Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Are 28 gauge autoloaders a no-no ?

I'm just saying it's easier to "score" on skeet than on a live bird. A longer shot string makes skeet shooting easier to score. At least that's my perception.

With a bunch of scatterguns around, I have pretty much quit the 12G. For Grouse I like my AL 48 in 28G. No problemo loading/ unloading.
Cisco

The reason for wads that encompass the entire shot column-which was also one of the first modern improvements to shot shells-for which you can thank Winchester-is to reduce the deformation of pellets rubbing against the barrel. Even with wads it still happens to a degree. The longer the column the more pellets deformed and pattern efficiency decreases.

Top flight skeet shooters are not looking or trying for lucky chips from long shot strings. What they are looking for is centered targets that are crushed by all the pellets arriving at once. Their skill level tries to eliminate luck as much as possible.

My Remington 1100 has a mahogany stock. My son short his first flying doves, a double, with this sweet shooting shorgun. I have both modified and skeet barrels. Since I have 6 1100's I am used to picking up empty cases for reloading.

There is no doubt shot cups have improved patterns.

There is no doubt that in skeet shooting when scored a "crush" is the same as a "chip". When shooting live birds there is a world of difference.

You are correct in an x is an x.

The difference is the top flight skeet people have the game down to almost perfection. When they get a chip from a pellet not in the main swarm it throws their confidence and leads off and they can no longer read their breaks and make adjustments.

There is no difference with regards to clay targets or game. Perhaps a novice may sometimes benefit from a long shot string and luck into a bird. However, that is not what any of us should strive for.

JB gave some good advice. Read Bob Brister's book.

Addition: If a long shot string was an advantage in skeet, you can bet the farm that the manufactures would make shells specific for the game that didn't have shot protectors.

I ain't saying that is what we strive for, I'm saying that there is a difference beteen skeet shooters and live bird shooters.

Anyone who has shot live wild birds knows the difference.

Addition: If a long shot string was an advantage in skeet, you can bet the farm that the manufactures would make shells specific for the game that didn't have shot protectors. They don't.

I do think they make specific shells for skeet.

With shot protectors, and the truth is they are also excellent for game birds within the constraints of shot size.

Batt, I think you know a lot about skeet shooting, but I also think you think you know a lot about wild bird shooting.

You can think whatever you want, but I actually know little about skeet, but have spent a lot of time around good shot gunners from most of the games and also those in the field. That being said, you don't have to believe internet me.

However, Brister and JB deserve to be given consideration.

Game birds or targets, all the pellets arriving as close together as possible is what makes for solid hits. Believe it or not, it is ok with me.

Getting a little pissy?

No, not really. Not my style. However, just responding to the above.

AJD,

I'm starting to wonder what your point is.

I've shot some clays with the 28 (mostly Sporting Clays but also trap, where I average 23-24 at 16 yards with the 28), but have shot a hell of a lot more birds, and not just smaller birds but pheasants and sage grouse. While I wouldn't pick the 28 for late-season pheasant hunting, I have yet to find an upland bird it won't kill neatly out to 40 yards--if the shooter does their job. In fact I've killed sage grouse out to 45 yards, consistently.

One of the things most people also fail to grasp about the 28 is that bigger birds tend to get hit with more pellets than smaller birds. If the shot will penetrate deeply enough enough (hard #6's will do the job) several pellets from a 28 are just as good as several pellets from a 12-gauge.

JB, I don't disagree. I ain't saying the 28 isn't capable. Here we don't have much/any in wild pheasant but do have some wild quail. The 28 definately works, I use it and like it.

I am both a skeet shooter, and a bird shooter. there is no difference. i shoot skeet to improve my wingshooting skills. at 92% with any of the big bores (28,20,12) i need all the practice i can get.

that said, i shoot 28ga tubes in my citori, and when it came time to buy a shotgun for my son to learn to shoot with, it was a 28ga 1100. i love to carry that thing in the woods for grouse, but i can never remember where the safety is. my thumb keeps searching for it on the tang, so i stick to my 20ga o/u. if i ever find the right 28, all that will change.

As to the question of losing the empties, I consider the lost ones as the cost of enjoying my 1100 28 and my 1148 410 in the field. I make every effort to pick them up but don't worry about the cost. And i thought everyone knew about the advantage of a short shot string, Russ

You're saying there is no difference between skeet and wild bird shooting?