Home Forums Birds & Dogs Upland Game 28 ga. loads for pheasant and chukar

PaleRider, Ya my little setter she's all "binness" when it comes to bird hunting but a joy to be around at home. I mostly use a couple side-by 28 gauges but I get a kick out of that little 11-48 auto. It's just so cool.

Dave Duffy once wrote about hunting with flushing dogs, "you can work on control, but sometimes you just have to stir your stumps to keep up".

I've had a couple pretty good springers over the years. When hunting pheasants with them I mostly used 12 gauges but, I've used 28s a fair amount. I tend to use 28 gauges a bit more when hunting over pointing dogs, definitely have more close-in shots. In either case, flusher or pointer, when using 28s on pheasants I've learned to hunt within their capabilities. Their limits for me have more to do with choke really than gauge since my 28s tend to be on the open side. I figure it's kind of the same as when I hunt big game with lever guns and metallic sights, 150 to 200 yards get's to be a long-ass shot in a hurry where as it's a slam dunk with a scoped rifle. If your hunting with a 28 gauge it's likely because you want to not because it's your only gun. Except the occasional limitation, be selective in your shooting and enjoy the day afield carrying your 28.

To use a flushing or pointing dog, that is the question. Answer, why not have both, seems reasonable to me. My son with our springer and setter using what in reality could arguably be the best all-around upland bird gun, an over/under 20 gauge. But as with dogs, why have just one kind of shotgun?

I bought a 28 ga Franchi Renaissance because I was looking for a light 20, and Sportsmans Warehouse had the darn thing on sale for $900.

Some of the best money I have ever spent. At any reasonable range, I can whack pheasants as well as I can with a 12. By reasonable range, I mean under 60 yds with IC choke and no 6 shot.

Not much gets past me. If you can do your part, the gun will not let you down. The Fiocchi ammo you are using is my absolute favorite. Hammers the birds.....

You'll shoot to the level of your gun, and enjoy every minute.

First round of drinks is on me when you agree....

Pugs and me just returned from a FUN and successful mixed bag (pheasant,chukar & quail) hunt in Georgia. We both used a 28ga 7 1/2" Winchester and Fiocchi with great results. Hell I even knocked one down at 40 yards.

Hitting targets or birds is similiar to delivering mail. It is not the size of the package but getting it to the right address. 45 years of shooting clays and birds has given me some wisdom and insight. I have not used a 12 gauge for anything other than trap and skeet. All my hunting is down with either a 20 gauge (7/8 oz loads) side by side or my 16 gauge pump ( 1 oz loads). Most if not all of my hunting friends use 12 gauge guns and cannot believe the shots that I make with my little 20 or 16. Thats when I tell them about its not the size of the package but getting it to the right address. Keep your head down and don't stop your swing to check the beads on your gun.

I have had the best luck on SD pheasants with the 28 ga Win. 1 oz load of 5's. It kills them as well as anything else.

300 & js, I have a serious question for both of you and others who may wish to chime in.. When you talk of using the 28 or for that matter the 20 on pheasants, what kind of dogs are you using?? I have killed quite a bit of game with my 28 and more with my 20, BUT my goldens do not work under my feet when we are hunting ringnecks.. I get lots of shots between 30 to 45 yards and maybe a bit further, depending on the cover and the day.. I have killed sage grouse dead at 40 yards with my 28, but they are not tough to knock down, and if only a wing is broken, the dogs can easily catch them.. I guess what I am getting to, is I just don't have the faith in the smaller bores for pheasants due to the distances which I shoot... I am not talking extreme stuff, but at max 50 yards.. But a lot of my shots are out beyond 30 yards due the not having pointing dogs.. Do you feel comfortable at those distances with your 28..?? I am not trying to jerk your chain, just get a feel for what I can expect on a daily basis from these smaller ga.. shotguns.. Good pheasant hunting is always a long drive and limited time.. So I am wanting to make the most of all the fair chances I get..

Just re read much of this post, kind of answers the questions I posed, but I would still like your thoughts..

First off Wyo I am not trying to be mean and intend my criticism to be constructive.

You say you are not talking about extreme shots but 50 yards is an incredibly long shot for both shoot and load/choke. Buy or borrow a book by Bob Brister called Shotgunning the Art and the Science. In it Mr. Brister describes how traditional load patterns degrade rapidly past 40 yards, With most load/choke combos rendered useless between 40-50 yards.

40 yards let alone 50 yards is a long distance visually. My guess is that you are making the common mistake of overestimating range. Here is what I would do I would pattern the 12ga load and choke you use on pheasants at 40,45,and 50 yards just so you can see the degradation of the pattern.
Next I would go to a local trap field and using the same set up you would use for pheasant hunting (except using trap legal shells) immediately go back to the 27 yard line (about 45 yards total) and see how many you hit. If that percentage is acceptable for you with chips or misses possible being wounded birds you are an excellent shot.

Most likely you will not be able to constantly hit at that range and as such should try to take only closer shots.

From my experience I realize that on a more or less straight away bird I ability is about 35 with an outer limit of 40 yards max. Less so with quartering shots and even less on crossing shots.

