Shoot more and take home less ? I shoot a 10 gauge my son shoots a 12 gauge 3.5 we both use triple B on field shooting geese he runs right along with me on harvest per shot numbers. Large shot size is where the 3.5 12 gauge shines. As for the 3inch 28 gauge I have been messing with some 3 inch 28 gauge steel loads and there seems to be some promise on the patterning board. I think that may be the reasoning behind the 3 inch 28 gauge.
New 3 Inch 28 Gauge
- Thread starter 28 gauge 2
- Start date
I bought a Benelli Super Sporting 28g in the last 6 months and it’s throwing beautifully centered patterns. Great on skeet and dusted up a pile of starlings with it the other day. This morning took out two other 28g princesses for pigeons. K20 Parcours and a Browning Citori with 30” fixed choked barrels. Tomorrow maybe a Win23, or a Win12 or a Rem870 or a Rem1100 or a Ithaca 37 or… or… or… all in 28g.
Handloads, Rem STS cases, 3/4oz 7-1/2 and a pinch of Longshot. Life is good.
Handloads, Rem STS cases, 3/4oz 7-1/2 and a pinch of Longshot. Life is good.
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All true,but we do not always do everything with an eye to the dollar bill.
Sometimes to make life more fun and interesting, we do things just for the fun of it.As far as it goes for a shotgun, a 12 gauge will do everything any other gauge will do, by using light loads or 3 1/2 inch loads.Really no need for any other gauge if you look at it like that.
No question ,closer shots will have to be taken with the 28 gauge over a 3 1/2 inch 12.Its nice to bag ducks ,but if one takes home a few less ducks and has fun, why not.Cannot say I know of any one these days ,that really needs the meat.If so, they would not be shooting high priced guns ,have a side by side and a $80,000 truck to start with.
LOLNice selection of 28 gauge guns you have listed there Mr.Bill.Seems you are really enjoying your 28 gauges.
I forgot to mention that we’ve shot mallards over decoys up to a max of 40 yards with bismuth #5 that we have purchased and reload with from Bilizor in Alberta I believe. Nothing exotic, just a straight substitute of lead for the nontoxic. These specialty loads are marked as they are loaded in standard AA cases and we fully expect some day to have to cut a shell or two open to prove to a game warden that we’ve done due diligence in complying with the regs. Can’t remember last time I saw a game warden but they have an uncanny way of showing up out of nowhere, or so my poacher friends tell me. Cheers.
I use 12 gauge 3", using #2 shot for all of our goose hunting, and I kill as many or more geese than anyone that hunts with us, and it generally takes me less shots. With proper scouting, and setup, shot selection, and shot placement, we have no need for 3-1/2" shotshells. The people that I know that resort to 3-1/2" shotshells, are the people that don't shoot any clays, and could use some improvement in their wingshooting skills.
Target shooters don't always do so well with real life field conditions and trying to tie western waterfowl conditions to the east is two different things. Your number two steel shot would put you at a big disadvantage with our local conditions we have fewer birds that are well educated and hounded . We don't get big migrations of birds any longer it is hit or miss
Trap shooters often don't do well in field conditions, but good skeet or sporting clays shooters usually do quite well. As to comparing east to west, I haven't hunted the east, but if it requires sky busting , where you wound a lot of birds, I don't care to hunt the east. We have a fair number of people using 3-1/2" loads out west as well, but the ones that I know, are trying to compensate for their lack of shooting ability.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
The Benelli SBE 3 don't do me much because of its inertia system of operation. I shoot with dot optics on my clay busting guns and would
be best served with the Mossberg SA-28 Turkey unit. If he SBE 3 works out decent for the OP, then all be good.
be best served with the Mossberg SA-28 Turkey unit. If he SBE 3 works out decent for the OP, then all be good.
Not a clay target shooter.So hoping it will make a good waterfowl shooter.
Time as they say will tell.You already own a recoil operated 28 auto that you like so the transition to the 28 Benelli should be a easy change over and the 3 inch chamber will be a a plus.Not a clay target shooter.So hoping it will make a good waterfowl shooter.
That's what I am hoping as well.You already own a recoil operated 28 auto that you like so the transition to the 28 Benelli should be a easy change over and the 3 inch chamber will be a a plus.
Never had a problem with the 28 gauge Franchi or the two Browning Auto 5 12 gauge guns that I have owned.Use to use the Brownings in a lot of cold weather ,salt water areas.I find it puzzling that some of my extremely talented shooter friends dislike the inertia recoil sensation of a Benelli and much prefer a gas gun instead. They complain about more felt recoil yet their O/U recoil yet even more!! Most of then have developed a little flinch that creeps up at the most inopportune times. Ahhh, the curse if the 12g. On the other hand my 28’s are gentle caress on my cheek, like the kiss of a young maiden.You already own a recoil operated 28 auto that you like so the transition to the 28 Benelli should be a easy change over and the 3 inch chamber will be a a plus.
….another great day on birds with a Win23 in 28g and a fabulous eggs Benny breaky afterwards…cheers !!
