Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game Does 28 gauge need a tighter choke ?

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Given its lower 3/4 ounce standard payload, does a 28 gauge need a tighter choke than the bigger gauges in order to have a dense enough core pattern to match the bigger payload shells ?

That is, in order to have the same number (not percent) of pellets in the inner 20-inch core of the pattern, does the 28 gauge need, for example, a full choke when a 12 gauge might use an improved-cylinder to get the same number of pellets in the pattern core ?



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I don't know much about percentages and such or 20 inch patterns or whatever, but my 28 gauge has improved/modified chokes and it seems I must be no more than roughly 20 yards for standard loads of #6 shot to be effective.

In contrast, my full choked .410 is ridicously effective on pheasants and mountain grouse out to 40+ yards even with 2.5 inch shells. I ain't no expert, and this is a small sample but I think choke makes a big difference in effectivness.

The answer to your question has a lot of " That Depends" in it !

I shoot and reload an average of 10,000 28ga. rounds a year. I hunt with a 28ga ONLY and I am one of the few shooters that shoot competitive TRAP with the 28. And, YES I am Competitive.

There are so many variables when it comes to patterns. Shot size, wad, velocity, and of course choke. I have found that because the 28 bore tends to create a long shot string normally, that attempts to use tight chokes often causes larger, more open patterns. My field guns , with any 28ga. load all do better with improvd cylinder or light modified. For trap with 3/4 oz. loads of #8's for 16 yard singles I use light modified. My handi-cap
yardage is the 27 yard line (max distance) I use 3/4 oz. 7 1/2's
with a Modfied choke. Many of the hits, especially from the 27 yard line are well beyond 40 yards. Keeping velocity at or below 1,200 FPS really keeps patterns tight. Heavy loads like 7/8 and 1 oz. field loads must be kept at moderate velocities and open chokes. I hunt with 3/4 oz. # 6's at 1175 FPS. I have never had any trouble taking wild Kansas pheasants at 40 yards +. I've had good luck with Winchester Super-X one oz. loads of #6's. They actually do not have any wad! The shot is wrapped in cellophane only. They patterd great at 40 yards. If you hand load, some wads tend to "Tighten up the pattern" so a more open choke is called for.
As far as "Effective range" goes. Remember that a # 6 BB traveling at 1200 FPS has the same effective range no matter what the gauge of the gun or choke it comes out of.

The key to useable patterns with any shot gun, and especially the 28 bore is low velocieties and less choke. A trip to the
patterening board really pays off.

Good luck


Rabbitdog

Gauge has nothing to do with it. If you want a lighter payload (less pellets) to have the same # of pellets in a smaller circle (not always possible) you need a higher pattern efficiency.

When you do that, you diminish the size of the effective spread.

What Rabbitdog said. I've pattered alot of 28 ga. loads, from 7/8th's of an ounce 5's to 3/4's of an ounce of 7 1/2's. Full choke in my gun doesn't make much, if any, difference.
I use modified for 16 yd. trap w/ 3/4 oz. of 7 1/2's and IC with either that or 6's for blue grouse. For Mtn. Quail, I tend to favor the 7 1/2 load. E

Rabbitdog,

You are mistaken about the 28-gauge having a long shot string. It has been proven many times, in several different ways, that the shot string is short in the 28, the big reason it breaks clays and kills birds much better than it should.

[quote=Hammer1].

Given its lower 3/4 ounce standard payload, does a 28 gauge need a tighter choke than the bigger gauges in order to have a dense enough core pattern to match the bigger payload shells ?

That is, in order to have the same number (not percent) of pellets in the inner 20-inch core of the pattern, does the 28 gauge need, for example, a full choke when a 12 gauge might use an improved-cylinder to get the same number of pellets in the pattern core ?
[/quote/]

The way I look at it, from the end of whatever-choke, the BBs are on diverging paths; therefore, with the relatively light 28 ga Payload, you lessen your effective (defined as the # of hits in a 20" circle) range compared to a 12 ga significantly, while at the same time same-size shot flies just as far no matter the gauge. I know I didn't address your choke question--I just don't like F choke in small gauges as both my 20 and 28 SxSs are IC/M. I just tend to go to smaller shot in smaller gauges as your number increases and I think in my experience they pattern better. I don't go bigger than 5-6s in the 20 or 71/2-6s in the 28.

