Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns 28 Gauge loads

Read some folks had better patterns with 3/4 loads than 1oz. Believe it was #6.

Any 28 users want to comment if the 3/4 loads do well on game or are they inferior to the 1 oz ?

Thanks.

I always felt the 3/4 oz did fine on woodcock and grouse. Shot a lot of them with AA #7 1/2s sporting clay loads 1300fps

Also had good luck with Fiocchi golden pheasant 7/8 oz loads in #5 on rabbits and pheasants.

My gun didn't pattern the 1oz loads nearly as well

Inside 30 yards the 1oz may give a bigger pattern, which may be an advantage.

30 and more 7/8 should give more consistent patterns.

With today’s good shells 7/8 would be my all around first choice.

I have had great success with 3/4 oz of #6 on pheasants, modified choke. I have killed a number at 35 yards, or a bit more. I find if I make a good move on the birds the 28 works great.

The B&P 15/16 oz 1300 fps 28 ga shell throws a very nice pattern. Kills stuff nicely.

Gonna have to try those

Thanks folks!

My 870 Wingmaster in 28 patterns AA 7 1/2 3/4 oz very well in the skeet and modified barrel. I've shot some 1 oz loads they worked but I haven't put those on paper yet

I have no problem killing doves & quail with 3/4 oz loads. My favorite bird load is the AA super sport loads. With a mod or IM choke it flat out rolls the birds up.

The 28 becomes a 10 with TSS....a 12 at minimum....

And if one doesn't, 1/16 plus or minus won't save the day....

I think the OP has it backwards. I find the 1 oz load in the 28 ga to be inferior to the 3/4 oz. It has long been known that the longer the shot column and the shorter the crush section of the wad column the poorer the patterns tend to be. Large shot in comparison to bore diameter adds to this problem. I've gone down the rabbit hole of trying to get a given bore (28 included) to step up to a larger one and it tends to not work out.

Personally, I find 3/4 oz of 7.5 shot to do whatever I expect a 28 ga to do. #6 shot, even at one ounce, tends to run out of pattern density about as far out as 7.5 runs out of necessary energy so there is no real advantage to the larger shot. I will pick up factory loads of 6 shot if the price is right but those will get used on training pheasants and pests around the house. The great part about 3/4 oz loads are one can readily find factory ammo with 7.5 shot at decent prices and in hulls that are more desired for reloading than one will find with 1 oz loads.

For large Birds like Pheasants. I’ve found the 28 Gauge and 5 shot has more than enough density for clean kills out to an honest 35 yards with GF1’s mentioned good point.

Most good 28’s should be relatively light….I find them lacking little for point and shoot upland Birds.

3/4oz AA 7.5 for grouse and woodcock out of my RL works well for me. No good experiences with Pheasant as I would switch to a 20 more than likely.

Where can you find B&P shells nowadays? I used to really like their shells but haven't seen them offered for sale for several years now.

I’ve bought B&P from here. They used to ship. What they have is constantly changing..

Not far away, so I drive and pickup.

https://cacassociatesinc.com/collections/shotgun-ammo-b-p-otd

Thanks for the link. I'll keep an eye out for 20 bore ammo.

Woodmaster81, my experience in the field with 3/4 oz of #6 defies my own logic, as it simply works better than it has a right to. I can’t say I wouldn’t have had somewhat better success with 7 1/2s, but I doubt it. My sense is that I just hit them harder with the 6s, but I’m thin on data to prove it. The 3/4 oz AA Sporting load of 7 1/2 is really a good one too.

The 6s should hit harder, they are bigger. I just find that there are too few of them and they run out of pattern density for consistent kills about the same range 7.5s run out of energy for consistent kills. Within those parameters both work well enough and 7.5s meaning I don't need to differentiate between another load. #8 shot in AA and STS, 7.5 in everything else. The 6s have an advantage in pellets passing through and fewer pellets overall to lessen biting into one when eating the bird. As much as I like the 28, and I've shot quite a few pheasants with one, it is far from being my main choice for these birds.

If you read the beginning of my post, I mentioned having read the 3/4 have a better pattern.....than 1 oz........

I was asking IF the 3/4 loads were inferior compared to the 1oz, in the field, based on folks experience.

We were on the same mindset.......Better density is what I was referring to.......and it sounds like folks are doing great with loads LESS than 1 oz.

FWIW, I was pretty please trying a 7 1/2 load in 3/4oz, the Federal Top Gun at 1,330 on a few rabbits. One shot was around 35 yards as it ran into the woods after an opening. I had plenty brush but the 7.5s did the job well. I believe it was an improved modified tube.

Wondered when in thick brush, if an open choke at close range would be better with 6s to avoid 'peppering' with too much shot? Friend swears by his 1100 20G, using 1oz high brass 6s, with an improved cylinder and used effectively at 30-35 yds.

Thanks folks.