20 ga. vs. 28 ga. for grouse

[DIGAF]

Not all "grouse" are created equal! If you are talking about ruffed and spruce grouse, i would agree that a 28 gauge is about ideal. For late season sharptails, an open choked 28 would be a handicap. I find sharptails at this time of year are pretty much needing a 12 or 16ga., full or modified choke and 6's or 5's. Any Ruffed or Spruce grouse that I have ever hunted could have been taken reliably with 3/4oz of 7-1/2's out of an IC 28. Depends on your birds and local conditions.

I second that.!!!!

 

[trebor2880]

The 12 gauge....

Next best the 16,
The 20,
Then the 28.

Simply put, the more lead you launch the better the odds if properly choked for the situation. However both the 20 and the 28 are easily adequate for Grouse.

The advantages of the sub-gauges is the lighter carrying weight but not recoil reduction per se. A 3/4 oz load at 1300fps recoils less in a 7 1/2 lb gun than a 5 1/2 lb 28.

Back to the meat of the question, 20 or 28 with no accounting for ammo cost or availability.

As much as I love the mystical 28, I have to go with the 20 as the overall winner. There are more loads to choose from, letting you extend your species list to Pheasants, Geese, Ducks or Deer. By far you will find that the 28 will be heavier than the 20 in the same model gun as they use the same receiver for both and the 28's barrels will be of thicker wall dimensions.. unless..... you are willing to pay big bucks for a gun that has its receiver scaled(smaller/lighter) to the 28.
With all the logic above though, everyone needs to experience the mystical 28 in the Grouse woods.

According to your theory about the more lead the better,
one would think that the 10 gauge be at the top of the list!

 

[mbogo3]

A punt gun and a bird feeder.............

 

[catnthehatt]

Not all "grouse" are created equal! If you are talking about ruffed and spruce grouse, i would agree that a 28 gauge is about ideal. For late season sharptails, an open choked 28 would be a handicap. I find sharptails at this time of year are pretty much needing a 12 or 16ga., full or modified choke and 6's or 5's. Any Ruffed or Spruce grouse that I have ever hunted could have been taken reliably with 3/4oz of 7-1/2's out of an IC 28. Depends on your birds and local conditions.

7/8oz of 6's put the hurt on more than a few Sharptails and pheasants for me out of my 28 gauge modified barrels, and they do not all flush wild, so the IC choke is there as well.
Cat

 

[Longwalker]

Cat, I agree that for September sharptails (and pheasants), and hunting with a pointing dog, your 28ga. and 6's would do the job nicely. I have hunted those birds very successfully with a .410 at that time. But I stand my my statement that November birds on the open prairie are another matter. Not that they can't be hunted successfully with a 28 ga. then, but far fewer opportunities will be within a 28's sure kill range.
I'm fairly sure that you meant clean kill and not just "hurt" in your last post didn't you?

 

[catnthehatt]

Cat, I agree that for September sharptails (and pheasants), and hunting with a pointing dog, your 28ga. and 6's would do the job nicely. I have hunted those birds very successfully with a .410 at that time. But I stand my my statement that November birds on the open prairie are another matter. Not that they can't be hunted successfully with a 28 ga. then, but far fewer opportunities will be within a 28's sure kill range.
I'm fairly sure that you meant clean kill and not just "hurt" in your last post didn't you?

Yup, clean kills for sure.
When they flush wild there is not much a person can do even with a 12 bore, but over a pointer they ae normally not an issue.
Cat