28 ga: Semi or SxS?

I miss the 28ga. I need another. I used #6 shot for released pheasants even with a skeet choke 35 yars shots dumped the birds just fine
My vote would be for the sxs. Just seems right. Plus i like sxs guns
 
I do most of my bird hunting with 28 gauge guns... and though I have a variety, I use my CZ 'partridge' the most (SxS, English grip, double triggers). It's not the prettiest gun, but I don't fuss over it, and it works. Built on a scaled frame and weighs very little. Perfect for long carries across the uplands. That said, in your case I'd recommend the Benelli. Very light (as a 28 gauge should be) and likely with less cast in the stock than the Weatherby (which is built on a 20 gauge frame to my knowledge). That should help with the eye dominance issue.

The 28 gauge (in whatever format you go with) will do fine on all upland birds. I hunt wild birds almost exclusively and use the 28 with great success on ruffies, sharp-tails, chukar, pheasant, quail, prairie chicken, snipe....also early season ducks..... you name it!
 
I do enjoy the 28 gauge. My new Beretta A400 has been a sweet little gun in the wild and on the skeet field. I like my Benellis, but I've never had one in 28 so I guess I'm not much help!
 
badgreenbird said:
I do most of my bird hunting with 28 gauge guns... and though I have a variety, I use my CZ 'partridge' the most (SxS, English grip, double triggers). It's not the prettiest gun, but I don't fuss over it, and it works. Built on a scaled frame and weighs very little. Perfect for long carries across the uplands. That said, in your case I'd recommend the Benelli. Very light (as a 28 gauge should be) and likely with less cast in the stock than the Weatherby (which is built on a 20 gauge frame to my knowledge). That should help with the eye dominance issue.

The 28 gauge (in whatever format you go with) will do fine on all upland birds. I hunt wild birds almost exclusively and use the 28 with great success on ruffies, sharp-tails, chukar, pheasant, quail, prairie chicken, snipe....also early season ducks..... you name it!
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Where did you find the prairie chickens?
 
I have owed and shot a couple dozen 28 gauge shotguns in semi, SXS and O/U over the past four decades... shot hundreds of birds with them, loved them all... and sold them all... I keep coming to the same conclusion after putting them to use in the field for a season or two... which is; a good 20 gauge can do anything the 28 can do with similar handling and cheaper shells, and more shell options... but I am still tempted every time I see a nice 28 for sale.
 
hoytcanon said:
I have owed and shot a couple dozen 28 gauge shotguns in semi, SXS and O/U over the past four decades... shot hundreds of birds with them, loved them all... and sold them all... I keep coming to the same conclusion after putting them to use in the field for a season or two... which is; a good 20 gauge can do anything the 28 can do with similar handling and cheaper shells, and more shell options... but I am still tempted every time I see a nice 28 for sale.
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I would say start reloading. Problem solved
Glad I think differently than you or I would just own one 12ga
How sad would that be :(
Cheers
 
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badgreenbird said:
Southern Nebraska
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Hunting them late season this year a 28ga wouldn’t be my personal choice.
 
Falconflyer said:
The two guns in question are so different that it become impossible to recommend one over the other because it's more of a personal taste thing. If the 3 inch chamber is the attraction to the Ethos then you answered your own question when you said that you don't see 3 inch 28 g shells for sale. I'm also of the opinion that I'd sooner go up a gauge than go the 3 inch route anyway.
I have no experience with the Ethos and Weatherby had some QC trouble early on with the first Athena's that came out but I think that all got resolved fairly quick. Having said that, Prophet River has had a 28 Athena on their consignment page for several months now and seem to be having some trouble moving it. It's a pretty nice looking piece and if I didn't already have a 28 sxs I'd be looking at it real hard, it even has double triggers and a straight stock!
For me and my taste.... sxs for upland birds every day cause I'm not really a semi guy.
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This is a great answer; it’s all personal preference. By contrast I would take the Ethos in a second over the Weatherby, or any SxS for that matter. I have yet to shoot any double as well as I do my Semi’s and greatly enjoy my Ethos 20. The one advantage the Ethos does have over the Weatherby is the ability to adjust the fit via shims. If you can’t shoulder them before buying the Ethos is less risky.

My Ethos 20 is my go to hunting gun for everything with feathers. I don’t do Geese.
 
JIMMY 808 said:
Hunting them late season this year a 28ga wouldn’t be my personal choice.
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I was going to post a vaguely similar picture of a PC (more like your blue grouse pic) but I don't belong to any photo hosting sites right now.
Last time I was in Nebraska, I brought a O/U 12 gauge that I hadn't shot much, and my CZ 28 SxS. After two outings with the 12, I just wasn't feeling it... missing too many opportunities, so I switched to the 28 and never looked back... did really well on bobwhites, pheasant, cottontail and prairie chicken.

If all the shots are expected to be at extreme range, I agree... the 28 wouldn't be my first choice either (much like when I go for late season duck hunts). But for normal range of 10-35 yards, the 28 will kill birds just as well as the larger gauges.
 
Brutus said:
I myself am a recent convert from several years of using SKB O/U 20 gauge and M37 Ithaca Featherlight.
Right now an M37 in 28 gauge is the bee's knees hares and grouse in northern boreal.
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Yes the Ithaca Model 37 in 28 gauge is a great gun.Bought one the first year they came out and really enjoy using it.
 
28 gauge said:
Yes the Ithaca Model 37 in 28 gauge is a great gun.Bought one the first year they came out and really enjoy using it.
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Did you experience any ammo difficulties?

The Challenger shells I avoid now because a fired shell hard extraction I had to use a cleaning rod to knock it out. Does not happen with my Winchester Super X game load.

I posted a question here with the CGN shotgunners and one clays organizer said Challenger brand shotshells, hard extraction is not uncommon.

Info.
 
Brutus said:
Did you experience any ammo difficulties?

The Challenger shells I avoid now because a fired shell hard extraction I had to use a cleaning rod to knock it out. Does not happen with my Winchester Super X game load.

I posted a question here with the CGN shotgunners and one clays organizer said Challenger brand shotshells, hard extraction is not uncommon.

Info.
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I used a few flats of Challenger target loads with no issues but most of my factory loads were Fiocchi. I am now reloading those hulls for skeet.
 
badgreenbird said:
I was going to post a vaguely similar picture of a PC (more like your blue grouse pic) but I don't belong to any photo hosting sites right now.
Last time I was in Nebraska, I brought a O/U 12 gauge that I hadn't shot much, and my CZ 28 SxS. After two outings with the 12, I just wasn't feeling it... missing too many opportunities, so I switched to the 28 and never looked back... did really well on bobwhites, pheasant, cottontail and prairie chicken.

If all the shots are expected to be at extreme range, I agree... the 28 wouldn't be my first choice either (much like when I go for late season duck hunts). But for normal range of 10-35 yards, the 28 will kill birds just as well as the larger gauges.
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Off to Kansas this year depending on reports, having quail thrown in the bag is a bonus. We had 12,20,28ga hard to be wrong that way on a 2400km one way trip, more excuses for more guns can’t be bad.
 
Brutus said:
Did you experience any ammo difficulties?

The Challenger shells I avoid now because a fired shell hard extraction I had to use a cleaning rod to knock it out. Does not happen with my Winchester Super X game load.

I posted a question here with the CGN shotgunners and one clays organizer said Challenger brand shotshells, hard extraction is not uncommon.

Info.
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No,cannot say that I have had any extraction trouble with 28 gauge Challenger ammunition in my Ithaca Model 37.Sometimes when the gun is hot ,it will become stiff to extract when using my hand loads,but no problem with factory ammunition.
 
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