28ga: Is the hype real?

brybenn said:
I priced a 5 day cordoba dove hunt with an added water buffalo hunt and spa package for the wife couple years ago and factoring in 1500 rounds of 20ga a day and gun rental (beretta 391 they said it was alot less hassle to rent a gun then to bring 2 in and i wanted my rifle for the buffalo) with air travel all said and done was just shy of 15 grand without tips. Mind you that was a slightly upgraded package with chefs and premium wine and a sight seeing day. 3 day dove hunt morning and evening and 1 day buffalo hunt and one day tour of the plantation and peaks. More if i shot more ammo. That was a few years ago

There was some very affordable dove hunts in Argentina if you were willing to discover the birthplace of crack sleep in a shack and get hep a b and c but i couldnt talk the wife into those accommodations.
Ultimately a skimpy dress hooker heels and to much bourbon and my pull out game got weak so i got a daughter instead of a dove hunt. Now im just waiting until i can take my daughter with me.

Likely going to be some great deals once things start opening up again though
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Now that right there is funny! :)
 
The 28 gauge (scaled frame) is my go to shotgun for all upland and even early season ducks. I don't bother even picking up the 12 unless I'm after turkey or late season waterfowl. If I recall, I have 3 SxS, 1 O/U and 1 single shot... but I use the CZ partridge 28 SxS most of all. I don't shoot much at clay birds and I don't reload.
 
Hard to beat a 28 gauge.Been using them for over 50 years with no problems in the uplands.Looking forward to trying out the new three inch 28 gauge version at some point in time.
 
I'm still scratching my head over the 3 inch 28 gauge concept.
Benelli anounced probably 5 years ago that they will put a 3 inch chamber in one of their semi auto shotguns and as far as I know (and I could be wrong) Kreighoff is the only other manufacturer that does that and has been for a long time. Fiocchi offers a 3 inch shell in the Golden Pheasant line but are their others, I don't know but I'll bet they are hard to find if there are any. The extra hull capacity would lend itself well to loading steel but as far as I know no one is offering a steel load. Winchester makes a 1 oz load in the 2 3/4 inch hull and the Fiocchi ammo is 1 1/16 oz of plated shot so there is a slight increase in payload but this usually comes at a price of a longer shot column with more stringing and more flyers so they're maybe not as big of an advantage as one might think. It all leaves me wondering what the point of it all is. Maybe they will come out with a 3 1/2 inch chamber in the 28 cause bigger has got to be better right?
 
3 inch 28 gauge - I am maybe cynical, but it does not have to have any advantages - how many decades of use show current common 2 3/4" perfectly adequate for intended use? I do not think it is a solution to any issue? BUT, the 3" idea can likely be marketed - promoted - as "better" - and there is a cohort who will buy it - what makes the real world go round, I am beginning to think - does not have to actually have a benefit - it just has to be able to be profitably sold.
 
The old Winchester 28 gauge Model 37 and Model 12 guns were chambered for 2 7/8 inch shells.With more and more areas being coming non tox and steel being the cheapest form of non tox,a three inch 28 gauge is most likely the only way to keep the 28 gauge viable as a gauge to be used in the field .One can only get so much of the larger shot size ,that has to be used with steel shot in a 28 gauge shell.

I have heard the same arguments about the three inch 20 gauge and 3 inch and 3 1/2 inch 12 gauge shells.Times change and things have to change with them or die. The original chamber length for the 28 gauge was 2 1/2 inch.I wonder if there were those at the time ,that complained about its being lengthen out to 2 3/4 inch? :)
 
I'm not complaining about the 3 inch chamber and I did mention that it's most usefull atribute might be for steel shot. I don't see a down side to a 3 inch chamber as you can use 2 3/4 inch shells in it but apart from a 3 inch hull making more room for steel I do question if there's much of an upside. Time will indeed tell if the 3 inch 28 will die or become popular!

As for the 3 inch 20 gauge, there is plenty of data to indicate the theory of poor patterns from the tall skinny shot column has merrit and that light 12 gauge loads will perform much better. Despite this data, the 3 inch 20 survives because.... bigger is better right?
 
Falconflyer said:
I'm not complaining about the 3 inch chamber and I did mention that it's most usefull atribute might be for steel shot. I don't see a down side to a 3 inch chamber as you can use 2 3/4 inch shells in it but apart from a 3 inch hull making more room for steel I do question if there's much of an upside. Time will indeed tell if the 3 inch 28 will die or become popular!

