 35 yards with cyl choke and 6's leaves holes in the pattern that a goose can fly through without beiing hit, let alone a quail.

I wish you guys would get better at estimating distances and read some before giving advice.

I hate to think about a new hunter heading to ND for pheasant with a. 410. Wild game deserves respect.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Mountaineer » Sun Apr 20, 2014 4:25 pm

Kilt a pheasant graveyard dead at 97 steps?.....kid likely eats RAW. 8)

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Uplandish » Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:37 am

Mountaineer wrote:Kilt a pheasant graveyard dead at 97 steps?.....kid likely eats RAW. 8)
maybe he has short legs? :wink:

I dropped a good size gadwall with my 28 gauge using hevi shot a couple seasons ago that was a looong way out. It wasn't 97 of my long steps, but it was well past what I thought a 28 was capable of - I only shot because my buddy clipped it with his 12.
That anecdote and $3.00 will get you a cup of coffee.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Mountaineer » Mon Apr 21, 2014 11:52 am

Yes, luck or a tape line with the dumb end broken off can both be great things.
I once shot a groundhog with an iron sighted 12 gauge smoothbore that was close to 175 yards....just one big golden BB, it was.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by tfbirddog2 » Tue Apr 22, 2014 9:21 am

How bout this we go get the guns out and step it off put some paper out there and take the shot before we go calling people liars and talking smack! I was there along with 5 others and we all were in shock and aww! No reason to be a jackwagon about it! Umm were you there? Umm NO!
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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Mountaineer » Tue Apr 22, 2014 10:30 am

tfbirddog2 wrote:How bout this we go get the guns out and step it off put some paper out there and take the shot before we go calling people liars and talking smack! I was there along with 5 others and we all were in shock and aww! No reason to be a jackwagon about it! Umm were you there? Umm NO!
Ummm.....97 steps(even most short steps would be 65 yard or so) is a good poke and the implication you are putting out is that the 28 gauge is a 60+ yard scattergun.
On a public message board that can both spread bad info and lead to "watch 'is!" with wild bird populations the fodder.
Lucky hits at that range mostly would result in wounding :idea: , a bad thing....a pellet may well have sufficient oomph for a hit in the right, or wrong for the bird, place to kill but that means little but to the bird.
That shot was and is ill-advised with a 28 gauge, or with most any gauge and for most any average shooter.
We all have made golden BB shots and ill-advised shots as well.....the later will happen, often we regret it afterwards as we see a bird wobble..... you need to rear back and take the advice within for the value it has to more than you or some lucky shooter on a lucky day.
Yes, lucky hits are made but never define, gun, load or shooter...they are just pellet strikes that killed.
Yes, a simple high-five could be the response to 97 steps but I care too much for the birds and too little for a hunter and too much again for the hunter's image to not make a comment.
Ethics with a scattergun are also not a bad thing to learn at every age.

I do wonder how everyone always seems to know the exact yardage at which a bird is hit and killed...I have seen some on a glide path for some distance.
Seen some tower and touchdown closer.....but, some amazing yardage judging skills are seemingly out and about the uplands.
As to patterning....I've likely done way more than you over the decades and that is only one reason why I know a lucky shot is nothing on which to base the blanket approval for a 28 gauge at 60+ yards on wild game birds.
But, I will assume that the 28 in question "patterns like a rifle" or would not let a miller moth escape it's net....if that helps.
I sadly expect there will be a next time so, good luck to all involved...mostly to the bird.

"How 'bout this we go get the guns"....... :lol:
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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Uplandish » Tue Apr 22, 2014 11:16 am

Mountaineer wrote:
tfbirddog2 wrote:How bout this we go get the guns out and step it off put some paper out there and take the shot before we go calling people liars and talking smack! I was there along with 5 others and we all were in shock and aww! No reason to be a jackwagon about it! Umm were you there? Umm NO!
Ummm.....97 steps(even most short steps would be 65 yard or so) is a good poke and the implication you are putting out is that the 28 gauge is a 60+ yard scattergun.
On a public message board that can both spread bad info and lead to "watch 'is!" with wild bird populations the fodder.
Lucky hits at that range mostly would result in wounding :idea: , a bad thing....a pellet may well have sufficient oomph for a hit in the right, or wrong for the bird, place to kill but that means little but to the bird.
That shot was and is ill-advised with a 28 gauge, or with most any gauge and for most any average shooter.
We all have made golden BB shots and ill-advised shots as well.....the later will happen, often we regret it afterwards as we see a bird wobble..... you need to rear back and take the advice within for the value it has to more than you or some lucky shooter on a lucky day.
Yes, lucky hits are made but never define, gun, load or shooter...they are just pellet strikes that killed.
Yes, a simple high-five could be the response to 97 steps but I care too much for the birds and too little for a hunter and too much again for the hunter's image to not make a comment.
Ethics with a scattergun are also not a bad thing to learn at every age.

