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Been experimenting with loads in my 28 ga. for pheasant and chukar, most pen raised and released, but a few wild pheasant as well.
After trying 3/4 oz. 7.5 shot, 1 oz. 7.5's, and 7/8 oz. 7.5's, all out of an IC choke, I have settled on Fiocchi Golden Pheasant loads, 7/8 oz., #6 nickel-plated shot, MV 1300 fps. This stuff really works, results are DOA vs. cripples or down but still kicking. Seems to be a good balance of pattern density and penetration.
Ranges are in the 15-35 yd. max., any further than that the 28 just doesn't carry the pellet count to do the job well, IMO.
Hunting upland birds with my 11 MO yellow lab and a Benelli Legacy 28 ga., is just too much fun!
What do you all use? Any preferences?
I'd rather be a free man in my grave, than living as a puppet or a slave....
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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The Fiocchi load is a good one for bigger birds. I've also used the Winchester 1-ounce load with copper-plated 6's a lot, as well as a handload using 7/8 ounce of high-antimony #7 (not 7-1/2) which kills pheasants just about as well.
Have killed a number of wild pheasants and sage grouse at over 35 yards with the 28, my longest a big male sage grouse at 47 using the Winchester load. One of the realities of shotgunning is the bigger the bird, the more shot hits it, everything else being equal. But if anybody prefer limiting their shots to 35 I won't argue.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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I think if I was going to use more than the 3/4 oz load I'd go up in ga. I found that running #6 shot through my 28ga reloading press simply does not work well. You might get 3/4 oz but normally less. So I only run 71/2 or smaller through it. #6 shot has always been better for me on pheasant's in 12 and 16 ga. Don't have a 12 anymore but ran 1 1/8 oz of 6's when I did. Like 1 oz loads of 6's in my 16ga.
I'm pretty old school and at one time the belief was that the closer to sq the shot load was, the better the shot pattern. don't know if it's true of not. Never patterned the first load.
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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WW AA 7.5's works good on pen raised Pheasants in my 1100 28ga
For wild Pheasants, I shoot # 6's in the Remington 7/8 load. And kill birds just as far as my buddies hunting with 12 ga guns.
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston
Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
~Molɔ̀ːn Labé Skýla~
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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DonFischer,
I've never had any problem loading more than 3/4 ounce of shot in my MEC. I also like to shoot my 28 gauges more than my heavier shotguns.
I used to use the 28 only in the early season. Here in Montana most of our upland seasons except pheasants start on September 1st, so began with doves, Hungarian partridge, ruffed grouse, sharptails, etc. The 28 did fine, as it always has that time of year, because most birds are young and they hold well in the warm weather.
Later on, however, the birds are a little older and heavier, have more feathers and tend to get up further out, so in most years I switch to larger gauges. Decided that year not to unless the 28 proves inadequate. Pheasant starts the second week of October, and I hunted wild birds (not pen-raised) throughout October and into November without any problems, using both a 7/8 ounce of #7 handload and Winchester 1-ounce loads. Also killed some sage grouse with no problems, the long shot the 47-yarder on a 5-6 male.
The old saying about square loads originated black powder days with soft shot, and doesn't apply these days with plastic shot cups and harder shot. I've shot beautiful patterns at 40 yards with all of my 28's using more than 3/4 ounce of shot, and would much rather carry them for most upland hunting, so do.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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DonFischer,
I've never had any problem loading more than 3/4 ounce of shot in my MEC. I also like to shoot my 28 gauges more than my heavier shotguns.
I used to use the 28 only in the early season. Here in Montana most of our upland seasons except pheasants start on September 1st, so began with doves, Hungarian partridge, ruffed grouse, sharptails, etc. The 28 did fine, as it always has that time of year, because most birds are young and they hold well in the warm weather.
Later on, however, the birds are a little older and heavier, have more feathers and tend to get up further out, so in most years I switch to larger gauges. Decided that year not to unless the 28 proves inadequate. Pheasant starts the second week of October, and I hunted wild birds (not pen-raised) throughout October and into November without any problems, using both a 7/8 ounce of #7 handload and Winchester 1-ounce loads. Also killed some sage grouse with no problems, the long shot the 47-yarder on a 5-6 male.
The old saying about square loads originated black powder days with soft shot, and doesn't apply these days with plastic shot cups and harder shot. I've shot beautiful patterns at 40 yards with all of my 28's using more than 3/4 ounce of shot, and would much rather carry them for most upland hunting, so do. I don't know what made me think to weight a couple shot loads but when I did, couldn't get repeatably accurate shot load with #6's. Using a Mec 600 MKII. Love the gun, been sitting unused for years before I finally tried it out. Priced a box of shells when I first was going to try is and that really made a 28 ga press look good. My 16 is all but retired now, don't hunt pheasant's any more. D*mn I like my 28 and my 410!
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Campfire Ranger
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The Fiocchi's are the very load I settled on when had a chance for a case at a discounted price. I've used the 28 (an AyA SxS) on IA pheasants a lot the last five years or so, mostly behind a pointer and honestly haven't noticed a difference between it and my Beretta 20.
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Campfire Outfitter
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Kind of come to the conclusion the guys that kill Pheasants well with the light gauge shotguns are a lot better shot than me! IMHO
kk alaska
Alaska 7 months of winter then 5 months of tourists
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yeah, KK--I've come to the same conclusion. One guy I hunt with kills EVERYTHING DRT with a .410 double.
I can't do that with anything smaller than a 20, and even then I get a few birds back from the dog still alive....
Was Mike Armstrong. Got logged off; couldn't log back on. RE-registered my old call sign, Mesa.
FNG. Again.