As for the 3 inch 20 gauge, there is plenty of data to indicate the theory of poor patterns from the tall skinny shot column has merrit and that light 12 gauge loads will perform much better. Despite this data, the 3 inch 20 survives because.... bigger is better right?
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On the money with that post .
 
20 gauge - I have a SxS and an O/U - never thought it made any sense to reload for 20 - too easy to find to buy at reasonable price - until living in boonies and do not get to stores that sell ammo very often. I am set up to reload for my 28 gauges. So, sort of "make shift", but I was able to get two "Little Skeeters" that insert into 20 gauge chamber and accept 28 gauge cartridge - so I am able to make my 20 gauges go "bang", even when run out or low on 20 gauge ammo.
 
I came to really love the 20ga. Im down to 3 of them. Sxs. Ou and a400. I found even on lake st claire folding northern divers with a 20ga was just as easy as a 12ga. Sure i dont take thw longer pass shooting shots with the 20s but inside 35 yards i dont see a disadvantage to the 20ga. Turkey. Pheasant. Rabbit. Woodcock and dove all fall to the 20 just as dead as a 12 and do it for much cheaper factory ammo cost than the 28ga. I use both but i find the 20ga just a bit more versatile overall. It is hard to not like a trim lil 28ga though so good luck on your journey on finding a 28ga to match your 20ga
 
brybenn said:
I came to really love the 20ga. Im down to 3 of them. Sxs. Ou and a400. I found even on lake st claire folding northern divers with a 20ga was just as easy as a 12ga. Sure i dont take thw longer pass shooting shots with the 20s but inside 35 yards i dont see a disadvantage to the 20ga. Turkey. Pheasant. Rabbit. Woodcock and dove all fall to the 20 just as dead as a 12 and do it for much cheaper factory ammo cost than the 28ga. I use both but i find the 20ga just a bit more versatile overall. It is hard to not like a trim lil 28ga though so good luck on your journey on finding a 28ga to match your 20ga
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The journey has begun...shhhhssshhh. Don't tell the wife ;-)
 
A local Ottawa gentleman (and gentleman he was), the late Bill McClure, an editor of Gun Dog Magazine, proprietor of the finest antiquarian sporting books store you will ever hope to see, and breeder-trainer of champion Brittanys, was a big advocate of the 28 gauge. In fact, the only time I ever managed to irritate him with one of my many dumb questions and naïve observations was when I expressed wonder that a 28 G was of much use on the wily local ruffed grouse population- he delivered me a lecture on ballistics, in-the-field effectiveness, and gun magic I won't soon forget. In fact, that really should have converted me but I'm kind of stubborn about throwing a lot of shot and also you don't see a lot of half price 28 gauge doubles. And I was always worried about ammo supply.
 
iron cat said:
The hype may not be real but the fun factor of using a 28 right alongside the big 12's sure is!
Cat
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I almost feel like getting one, now that I have a 20ga, would be moot though, since the difference between a 20 and 28 wouldn't be as big as if I had a 12ga. Am-I making any sense?

David
 
Big Bad said:
A local Ottawa gentleman (and gentleman he was), the late Bill McClure, an editor of Gun Dog Magazine, proprietor of the finest antiquarian sporting books store you will ever hope to see, and breeder-trainer of champion Brittanys, was a big advocate of the 28 gauge. In fact, the only time I ever managed to irritate him with one of my many dumb questions and naïve observations was when I expressed wonder that a 28 G was of much use on the wily local ruffed grouse population- he delivered me a lecture on ballistics, in-the-field effectiveness, and gun magic I won't soon forget. In fact, that really should have converted me but I'm kind of stubborn about throwing a lot of shot and also you don't see a lot of half price 28 gauge doubles. And I was always worried about ammo supply.
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You brought back memories with this post .I got my first Brittany from MR Mc Clure back in the seventies and that little dog was a cracker jack As for 28 gauge I own four of them over & unders pumps and autoloaders fun guns for sure .
 
Hype - is a bit interesting. Maybe a bit about "snobby" or perhaps "minimalist" - getting job done with "just enough"? I definitely prefer 28 gauge to try to get grouse. On other hand, we have a number of "problem" black bears here - sooner or later our Bull Dog is going to go after one, and I am sure I will have to deal with it, before dog gets killed. So, a "minimalist" would have his 243 Win ready. I am not really there - I have my 9.3x62 ready. The furthest that I think I would have to shoot is about 60 yards - and have to hit and kill the bear, not the dog.
 
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