Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns 28 gauge load and usage ???

For those of you who frequently hunt with a 28 ga., what game do you use it on and what load/choke do you employ?

Thanks, RS

Hi Paul, New 28ga for you?

I mostly hunt doves with mine although I have killed some sage grouse with it also (even with a stout load of #6's there might be a better gun for that). My favorite dove load is Federal Premiums in #8's, 3/4oz and for skeet I like the Winchester AA's-3/4oz of #9's.

I'm shooting a Ruger O/U and the tubes I use the most are skeet and skeet. With any luck it will be in my hands for the opener of MS dove season next week.

I use a 3/4 oz of 7 1/2's or 8''s on doves and quail. Mostly Fiocchi target loads. For pen raised and early season pheasants it's Fiocchi #6 golden pheasants with 7/8 oz of nickel plated shot.

AA 3/4oz. #8's (but mostly my equivalent handloads) for doves and ruffed grouse, #9's for skeet, starlings, and hummingbirds. #6's for pen raised pheasants and drones.

Never felt the need for 1/8oz. and a hundred fps or so extra for anything.

AA 3/4 oz 8 shot fore Dove and Quail. WW SX 6 shot for pheasants.

Have used a several 28's and various factory and handloads on wild doves, Huns, ruffed and blue grouse, pheasants, and sage grouse. Have also shot some pen-raised birds, mostly chukars and pheasants.

I am not as enamored with the 28 on doves as some, but it will do the job with small shot out to 40 yards or so. On the others I've had better results with 7/8 ounce of #7 to #5 shot, depending on the bird. A very effective handload is 7/8 ounce of hard #7's, which works on everything from Huns to pheasants within 40 yards.

My longest kill on sage grouse was on big rooster at 47 yards with the 1-ounce Winchester factory load of copper-plated 6's. There wasn't any problem, because the odds are big birds will end up with more shot in the right places, but still prefer something a little bigger during our shorter sage-bird seasons these days.

I use about any 3/4 oz load of 7 1/2 or 8's for doves but in my experience and in my gun for bigger birds--pheasants--I think Fiocchi's 7/8 oz load of 6's is the 28's best friend. In my experience, over pointing dogs, I simply cannot tell the difference between that load and 1 oz loads in my 20 on the big birds.

Mostly used my 28 on blue grouse, and some sage grouse. A good load of 6's was my favorite.. I used WW, Fed.& Fiocchi.. Tried it on Az. quail, didn't like it for that work, but I did not have pointing dogs..

The problem around here is availability of 28ga shells. Win AA's and Remington Premier are about it. A friend found some Rio #9's last year locally. If you want anything else it's an order situation.

I can't tell much difference between the 28 and the 20 on doves as far as killing power. the difference to me is in a smaller, sleeker gun. If I had to choose between a 28ga or a 20ga on a 20ga frame I'd choose the 20ga. The appeal to me is in the gun it's self.

All Dove shoots are not the same. Early season Birds coming into the trees or loafing along are not the same as late season Birds heading south on a strong tail wind going really fast. On the latter its best to have a shotgun with some weight to help keep it moving. Which usually will not be a 28.

battue, speaking of 28's did you shoot that Ithaca much over the summer.. I guess dove will open in Pa. Tues..
Be a while for grouse there..

Dove opens here, but the shooting is pretty spotty.. I usually get a few, but there aren't the numbers that exist in ag. areas.. We will head to the mts. for blue grouse for 4 to 6 days, then to the north west for ruffs and mule deer.. Fall isn't fall.. Looks like it here already..

I should have said fall isn't far.. Dang key board keeps making mistakes..

I've been using my 28 for training for several years now. Just pigeons and 3/4 oz of 7 1/2 and 6"s work well. Have only a week or so the bird hunt this year but will use that 28ga. It's an AYA matador that had Mod Full chokes in it, I had it re-done to IM Cyl/Skeet 2. Works fine as it is.

Hazen,

Not at all. Been too busy with the 12 and Sporting. On the 28 and 16 I want to add a little moleskin to the comb to bring POI up a little and perhaps will do so tomorrow.

Hope you have an enjoyable fall season.

I use my 28 on anything that the dog puts up when I have the Ugartechea in my hands!
Pheasant , chukkers, Sharptails,ruffies,Huns, everything .
I've even loaded it with Bismuth and Nice Shot aand taken geese and ducks with it.
7/8oz of nickle plated 7 1/2's or 6 copper, HV28 wad wit 30 grains of H110and Fiocchi or BPI multi hulls is what I load, but I have other loads using the various other components available.
Cat

Dove, 7 1/2's - 8's.



DMc

I use my 28 for doves, chukar, and pheasant mostly.
Fiocchi has become my ammo of choice- 7.5's for dove, and Golden Pheasant loads of 7/8 oz. nickel plated shot in #6 for everything else. It's nearly impossible to find it around here, so I order it by the case or two from Midway.

As far as choke goes- I screwed in an Imp. Cyl. when I got the shotgun home, and have never yet seen the need to change it.

I bought my wife a sporting 28. She uses it on South Texas blue quail. She uses a full choke with #6's. Blues want hardly fly and are never real close. Hasbeen

I use 1 oz. factory loads of #6 for pen raised pheasants and 3/4 oz. of #9 for skeet. My baby frame o/u is a joy to carry and shoot. Heck, I have friends who use 3/4 oz. handloads in 12 gauge for skeet.

My Beretta O&U 28 gal I use Win AA in 7.8 & 8 shot for doves. Rabbits and Squirrels I like 6 shot