I do wonder how everyone always seems to know the exact yardage at which a bird is hit and killed...I have seen some on a glide path for some distance.
Seen some tower and touchdown closer.....but, some amazing yardage judging skills are seemingly out and about the uplands.
As to patterning....I've likely done way more than you over the decades and that is only one reason why I know a lucky shot is nothing on which to base the blanket approval for a 28 gauge at 60+ yards on wild game birds.
But, I will assume that the 28 in question "patterns like a rifle" or would not let a miller moth escape it's net....if that helps.
I sadly expect there will be a next time so, good luck to all involved...mostly to the bird.

"How 'bout this we go get the guns"....... :lol:
It's good to laugh at least once a day.
Lots of truth in the words above, even if they aren't sugar coated :wink: .

At the end of the day if you are a true hunter you know what your weapon can do and how well it can do it consistently because clean or at least quick kills are what matter most.
It is is only "Sporting" or "more sportsman like" to use a small gauge if you stay within the confines and limitations of said gauge.

Otherwise the only "chance" you are giving your prey with a 410 or a 28 gauge is a better chance at a long slow death.

And if you Don't know the limitations of your weapon or if you do and still take a long scratching shot at a healthy bird then you are quickly sliding down the road toward being no better than a poacher.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Neil » Tue Apr 22, 2014 12:00 pm

In addition to spending hours on patterning boards, skeet, trap, and sporting clays fields, I have a lot of time on a football fiield with clearly marked yardage.

Tell you what, take an old hunting coat out to hundred yards and shoot it with a 28 gauge and any choke and size shot you wish then come back and tell us you can kill a pheasant at that range. Were it not for my big ole thin skinned ears, I'd be happy to wear the coat.

I am a fan of the 28's, I use them often, but there is nothing magical or sporting about their use. Does not prove I am an expert.

"USE ENOUGH GUN" is more than the title of a book, it is a moral imparitive.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by tfbirddog2 » Tue Apr 22, 2014 12:10 pm

You know arguing with idiots makes you as stupid as them!
But I know this I bet your 60 yards is more like 40 and your 100 yards is like 75! I've been through these conversations before with people like yourself! Til you take them out and put a yardage finder in their hand they know it all!
If you know scattergun etiquette go barrow a 28 from someone take your best gundog get a tape measure out walk off 100 yards stake out the dog and take shot! Bet the dog yelps, bet he bleeds! seen that happen too in the 12 years I've guided professionally!
Ive got my decades of "Scatterguns" under my belt too! Get over yourself and what you think you know Scooter! IMO Just Saying! :lol:

I wouldn't take that shot with any bore of a shotgun! I know my limitation too, but you cant stop customers, let alone they think most 35 to 45 yard shots are to far, experienced or not!
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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Mountaineer » Tue Apr 22, 2014 12:20 pm

Bob, weave, sidestep, distract, defuse, ignore....as they say hereabouts at such times, "good shot, no coal, bub". :lol:

Probably should say that the opportunity to explain or illustrate ethics can be presented to many of us....in the oddest or most obvious of situations.

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Tooling » Tue Apr 22, 2014 2:48 pm

Mountaineer wrote:Yes, luck or a tape line with the dumb end broken off can both be great things.
I once shot a groundhog with an iron sighted 12 gauge smoothbore that was close to 175 yards....just one big golden BB, it was.
lol - I used to catch 6 lber's here on the Potomac all the time until I bought a scale (true)

I have nothing to add - carry on

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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by natel24 » Tue Apr 22, 2014 3:21 pm

i'm an average shot at best, my brother shoots 1000's of rounds at the trap range every year and when we go dove hunting he takes his super expensive beretta 28 gauge and i take my $400 stoeger 12 gauge shooting the same size shot. i usually do well while he misses a lot. More bb's flung out the barrel equals more success in my book. I'm sure some will argue this isn't probably always the case
natel24
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"I'd rather go hunting without a gun than without my dog."

Neil
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Location: Central Arkansas

Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Neil » Tue Apr 22, 2014 3:31 pm

natel24 wrote:i'm an average shot at best, my brother shoots 1000's of rounds at the trap range every year and when we go dove hunting he takes his super expensive beretta 28 gauge and i take my $400 stoeger 12 gauge shooting the same size shot. i usually do well while he misses a lot. More bb's flung out the barrel equals more success in my book. I'm sure some will argue this isn't probably always the case
As long as weight does not become a factor and slows your swing, more is more, you are right. I don't recommend an 8 gauge for woodcock though.

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Uplandish
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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Uplandish » Tue Apr 22, 2014 4:19 pm

Neil wrote:
natel24 wrote:i'm an average shot at best, my brother shoots 1000's of rounds at the trap range every year and when we go dove hunting he takes his super expensive beretta 28 gauge and i take my $400 stoeger 12 gauge shooting the same size shot. i usually do well while he misses a lot. More bb's flung out the barrel equals more success in my book. I'm sure some will argue this isn't probably always the case
As long as weight does not become a factor and slows your swing, more is more, you are right. I don't recommend an 8 gauge for woodcock though.
Eight gauge and number 9 shot... a market hunters dream. :lol:

skeetermc
Rank: Junior Hunter
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Location: Amarillo TX

Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by skeetermc » Tue Jul 22, 2014 9:49 pm

Aim small miss small.

