Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Got a 28 gauge on the way, tell me the good, bad and ugly

Beretta Silver Pigeon. So tell me the good bad and ugly about the gun and the gauge.

Will be a general purpose gun. Some sheet, sporting clays, definitely doves, quail, pheasants, possibly ducks if I can find the right size steel, maybe even a squirrel. Would use on rabbits but don’t know anybody with dogs.

The 28 punches above its weight, but is not magic. It’s fun to hunting with one, and it’s surprisingly quite close in effectiveness to the 20 gauge. Closer than we might think at first glance, but not better by a stretch. It is ideal with its classic shot charge, 3/4 oz. Use good shells, and by that I mean premium ones that have hard shot withhigh antimony content (like 6% or so), and the 28 will please.

It hits so hard primarily because of its relatively short shot strings (aided by high quality ammo).

The bad? Cost of shells, and very few quick stop stores will carry them. They are not magic, and even though remarkably efficient, really lose effectiveness beyond 35 yards or so, depending on the gun, choke, ammo, game and shooter. Don’t sell your 16 or 12.

I have a few decent shotguns with which I have enduring love affairs. But my favorite of them all is far and away a gun chambered in 28 gauge. Some of this is more a matter of the heart than the head.

Reload.

I have a MEC Jr set up for 28 ga. Works well.

I have (3) 28's, like the gauge.

DF

You’ll love it. Like was said, it fights above its weight class. When I lived in Eastern Washington I hunted upland for several years exclusively with a Beretta 686 28 gauge. I never felt handicapped. Factory ammo is pricey but there are many good options. I pressed mine into service many times for decoyed ducks with bismuth. It killed well if I waited for my shots. The new TSS shot might be a game changer for the 28 on waterfowl.

Great skeet/sporting gun as well as small upland. I would not try to shoot ducks or late season pheasants as imo they need a bigger payload. The 1 oz hunting loads are the way to fly. Just don’t try and over drive it and you will be fine.

I shot a lot of late season pheasants over a pointing dog with a 28 when I lived in the NW. The 7/8 and 1 ounce loads had a bit of an edge over the 3/4 ounce but not as much as I expected.

My shots were close and I avoided low percentage shots, as should we all, regardless of the gauge. I certainly wouldn’t choose the 28 for driving corn fields for pheasants where the shots can be further out than what one would have over a pointing dog. Or pass shooting ducks. On decoyed ducks, wings set and dropping into the spread, the 28 does fine.

TSS is a game changer on everything....9's kill like 5's and 6's and there are a lot 9's in the shot charge....

Good for you! Let me say one more thing: don’t use steel in a nice 28; it deserves better. You bought the gun now feed it well. Yes, they can be spendy but are so much better. Look here for some alternatives:

https://www.mackspw.com/shooting/shotgun-ammunition/28-gauge

Thank you. I had already checked out Mack’s PE for non toxic shells.

Congrats on the 28! You will love it on game and clays. Mine is a Benelli Legacy, which I use almost exclusively for pheasants and quail. Over my pointing Lab, I use a skeet choke, and Fiocchi Golden Pheasant loads with 7/8 oz. of either #6 or #7.5 plated shot. For doves, plain old 3/4 oz. loads in 7.5 shot work very well.

Traded for this one, a Merkel. Solid rib, 27". Handles great.

DF

That ain’t too hard on the eyes. Nice one.

I have also shot a lot of pheasants in SD well into December with a 28 ga sxs that weighs 5 pounds. I usually shoot the 1 oz W-W 5's or 6's and at 35, maybe up to 40 they kill them just fine. The first year I had it, I went with 7 other guys north of Huron and we killed a limit every day apiece, I was the only one who didn't cripple a bird. When I first arrived, they were kind of smirking about my toy gun, when we left one of them was calling it a magic wand. It's a lot more fun to pack a 5 pound gun for sure.

Some great advice here. Other than the cost of ammo there is no downside. By far my best skeet scores are with the 28 and I'm constantly surprised at how it drops birds with 7 1/2 loads. I have a tube set for my 682 but for birds it's a Parkler repro choked mod/full.

Added a Beretta 686 Onyx Pro in 28 gauge to my collection recently. Was very happy with it on 2 Dove hunts and was going to take it after ditch chickens tomorrow but work intervened, maybe next week. Bought 5 flats of bismuth and 2 of steel to start things off.

Those are really nice guns.

Great photo.

DF

Seems the proper time for this question is before a purchase. Kinda like asking if you got a good deal on something after you bought it.

Wall to wall enablers here on the Fire...

Like holding an AA meeting at an Irish bar....

DF

You’ll not find a finer bunch of enabling scoundrels anywhere.

Well, wasn’t asking if I got a good deal. I already know l did. I didn’t figure there was much wrong with the gun. Already did some research on it. Learned to probably not use it with steel shot, yes I was going to. And, it might be a bit light on late season pheasants. We don’t have that worry in NC but I will have to remember that if I ever hunt Nebraska again. Besides it was a retirement present to me from me.

Got addicted to the 28 when I read an article in Outdoor Life back in the late 1970s. then moved in 81 to eastern MT where I started shooting upland with a Steyer Mannlicher principessa sxs 28. Couldn't get shells, so I ordered 71/2s 3/4 oz by the case (Remington, mostly). I shot huns, sharptail and pheasants and never a cage raised bird. The country is open and the shots can be longish. I have never recovered. My favorite memories are shooting roosters in deepish powder snow with a pointing dog.

When my mom knew she was leaving us she called me and told me that she wanted to leave me a gift to remember her by and that turned out to be a custom AyA #2 in 28.

It's been fun. Don't underestimate the 3/4 load of 7 1/2s. ;-{>8

Other than bragging rites I see no advantage. I have nice sub 6# 12ga SxS's and usually shoot 7/8 or 1 oz loads out of them

There are many ways to scratch the itch but a sub-gauge 16 is one too. It's just there are many more light and handy 28's around than 16s. We're lucky we all get to like what we like.

I have a beautiful diamond grade nitro damascus feather weight H A LIndner 12, and love it, but the topic is 28. ;-{>8

Don't know anything about that particular gun, the only 28ga I have and have shot is a little Darne sxs, sliding breech action. Downside is cost of shells, other than that great. If the gun is sized for the gauge like mine then it should be a delight to carry and shoot, I think mine weighs in at just over 5 1/4 lbs..