Yes, I watched a good friend with a Beretta O/U 28 emphatically drop some roosters on our opener. Surprised me all over again? (was that the famous philosopher, Yogi Berra? )

George,

One problem in talking chokes is that most people don't actually know the constriction of their choke, instead depending on what it's marked. I've measured "modified" 28-gauge chokes that had a constriction from the actuall bore diameter of anything from .010 to .020". That's quite a difference!

Plus, typical factory 28-gauge ammo has pretty hard shot, one reason it costs a little more. I've found that a modfified choke of .012 to .015" will put enough #6 shot in a 20" circle at 40 yards to kill roosters pretty well, even with 3/4 ounce loads.

One of my favorite 28-gauge pheasant handloads, however, is 7/8 ounce of hard #7 shot, the perfect compromise between 7-1/2's and 6's. I've never found a 28 that didn't pattern this load well, and 7/8 ounce has about as many pellets a 1-1/8 ounce load of #6 shot. American #7, by the way, is the equivalent of British #6, their standard pheasant shot, with about 290-300 pellets per ounce.

John, I admit to an imprecise and arbitrary approach to scatterguns. First, do thy fit me; then, can I hit with them? If so, I keep them and go into my preconceptions of what chokes and shot sizes work best in those gauges. You are right about actual constriction varying withe same designated choke--I used to measure them.

Now, I generally stick to 1 1/4 0z of 6-4s in a 12; 1 0z of 6s generally in the 20; and, 3/4 7 1/2s in the 28. This isn't hard and fast but generally my approach in the uplands which fo me means pheasants mostly.

I've heard about "your" sevens in the 28. Are they in loaded ammo or a hand load proposition?

OK..

Rabbitdog

George,

I believe that some factory, somewhere loads 7's in the 28, but can't remember which. I load 'em myself--and can look it up if you want.

We have an enormous variety of upland birds here in Montana, and I have too many shotguns, so I fool around with a lot of loads. But the loads you mention all sure work!

Hammer1, I'd like to suggest that your original premise of whether or not the 28 gauge can be made to have the pattern density of bigger gauges should be modified to "given fewer pellets, can the 28 be as effective as the larger gauges"? You don't have to match the pellet count you just have to put enough pellets where they count. The 28 gauge can do that out to the ranges that most of us shoot our gamebirds.

I personally like improved cylinder and skeet chokes in my 28 gauge field guns. I use them for grouse, huns and sharptail, but manage to bag a dozen or so roosters each year. If I had to choose a gun just for pheasants, it would be a 12 or 16 gauge, but the 28 works fine.



Ptarmigan hunting with a 28 gauge and my setter May in Colorado at 23,000'. Well actually 13,000' but I might as well have been at the top of Mt. Denali. My lungs will be scarred for life after chasing that little speedster up the mountain.

Increased choke gives you a hot core. If you start out with less not sure how you could get it done any other way than be using more choke. Given the use of the same size shot and shell quality in both.

Remember reading that it has been determined that it takes 5-7 shot in the vitals to guarantee 99+% kills. The 28 then will easily get it done, but an extra emphasis will be placed on good pointing/centering skills.

Mule Deer you are spot on with the choke and what the actual measurements really are. But .012 to .015 is LMod. Which I have found to be the best choke in 28ga guns.

I use a 28 ga. O/U with IC and Mod chokes. Fiocchi makes a "Golden Pheasant" load with 7/8 oz. nickel plated, buffered shot. I have found #6s in this load works on everything from quail to sage grouse, and they haven't been real close shots. Like a cousin said " 28 gauge ain't supposed to work on pheasants, but nobody told the pheasants"

MontanaCreekHunter,

That's just about what I use as an all-around choke in the 28 as well. Have found it to produce pheasant-killing patterns at 40 yards with 3/4 ounce loads.

Rodger That Mule Deer.

no it doesn't, the IC works great on upland game