I shoot 28 w/26 barrels on blues, gambles and bobs. Year before last in SD i shot #6's with full and modified for three days and never missed having a 12 or 20. Last year in KS I bagged my first and second LPC with a 28g. What matters is that you have confidence in your talent and confidence in your gun. I never understood the argument about the cost of shells. We spend thousands on trucks, trailers, dogs, guns, gps , gas, hotels and meals, 4 to 5 bucks difference for a box of shells, come on.

I own them all and when it comes time to hunt, my 28 gets called up from the bull pen.

JKP
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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by JKP » Mon Jul 28, 2014 2:20 pm

1 oz @ 1250'/sec pretty much does the same thing whether it comes out of a 12 gauge or a 28...especially if the shooter knows what they are doing. You're right about the cost of shells...the difference over the cost of 10 boxes might be $50...
I just hate giving the company the satisfaction of making me bend over and grab my ankles just because I want to shoot a sub gauge.

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AtTheMurph
Rank: Junior Hunter
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Location: Central Indiana

Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by AtTheMurph » Mon Jan 26, 2015 8:25 pm

I have a Beretta 20 GA O/U and a Renato Gamba 28GA SxS.

The Beretta is my all around get everything gun, except for bobwhite. The 28 is for that. I've used the 28 for Pheasants loaded with #5 pheasant loads. It will drop a cock but I've only used it once since I love the Beretta so much and am a better shot with it.

I wouldn't use the 28ga often for bigger pheasants but it would be plenty of gun for all sorts of quail, doves, timberdoodle and grouse.

Dirty Dawger
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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Dirty Dawger » Tue Jan 27, 2015 9:58 pm

Interesting how we see distance when we're in the moment. I shot a deer stone dead on the spot with a sabot out of my 870 (Hastings barrel with open sights). When my friend came by to help me with the field dressing, he looked puzzled. I said, "What's up?"
He asked me, "Where were you when you shot?"
I said, "You know...right there in my stand."
He said, "REALLY?!?!"
I answered, Yeah...why?"
He walked over to my stand, pulled out his range finder and targeted the deer right where it lay. He then asked me, "So, how far do you think you shot?"
I said, "About 75 yards."
He confirmed and said, "Yeah? Well, how about 92!"
?????
My point is steps isn't really a unit of measure and as much as we really believe what we witness, we can sincerely be WAY off.
My son made an impressive shot with my 20 gauge (I/C) with 2 3/4" 6s on a pheasant. I was so amazed, I paced off where he hit it (right next to the oak tree) and not where it sailed to after being hit. I paced 51 strides - perhaps 45-48 yards. Still, I'm not sure because I didn't have a range finder. Even then, that's pretty long in my books.
To the OPs original offer, I think it is a personal thing. Shoot what you enjoy while being ethical and efficient. If you're going to shoot 1 ounce 28 gauge, or 1 1/8 20 gauge, do yourself and the birds a favor and scale up to the next gauge. Those shells as well as 3" shells are horribly inefficient rounds. Your better off shooting a round that doesn't promote flinching, doesn't develop stressful pressures in your gun, and doesn't contribute to an seriously inflated number of fliers there-by compromising the down-field pattern.
Further-to this, as is often the case, you get what you pay for. There are shells and there are shells. Too often, folk buy cheap shells which don't perform well which then misleads then into thinking they need stronger shells.
If you have a decent loader, load your own high quality shells such as 3/4 ounce 28 gauge (~ 1200 FPS) and 7/8 ounce 20 gauge (~1200 fps) and use the finest components. You'll be amazed at how effective they are, how smooth they are, and how easy they are on your gun.

Dirty Dawger
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Re: 28 ga over a 20 ga

Post by Dirty Dawger » Thu Jan 29, 2015 8:19 am

If you shoot the same brand of guns - one in 20 and one in 28 gauge - then the difference is simply the number of pellets that are in the shells you elect to use. I like 7/8 ounce in my 20 gauge and 3/4 in my 28. I shoot everything from woodcock to pheasants with these guns. The changes are restricted to shot size. I like 6s for my first shot followed by 5s for pheasants in the 20 gauge. That said, 5s are a hassle to load in my 28 gauge loader so the largest shot size I use is 6s.
There might be one other dynamic and that is weight assuming your 28 is slightly lighter than your 20. If you're walking the vast prairies for Huns/sharpies, weight can be a significant factor keeping in mind that 28 shells also weigh less than 20 gauge. While this doesn't seem like a big deal, when you get my age and love hunting the prairies as much as my dogs and I do, then it can be a consideration especially if you are carrying water (for the dog) and collect a few birds along the way. Walking the dense north woods brings the same concerns.

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