Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Browning O/U in 20 or 28 gauge? Which gauge is best?

"20 gauge or 28 gauge," that is the question.

I use a shotgun very little, some occassional small game hunting (birds/rabbits), but mostly I use them for target shooting.

So my question is, I have an oppertunity to get either a Browning 425 Sporting in a 20 gauge, or a Browning Feather Wt 28 gauge. Both O/Us. The price is terrific but I'm not to familar with either the 20 or 28 gauges.

Any help would be appreciated. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif" alt="" />

The 28s are a joy to shoot but if you don't reload, or know someone who will for you, the ammo costs are prohibitive for a 28 ga. The 20 ga. would be a more realistic purchase in that respect.

ditto,
if you're not much of a shotgunner and what a shotgun that's both light and fun to shoot go with the 20ga. Much, much cheaper for shells.

I have 4 28's...but I reload for them. I also have 2 20's....the 28 is super for all day carrying and a joy to shoot....unfortunately ammo is more exspensive. Go for the 20 is you are not a reloader.

For most normal small game hunting, I'd opt for the 20 gauge (or larger).

Most 28 gauge over/under shotguns are built on 20 gauge frames these days, so there is little weight difference between the two gauges... and the "weight-difference" was the BIG selling point for the smaller gauges.

In actuality, the 28 gauge is a gauge mostly used in skeet... and was never very popular as a hunting gauge even though it will do a fine job on birds over dogs if the shots are no greater than �30 yards.

'Way back in the early 1960's, I bought a 28 gauge, 5� pound Charles Daly over/under skeet gun that is bored "skeet & skeet". It has chrome-lined barrels, automatic ejectors and a single-selective trigger that was especially built on it's own lithe, little 28 gauge frame.

It is 1 of only 37 such light-weight 28 gauge shotguns built by Miroku (they build the Citori Model over/under for Browning) ever brought into the USA according to the article, "A Real 28 Gauge" on page 150 in the 1995 Gun Digest's 49th. Annual Edition. I've used this beautiful little shotgun on quail, partridge and grouse over pointers or setters, but I wouldn't recommend a 28 gauge on pheasants over "flushing" dogs.

Even using pointers or setters, pheasants tend to run too often and tend to flush too far out in front of the shooter(s) for the smaller gauges like the 28 gauge and .410 bore that I use for small game hunting.

It isn't that the smaller gauges WON'T kill the birds... they will... but they CAN also do a lot of wounding if used beyond their capabilities... and even with dogs, you don't always find the wounded birds.

Therefore, I use my Browning field gun, a Lightning Grade, Belguin-made Superpose in 12 gauge bored improved cylinder & modified with skeet or trap loads (1-1/8th ounce, 3 dram equivalent) on pheasants. However, rather than the #8 shot I use for skeet or trap loads, I load #7's (yes, "7's", not "7�'s") in hard lead or #6's in copper coated shot for pheasants.

But getting back to your question, I agree with the other posters and recommend you opt for the 20 gauge shotgun although if you'd get into reloading, you'd LOVE the 28 gauge.

You can get into a simple MEC (Maysville Engineering Co.) "600 Jr." shotgun reloading press for � $100 and reload the 28 gauge shells for about � $2.50 a box (25 shells) once you have the empty hulls... but that's yet another topic for discussion. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />


Strength & Honor...

Ron T.

I think you answered your own question when you said you didn't do a lot of shotgunning and weren't familiar with the two gauges. Get the 20. Somewhere down the road you might graduate to smaller bores when you are an accomplished wingshot. They will only frustrate you in the beginning.

But 28s ARE great fun (and adequate) for Doves and Quail!