Mike Armstrong
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Bighorn, most of the time my handloads for hunting with my 28s use 3/4 oz. of magnum 7 shot. Works great for huns, sharpies and mountain grouse. For pheasants I switch over to a handload of 7/8 oz. nickle platted 6's. This gun is a 1953 vintage Remington 11-48 in 28 gauge. It says Full on the barrel but patterns more like modified. These wild roosters bagged this morning attest to the effectiveness of the loading and the little 28. ![[Linked Image]](http://i584.photobucket.com/albums/ss283/mw406/DSCN0729copy_zpsd03c7a42.jpg)
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My favourite load for the 28's my son and i shoot is 30 grains of H110 in BPI hull, with an HV28 wad, and 7/8oz of either 7 1/2 or 5 ( depending on the wind for the day), nickle plated shot. Drops them dead WAY out there if need be, out of an IC/MOD choked gun.:>) ![[Linked Image]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v104/catnthehat/2013Brooks%20hunt/birds20136_zpseff82c2a.jpg) Cat
Last edited by catnthehat; 12/14/13.
scopes are cool, but slings 'n' irons RULE!
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Great photo! Bighorn, most of the time my handloads for hunting with my 28s use 3/4 oz. of magnum 7 shot. Works great for huns, sharpies and mountain grouse. For pheasants I switch over to a handload of 7/8 oz. nickle platted 6's. This gun is a 1953 vintage Remington 11-48 in 28 gauge. It says Full on the barrel but patterns more like modified. These wild roosters bagged this morning attest to the effectiveness of the loading and the little 28.
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I'd rather be a free man in my grave, than living as a puppet or a slave....
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Hey Mule deer, have you weighted the 3^ shot loads? I went to six for pheasants in a 12ga years ago. To many cripples with 7 1/2 shot. I don't have a 12 ga anymore, 2 16's aq 28 and a 410. I bought some 410 shell,s a while back and they are 1/2 os #6. I'm gonna try that once I get a 410 press going. But that 6 shot in my 28 ga loader just doesn't throw right or even consistent. I'm guessing that somewhere the shot is piling up and not getting it all in. Come to think of it, I put an adjustable chg bar on it. seem's the chamber was triangle shaped. Maybe that's what's doing it?
Someone said something about #7 shot. I've heard of the stuff before but never see any. Is it larger than #6 or smaller?
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Campfire Kahuna
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Yeah, I weigh shot charges in my reloads when working up, to make sure they're what they're supposed to be.
#7 shot is between 7-1/2's and 6's in size. 7-1/2's are supposed to average around 350 an ounce, and 6's 225, the largest gap in shot size. 7's are supposed to average around 300 an ounce, a size that in England is called #6 and is apparently the most popular size over there for shooting driven birds.
I buy my extra-hard #7 shot from Ballistic Products, and 7/8 ounce (about as many pellets as are in 1-1/4 ounces of #6 shot) penetrates and kills pheasants very well out to 40 yards or a little more.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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I've read where a number of guy's really like the 7 shot, I'd never seen it until last thursday. Had to go to bend and went into Sportsmens. They don't have aa lot of shot but there was one bag of 7's there, first one I've ever seen. I've got quite a bit #6 and #7 1/2 here right now. Can't believe how the price has gone up. If I remember it was just under $50!
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Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
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Yeah, that's the way it's been for a while now. Luckily I bought a pile of smaller shot for practice back when the price was $25 or less, and only load the higher-priced stuff for hunting.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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Bighorn, most of the time my handloads for hunting with my 28s use 3/4 oz. of magnum 7 shot. Works great for huns, sharpies and mountain grouse. For pheasants I switch over to a handload of 7/8 oz. nickle platted 6's. This gun is a 1953 vintage Remington 11-48 in 28 gauge. It says Full on the barrel but patterns more like modified. These wild roosters bagged this morning attest to the effectiveness of the loading and the little 28. Good looking, bright eyed dog there mw406, He's really focused on something out there in that picture  . I have a couple of those old Rem. 11-48s. One is a 20 gauge that my Dad bought new back in the day. Still use it sometimes..... -Ted
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Mule Deer, you mentioned using your 28 ga. on sage grouse to 47 yards.. The longest shot I made with my 28 was just 40 yards.. I was wondering what choke you use in the .28?? I stuck with full.. Never had the IC or Mod. in the little 870..
I also wondered if most guys using the smaller ga. on ringnecks used pointing dogs.. My goldens listen pretty well, but when they hit a track, I must keep up.. Sometimes it results in a much longer shot that if I were using a good pointer...
All of this got me thinking about the loads I see when I visit pheasant country.. All most all the loads lean toward 3" shells in both 12 and 20.. The little 28 does a beautiful job, but my dogs style of hunting does not always permit the use of a smaller ga. Guys who live in bird country maybe don't realize when we visit heaven, we want to make the most of all our chances...
Molon Labe
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Campfire Kahuna
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Yeah, a lot depends on the dog. I prefer flushing dogs, but mine are trained to work pretty close--though they don't always do it, especially on a hot track!
But I suspect an even bigger problem with most bird hunters is they don't really know what a pheasant at 40 yards looks like, because they don't get as much practice. I do get to hunt a lot, and pace off every pheasant shot I make, so am pretty good at not shooting at roosters too far away. I did a lot of patterning for a 28-gauge article a few years ago, and found the average "modified" choke produced dense enough patterns for 40-yard pheasants (or other pheasant-sized birds) with #6 or #7 shot.
As for sage grouse, most people don't realize that larger birds also get hit with more shot, given an equally thick pattern. Which is the fallacy in assuming the 28 is only good for small birds: The pattern's often too thin for sufficient pellets in smaller birds--unless you use small enough shot to compensate.
“Montana seems to me to be what a small boy would think Texas is like from hearing Texans.”
John Steinbeck
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