Know to get back to the question you ask. Do I think that a 28 ga would be effective at 45 or 50 yards on pheasants? Yes I do think that the load/choke/gauge is capable of it though the shooter might not be. Though I doubt you could get that type of performance with lead load. I think that 40 yards is about max for the 28ga and lead. But with heavier than lead options 60 yards is not an unreasonable distance for the gun to be able to perform well.

Here are some patterns I have shot with my CZ Ringneck 28ga. That is a 4 foot by 4 foot plate for reference.

Winchester 1oz #6 Modified choke 40 yards


Fiocchi 7/8oz #6 Modified choke 40 yards


Reload 1oz #5 Modified choke 40 yards


Reload 7/8oz #7 nickel plated Modified choke 40 yards (I shot this one a little low and to the right so I did not get it centered on the board)

ks, thanks for your info.. I have not shot my 28 much at the pattern board.. When I got it maybe 6-10 years ago, I shot it quite a bit at grouse, but not ringnecks.. In the mean time I picked up several other pumps I enjoy using so the 28 has been neglected..

I understand what you are saying about longer shots.. I have measured quite a few of my shots.. Mostly at sage grouse as they are in very open country and easily measured.. I have NOT shot that many roosters at longer distances, as they usually flush closer in the cover I have been shooting.. But with the flushing
dogs, I am sure they get up farther than the pointers..

I understand what you are saying about shooting from the 27 yard line on the trap field.. I would suppose my average there is about 20/25 with my guns. Sometimes a bit more sometimes abit less.. I will have to try the pattern board at 40 to 50 yards.. It has been quite a long while since I have done any pattern shooting.. I must try my 28 with different chokes also.. I have mostly stuck with the full.. thanks for your time and imput..

Before I became dog less, I had high energy pointers and they held some birds on point but with wild birds as many ran from under their noses and got up at distance so I've taken birds from under twenty to just over forty yards regularly with my 28.

A BB from a 28 has the same killing power at the same range as the same BB from a 12 gauge for all practical purposes so the key for a serious would-be upland 28 Gunner is to do some serious work at the patterning board with a bunch of loads. Patterning these loads at ten yard increments with different shot sizes and payloads - I think sizes 6, 7,and 7 1/2 are practical for pheasants; I go to 7 1/2 and 8 for doves - will tell you a whole lot about where that slightly smaller payload loses effectiveness. It will also build a lot of confidence by probably showing you dense enough patterns further out than you thought.

As John B states, pheasants are relatively big targets. I've not used any 1 oz loads in my 28 but use Fiocchi's 7/8 oz 6's at 1300 fps for these birds and my gun patterns them well enough at forty yards with IC/IM chokes to know a miss or cripple is on me. And I generally don't shoot much past forty yards regardless of what I'm carrying.

Another plus for me is my 28 is 5 1/2 lbs and recoil is mostly not noticeable. I followed the same "path" generally with center fires - going smaller and lighter as I get bigger and slower.

Thanks for the the reply.. Good information.

Christmas present to me.

Some of the best IMO!

Difference between a 28 and a 16, I have both of those. The 28 will put less shot of any size on target as a 1 1/8th oz load in a 16 with the same shot size. How many piece's of shot, 6's, is required to kill a pheasant is one, if you hit it in the head! With greater shot count the advantage of doing that goes to the 16. Will a 28 cleanly kill pheasant's? Of course. But then the Eskimo's have cleanly killed Polar bears with a 22 hornet!

My 28 is my go to for just about everything anymore, from dog training to bird hunting. But I don't go looking for any birds tuffer than Huns any more either.

battue, how long will a flat of shotgun ammo last you?? I remember you mentioned buying a flat of Estate for your model 12 16 ga.
I had a good fall this year on game birds.. One of my best in several years.. I was trying to count how many boxes of ammo I used in getting my birds.. I am guessing six or seven.. I used my 28, 20 and several 12's.. Plus a could ducks with the 10..

The Estates didn't work out all that we'll with the model 12 in that they often
would catch on extraction.

With Grouse numbers down and not making any trips this year, I haven't
done a lot if shooting. Exception being game commission Pheasant which normally are not all that hard to hit along with a 2 bird per day limit.

Next year would like to take a 10 day or so trip west for Pheasant.

In 5's these should last awhile, but I'll work on using them up.

Battue, you need to head to SD next year.

battue, good luck with that project!! Haven't had any high volume shooting in many years.. I would like to hit Az. for doves next winter, and maybe quail.. I ran into a friend who does San Carlos for quail a couple weeks each fall. Best of luck and Merry Christmas ..

Hazen,

I can normally get thru them on clays when I'm practicing with the field shotgun. But 5's are a no-no on the course, so these may hang around a bit. However, heading for another two days at a Grouse camp so will try to start nibbling on them. 5's should work on Ruffed Grouse.

George,

Planned to this year, but a Bud backed out when I said I wouldn't fly with the Toby. Long lonely drive alone, but your pics have my saying why not????

Spent Christmas Eve with the Kids and Grandkids. What a hoooooot!!!! Can't wipe the smile off my face.

Merry Christmas to all....

Hunted for years with a little Remington 11-48 bored skeet behind setters. Instant death usually within 20-25 yards max. Always had excellent luck with factory Federal loads..1 oz of # 6's. Hardly ever missed a bird. That picture brings back memories.