Why are smaller gauge shotguns so thin on the ground?

Hunter7 said:
Very true but if the 28g still does not perform properly with a full choke, what is the next step, extra full turkey choke, do they even make such a thing. The fact of the matter is that a larger bore diameter will generally produce more uniform patterns than a smaller bore size, that is why a .410 is such a poor performer in this regard. My 20g will produce better patterns with a 7/8 oz load than my 28g will with a 1oz regardless of the choke being used. IMO and this is only my opinion of my experience, going hunting with a 28g you are seriously handicapping yourself vs using a 20g. That being said we all use what we like and works for us, but for me the 28g doesn’t cut it.
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I have no argument with what you say and that's why my 28 gauge sporting clays scores are 10 percent lower than my 12 gauge scores, there's a limit to what you can do and the pellet count is what it is.
 
nowarningshot said:
Some 28ga have nice proportions, others are obviously a 20ga with a 28ga barrel. Had a Browning BPS in 28ga, on a 20ga frame, very club like. Ammo and reloading is hard to find.
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This isn't necessarily a bad thing. If you are accustomed to the handling traits of a heavier 12 or 20 gauge then a scaled lightweight 28 may not work well for you and the heft of 28 gauge barrels on a 20 gauge receiver may have a better feel for you. Extra light guns are ok if you shoot them a lot but personally I shoot heavier guns most of the time and it always takes a while for me to get used to a very light gun, I find they're whippy and don't carry momentum on a crossing shot like a heavier gun will.
 
Falconflyer said:
This isn't necessarily a bad thing. If you are accustomed to the handling traits of a heavier 12 or 20 gauge then a scaled lightweight 28 may not work well for you and the heft of 28 gauge barrels on a 20 gauge receiver may have a better feel for you. Extra light guns are ok if you shoot them a lot but personally I shoot heavier guns most of the time and it always takes a while for me to get used to a very light gun, I find they're whippy and don't carry momentum on a crossing shot like a heavier gun will.
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I agree. As far as clay shooting goes, on a 28 I will take heavy and 32 inch barrels. And I would not hesitate to use it hunting.
 
Falconflyer said:
This isn't necessarily a bad thing. If you are accustomed to the handling traits of a heavier 12 or 20 gauge then a scaled lightweight 28 may not work well for you and the heft of 28 gauge barrels on a 20 gauge receiver may have a better feel for you. Extra light guns are ok if you shoot them a lot but personally I shoot heavier guns most of the time and it always takes a while for me to get used to a very light gun, I find they're whippy and don't carry momentum on a crossing shot like a heavier gun will.
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I'm in complete agreement with this but would make this point. I have lots of shotguns. The vast majority are between 6 pounds and 7 1/2 pounds although I do have some outliers. Probably the most extreme is my 26" barreled 4 pound 10 oz Francotte 28 gauge from the mid 1920s. It's tiny and almost doesn't feel like a real gun until you fire it. LOL. But IMHO, that's the point of a 28 gauge. Why have a 6 pound 28 gauge? A 20 or a 16, easily found at 6 pounds, will pattern better with the same load/speed and throw more if you need it to. And weight is weight. Odds are the handling of a 20 or 16 would be better than a comparable weight 28 because more of the weight will be between the hands. BTW, I'm talking about hunting guns.
 
Falconflyer said:
I have no argument with what you say and that's why my 28 gauge sporting clays scores are 10 percent lower than my 12 gauge scores, there's a limit to what you can do and the pellet count is what it is.
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Exactly, also clay shooting and hunting are two different things. A clay should break with 1 to 3 pellet hits, broken clay is a hit. A live bird at 30 yards for example is not likely to be incapacitated with the 1 to 3 pellets hits unless hit in the head or neck. When I first got my 28g I did some clay shooting with it, I was hitting and breaking clays but just breaking them, not smoking them.
 
Lots of knowledgable people here in agreement on the pros and cons of the sub gauges. Simply put, larger bores throw better patterns, especially with larger shot. In hunting terms this results in longer effective range and more birds in the bag for most species except smaller birds or closer ranges. The allure of the 28’s in particular is the trim style, responsiveness and carrying weight. BUT…… most hunters only have one shotgun, they expect it to do everything. And for most, they think waterfowl, maybe some grouse and possibly a pheasant in a few favoured areas. Go into any gun shop, read any reference, for well over 100 years the 12 has been the universally accepted and recommended gauge. You’re a trap shooter? 12 gauge. Sporting Clays.? Mostly 12v’s. Ah yes, Skeet ( a specialized close range game) has classes for the sub gauges, some new guns are bought for this. Cheapest ammo, by far the greatest variety of loads, lots of readily available guns to choose from - the 12 works. Eventually they may lust for a sweet little sub gauge but for most it will never replace their 12, just fill a different niche.
 
The reason they are not a lot of 28 gauge guns for sale is because the actual sales market for them is low. I guarantee you manufacturers would produce as many as they do 12 gauge if they could sell them ...
 
Brutus said:
It's certainly not a sub gauge subject, but the recent addition (now gone?) Ithaca's Pheonix O/U 12 gauge seems to have faded into oblivion without so much as a peep?
To my eyes, it sure looked like a trap gun. But I don't really know so....

Strange.
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I could be wrong but even after expensive testing and market hype I don't think the Phoenix even went into production.
 
In my opinion Ithaca should have stuck with having SKB making guns for them, I've been very happy with any SKB/Ithaca guns that I've owned over the years. Currently I have a (non-Ithaca) SKB GC7 Grade II sporting clays 28 gauge that I'm very happy with, it has 30 inch barrels and at 7.5 lbs it's got the heft that I like in a target gun and came from the factory with Briley extended choke tubes.
 
Big Bad said:
Never did like them. They are to me what a Glock is to some people. But I do love Glocks so there you go.
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I’ve never owned a Red Label but I have handled them at gun shows. I was not impressed with how clunky and loose the action lockup was on a brand new gun. Especially compared to an Italian gun or even a Huglu. Kind of reminds me of an old Cooey shotgun. Obviously they are not fitted actions so you could swap any barrel over to any gun.
 
Falconflyer said:
The secret to killing or breaking targets with a 28 gauge is to use tight chokes in order to get a high pellet count on the target, same with a 410. The pellets are traveling at the same speed as a 12 or 20 so the only difference is the number of pellets used, tightening the choke will put enough pellets on the target to do the job.
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I agree fully. From time to time I shoot sporting clays with my 28 gauge which is Perazzi with Briley tubes---Mod and Improved Mod works well---scores aren't nearly as good as with a 12 gauge but it is fun to shoot with reduced recoil and muzzle blast.
Bill
 
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