20 vs 28

I've had multiple of both 20 and 28, for hunting my preference goes to which is most appropriate for the game and the terrain. A well balanced good fitting side by side like I prefer for hunting is a joy in either gauge but the 28 will be lighter if on a true 28 gauge action. This matters when you get older, hills get steeper, bush gets thicker. For hunting and an occasional round on the skeet or sporting clays field the cost difference of the ammo means squat. $10 versus $15 a box. In a gun that cost in excess of $1000 or maybe three times that you worry about an extra $5 for ammo? Unless you shoot competitive skeet ( and the subject here was for hunting) you're talking a donut and a coffee at Timmies.
 
Sold all my 12g hunting guns as I don't shoot skeet, nor hunt migratory. Upland is my passion and have replaced my CZ Redhead 28g with an Ithaca/SKB 100 in 20g.
I like the shotgun with it's bumps and bruises. And it's extra shot is key on Sharptails.
 
gunrunner100 said:
Sold all my 12g hunting guns as I don't shoot skeet, nor hunt migratory. Upland is my passion and have replaced my CZ Redhead 28g with an Ithaca/SKB 100 in 20g.
I like the shotgun with it's bumps and bruises. And it's extra shot is key on Sharptails.
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I've had several SKB 100's and 200's over the years and they're what I call a "sleeper" among shotguns. 15 years ago you could have your pick of them for 7 or 800 bucks but I see them advertised for double that and more these days, especially if it's a non- buggered 20 g. By that I mean one that hasn't had the fixed chokes opened up. I purchased a like new 20 g SKB 100 one time that was marked mod and full and when I got it home I found it had been honed to cylinder and cylinder which made it useless for anything beyond a few yards. Huns and Sharptails are seldom shot in close!
The one thing you really need to keep an eye on is the stock bolt. They tend to come loose over time and then the stock splits in the scallops when the gun is fired. I've carefully re-fitted the mating of the wood to receiver on a couple of guns and then reinforced the wood on the inside with acra glass to minimize the chance of splitting.
 
I am really enjoying the 28 ga! And my wife is loving it too!
But I pretty much am just using it for ruffies and blues.
Hope to get a chance to use it on Huns and chukar at some point.
Also hope to try pheasant hunting someday, but am looking at the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant loads mentioned above for that (or the possibility of getting the Benelli Ethos which has the capability of using 3" shells for the extra punch; but since this will only happen in conjunction with the odd antelope hunt in southeastern Alberta, is not high on the ranking of priority, but just a thought of versatility for those special occasions).
I am currently waiting for COVID to end so that I can get a price and availability on an Ithaca M37 w/ straight stock in AA grade wood, with 26" barrel in 28 ga, and make my final decision on it, a Benelli Ultralight or the Ethos for my next shotgun, as the wife has claimed my Remington 1100 Sporting 28. I also have a Cooey 84 and a Winchester 37A in 28 ga for myself and my daughter to pack along on big game hunts for the ruffies.

I do like the 20 ga (and actually preferred it on the sporting clays range the few times I have gone, over the 12 ga's I tried, but mostly had more to do with the firearms that were neutrally cast and made my left handed shooting more accurate), but as I do not hunt waterfowl, haven't seen the need for more power than what the 28 provides me on the uplands birds I am hunting normally.
As for costs of shells, this is typically the cheapest expense of any day in the field or on the range, and is just part of the adventure, so I do not normally factor that into my decisions. We spend hundreds to thousands on firearms, and hundreds to thousands on hunts; a few dollars extra for the ammunition, regardless of gauge or caliber is moot. And the projectiles are the component doing the actual work on the targets, whether they be game or clays, so I have often wondered why this is such factor for most people who are not shooting thousands of rounds a year?
 
I got a quote some time back now from ithaca a straight stocked 28 with exhibition wood case colored reciever 26" ribbed choke tubed barrel was $2699 usd. Hard pill to swallow for a pump but it is what i wanted. I grew up with an ithaca 37 fwt 12ga
 
Got started with a 28 a short time ago - after a lifetime of only 12. Love it! I wouldn't buy a 20ga. I might buy a really nice shotgun that happened to be a 20ga - but I'd never walk into a shop and ask to see the 20s. It's not a technical decision. Goes deeper than that.;)
 
Always loved both the 20 and 28, my favourite is the 28 though. Have a Remington 1100 Sporting that I doubt I'll ever part with. Beautiful shotgun, and the 1100's fit me perfect. Pull the gun up and the bead somehow is always spot on where you want it. Also had a BPS Medallion 28. It was also a shooter.

I would like to get a nice 20ga for waterfowl and turkey hunting. My little single shot is a 20ga, shot many partridge with it! I had a 10ga but it was just too pretty and too heavy to lug around the woods.
 
I've used the 20 all my life for small game. Put then I came to the conclusion that I have too much money in the bank, and not likely enough time to spend it.

So I got a good deal(Cabelas) on a Browning pump in 28. Beautiful gun! Sure hope I have time to use it before I croak.
 
The 28 caters to my ideal of the minimalist hunter but within reasonable limits. I believe I can easily learn to bring down flying tasty things with it. Not so sure about my personal ability with the 410.
This philosophy I extended to archery and 30-30 harvest or deer.
 
Have never shot a 28, so I have no personal experience with it. But I have shot 20 gauge exclusively for many years now. (Ever since I quit waterfowl hunting, when I used a Winchester 101 over/under and a Browning BSS double in 12 gauge, to concentrate on upland hunting)
Use a Citori over/under and a Savage Fox double, and greatly enjoy each one. Both are excellent companions in the uplands! I am currently awaiting with great anticipation delivery of a Rizzini side by side in 20 gauge. I considered ordering it in 28 gauge, and talked to my local supplier about it, as he hunts extensively with both gauges. His reply was that the 28 was an excellent gun, but that he found it a bit light on pheasants, especially late season birds. Since I do a fair bit of pheasant hunting, and this gun is to be my go-to gun for my upland hunting, I decided to stay with the 20. Tried and true!
 
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