What's your go-to grouse hunting setup?

Remington 870 Youth 20ga with the factory plastic furniture replaced with OEM laminated, 18.75" VR barrel and RemChoke. I usually keep a Skeet2 choke in it and it does a great job.

If it's a rimfire day I usually use the Ruger 77/22 stainless with a Leupold 4x32RF glass on it...
 
canvasback said:
Have you patterned the 28? Checked for POA???
Click to expand...

Yeah I’ve patterned the gun with different chokes and loads including the Federal 1 oz load. As far as POI the top barrel hits dead on and the bottom barrel a bit low. Actually the barrels on the Huglu are regulated better than the ones on my 687 Silver Pigeon. One thing I will mention though is that my gun has 3 inch chambers not 2 3/4”, maybe that has something to do with the sub-par performance. Not sure where the “if you want a rifle, buy a rifle” comments came from? Just mentioning my particular experience with my guns. Like I mentioned earlier, everyone’s mileage will vary with whatever they choose to use, and if whatever you choose to use works for you then it’s all good and I know the the 28 gauge has a loyal following but unfortunately I am not one of them. My 20 gauge guns with 7/8 or 1 oz 7 1/2 will continue to be my go to grouse guns, not to be replaced with the 28 gauge anytime soon.
 
Lengthening the chamber on any 28 from 2 3/4 to 3 inch just seems very superfluous in this day of super wads and shotshell development. The market does have one ounce loads in this gauge already. When I picture magnum shotguns of any kind waterfowling with steel comes to mind, same as slug shooting deer harvesters. Sub gauges? Not so much. Never heard of 16 gauge 3 inch magnum. Not so necessary IMO.
my 2 bits only
 
A .22 LR pistol and an Eberlestock Mini Me.

I look forward to the day when we will again be able to hunt with pistols that are firearms, not air guns.
 
The 28/20 debate has a long and sordid following, but after shooting 7000 doves in Argentina in 3 days half with a 20 others with a 28 I found little difference in the respective gauges .The guns were identical so not much to go on but if your 20 fits better than the 28 that could be the answer. Fit is all important imho
 
Turkeyslayer 1300 said:
In regards to the 28 are you shooting them on the wing or sitting? Grouse are fragile especially on the wing and perhaps you don’t shoot the 28 as well as your old standby.
Click to expand...

Both, I don’t hunt with a dog and take the shots as I get them, sitting or flying, same as I have for the last 50 years with my 12 and 20 gauge guns. When I first got my 28 gauge I did patterning tests with various loads and chokes and was not terribly impressed with the results. I came to the conclusion that my 28 gauge was a 30 yard gun at best. In actual grouse hunting I found it to barely be able to cleanly kill them at 20-25 yards let alone 30. I also fail to see how a more open choke would provide a denser pattern at a given range as some have suggested. Maybe I just got a dud shotgun that doesn’t pattern that well but I’m not about to spend $3000 plus on another 0/U 28 gauge just to find out I still don’t care for a 28 gauge. Will just stick with what has worked best for me.
 
My 28ga is a a400 xplor and comparing steel loads against the same gun in 20ga out to 40 yards there wasn't much difference in pattern quality using mod choke. Using cylinder choke the 20 was much better than the 28 at 25 and 30 yards. Mind you it's my only example of a 28ga and I don't trust #6 shot at 40 yards as kills haven't been spectacular for me so I keep shots inside 35 yards for doves on the wing. I prefer the 28ga as the gun is just trimmer and sleeker but the cost of ammo is $40 a box vs 18 for the 20ga. Using lead loads Id choose the 28 every time as it pretty much matches the performance of the 20. Again that's just my limited experience.
On the skeet field my scores with the 28ga are the same as 12 and 20
 
Had some combo guns, but I sold them when I realized I kept reaching for my 20ga h&r tamer with a regular stock installed.
Small, light and handy.

I bought a winchester 101 in 20ga because it also was light and handy, but I haven't gotten out with it yet
 
A Union Armera (Grulla) 12 ga. ... 7 lbs., .007" right barrel, .015 left. Target loads, 1200 fps # 7-1/2's , sometimes 8's or even 9's when woodcock were present. 9's worked just fine on early season grouse.
Wingshooting exclusively. I'v hunted over a GSP, Lab, Chessie & a Gordon Setter. Would have liked to give An English Setter a try before I hung things up. Tried a couple of SxS 20's, but liked the 12 better.
 
10 or 15 years ago I picked up a Savage Milano in 20 gauge for dirt cheap. I had a couple other older O/Us and SXSs but they were heavier guns more designed for waterfowl or trap. The Milano was light weight, perfectly balanced and killed most every bird I got a decent shot at. I was hooked on nice upland shotguns and spent the next 10 years or so looking for the "one" high end gun I would take to the grave.

I tried several Berettas, Caesar Guerini, a brace of Brownings, several other offerings by FAIR, a Franchi or two, and even a Rizzini.

My go to grouse gun is now a Savage Milano in 20 gauge I picked up 10 or 15 years ago.
 
MK2750 said:
10 or 15 years ago I picked up a Savage Milano in 20 gauge for dirt cheap. I had a couple other older O/Us and SXSs but they were heavier guns more designed for waterfowl or trap. The Milano was light weight, perfectly balanced and killed most every bird I got a decent shot at. I was hooked on nice upland shotguns and spent the next 10 years or so looking for the "one" high end gun I would take to the grave.

I tried several Berettas, Caesar Guerini, a brace of Brownings, several other offerings by FAIR, a Franchi or two, and even a Rizzini.

My go to grouse gun is now a Savage Milano in 20 gauge I picked up 10 or 15 years ago.
Click to expand...

You are a lucky man when your “to the grave gun” is dirt cheap.
 
MK2750 said:
10 or 15 years ago I picked up a Savage Milano in 20 gauge for dirt cheap. I had a couple other older O/Us and SXSs but they were heavier guns more designed for waterfowl or trap. The Milano was light weight, perfectly balanced and killed most every bird I got a decent shot at. I was hooked on nice upland shotguns and spent the next 10 years or so looking for the "one" high end gun I would take to the grave.

I tried several Berettas, Caesar Guerini, a brace of Brownings, several other offerings by FAIR, a Franchi or two, and even a Rizzini.

My go to grouse gun is now a Savage Milano in 20 gauge I picked up 10 or 15 years ago.
Click to expand...

The Savage Milano was made by FAIR.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom