I would like to know what you fine gents think about the 28 gauge in an upland bird hunting application. what sort of limitations should i expect from it, is it adequate for pheasant? would you ever attempt a turkey hunt with one? basically I would just like to know all i can about it, I am looking into a mate for my Ithaca 37 in 16, and have always been a 1 off kind of guy, so a new manufacture 37 in 28 just seems natural. what are your thoughts?

Slightly light for pheasants. O.K for Chukar's, Quail, etc. Not easy to find ammo on the road, so you better stock up. I head shoot turkey's so it would be O.K, but again a little light. It's a lovely gun to shoot, though, so if you are one of those who like to go on the fringe, try it out.

That should be a nice combination in the Ithaca 37. For me a 28's a 30/35 yard gun for doves, valley quail and chukars. I've seen other hunters kill and wound pheasants with them.

A few of years ago I decided to use a 28 here in Montana, putting it aside only when it started to fail on bigger upland birds. It never did. Took a bunch of wild pheasants neatly at ranges out to 40 yards, and also some sage grouse, my longest kill 47 yards on a big male of six pounds or so. No problem at all on mountain grouse, whether ruffs or blues, and of course it also worked great on Huns and doves.

A 28 pointed right with an appropriate load for the game works very well out to the ranges most people can consistently take upland birds. I wouldn't choose it for 50+ yard shooting of wild pheasants, but that's a pretty specialized game. One thing many hunters don't realize is that as the bird gets bigger the more likely it is to be hit by multiple pellets.

I had one for a while, a pretty nice little Bernadelli SxS, and found that it did nothing other than weigh an inconsequential bit less than my P&G SxS 20 did so off it went. Of course it cost more to shoot too as I did not handload for either the 28 or the 20.

I have a nice Ugartechea 28 ga, a 5-pounder with 27 in. barrels. I have used a lot of 7/8 and 1 oz loads with 5's and 6's on South Dakota pheasants. A couple of trips, I was the only one not using a 12 ga and the only one that never lost a cripple. You would honestly have to kill me to get the little 28 away from me, my favorite shotgun. The Win. loads with an ounce of 5's are my choice for pheasants.

I wish that Remmy would make an 870 Special Field, with a English grip, 21" tube and chokes. I'd be a buyer...grin

Dober

I think one would enjoy the 28 more if he handloaded. I have MEC 600 Jr's set up for 12, 20 and 28 ga. I've had progressive loaders before, but like the single stage presses better. They're easier to set up and less prone to dump a load of shot or powder on the floor. And, to me, they're fast enough.

They can often be found on Ebay for under $100, ready to go. I think it's easier to have one set up for each gauge than try to change out dies, etc. That's too much trouble and the presses are too cheap, IMHO, to go that route.

I like the older, pre '82 ones with all steel dies. I add a Pro Check for $9 from MEC and that upgrades older presses to the latest technology. All steel dies + Pro Check, the best of both worlds.

DF

Hadn't thought about it, but that WOULD be super cool...

DF

Yeah, I have my 28 and .410 MEC's set up for one gauge only.

The 28-gauge 870 is an okay gun but would indeed be better if it was shorter and lighter. I sold mine after purchasing my 5-pound 2-ounce Fausti SXS 28.

I recently traded for a Merkel 28 ga. O/U with solid rib and some really nice wood. It fits me and is a keeper. I can actually hit pretty well with it, and I'm not the best shotgunner. I'm left eye dominant, right handed and too old to learn to shoot left handed. It's the old dog/new tricks sorta deal...

DF

Merkle 28 ga is about as good as it gets

I've taken quite a few pheasants with handloaded 28's using 7/8oz of #6's and feel it's adequate, especially if you're hunting over dogs. Seem's to me that more birds hit the ground running when taken with my 28ga. as opposed to my standard 12ga payload of 1 1/2oz of #5's handloaded into Federal Gold Medal hulls... to be expected I suppose. It's not the gun I choose for late season birds or hunting in 30mph winds, but they certainly can be used effectively in the pheasant fields.

One of my 28 gauge guns is a Ruger Red Label, and it's a joy to carry. I've never felt my 12ga guns were too heavy, but it's definitely noticable when you pick one up after carrying the little Red Label for a while.

This thread is only operating at half-value without some photos of the 28's being mentioned.

KDF,

One of my favorite all-around handloads in the 28 is 7/8 ounce of hard #7 shot. That's about 260 pellets, very close to the same number of 6's in a 1-1/8 ounce load. The 7's penetrate very well and result in noticeably more pattern density than 6's.

I traded with Puglisi Gun Emporium for this one.

DF

Thank you 'farmer! That's a beauty.

Closer shot.

Does Merkel have a dedicated 28ga frame, or is your built on a 20?

Funny you say that....I have a 28 gauge 870 Express I've thought of trying to convert to a Special Field. Stock would need to be custom, barrel chopped from 25 to 21, threaded for tubes.

Oh well, maybe another day.

I would think it's a dedicated frame, as it's very slim and sleek for a Merkel O/U. I've handled 12 ga. Merkels and found them to be pretty thick and heavy. I haven't handled a 20 ga. Merkel for comparison.

Maybe someone can chime in.

DF

If you do that let me know. Heckola it's even tough to find one of the 20's in the Special Field with a 21" tube...

Dober

Whoops 222Rem, wrong picture. Here we go. My setter and a Spanish 28 ga. after ptarmigan in Colorado. One of these days I'll actually see one of the little white buggers. At 12,000 feet plus, hopefully before my lungs burst.


I love the 28 gauge. Have had no real issues with it's ability. I handload for it so no problem with ammo. I prefer the 3/4 oz. loading with 7 shot as well. I'll use 7 1/2 s for grouse, huns and sharpies but 7's do seem to be about right for pheasants. Nothing against heavier loads, just haven't seen that they're really all that more effective.

Dirtfarmer, I have the same problems--cross dominant eyes and very strongly right-handed. "Solved" it with a little blob of surgical tape on the focal point on the left lense of my shooting glasses.

Until a buddy pointed this out on a skeet shooting day when he was standing behind and watching me shoot, I missed a WHOLE LOT of easy shots! It was kinda like there was no shot in my shells....

I love the 28 gauge.....have been converted now for about twenty years and have hunted mostly woodcock and grouse in the east but have used it on a number of pheasants in the mid-west.....I hunt over pointing dogs and it kills cleanly out to 35-40 yds as long as I do my part (if'in I don't then the dogs clean up after me - main reason I have dogs). That said the vast majority of the birds I have taken are dead in the air. My favorite 28 is a Merkel 280SL....just a touch over 5 lbs with 28" barrels points and swings like a dream....but have a few (six ) others that I like nearly as much

PennDog

Shooting over pointing dogs is where the smaller gauges really shine in my experience. Shots tend to be shorter and smaller shot works fine at these ranges. Long shots over flushers ofter need bigger gauges and bigger shot as well as bigger payloads, especially with pheasants.

The 28 gauge is light recoil, great shooting and a great upland option. The factory winchester 7.5's are my choice for doves and do well for trap.

Have not tried it on pheasants or grouse yet.

One of the guys I hunt with...and helped me find and train my dog...has a 28ga 26" Zoli. He uses Winchester 1oz 6's. Took it to South Dakota for wild birds once. Started with a bigger gun, but ended up using the 28 by the end of the week and had a real good experience with it. Lately the stocked birds around here seem to want to run more and flush farther out too. It's more than sufficient on them...

My go to scattergun for Grouse is a Franchi AL 48 28G , straight grip stock , very light and a pleasure to shoot & carry.
The only triple I ever shot on Grouse was with this gun.
Have also been using a Merk 280 EL 28G. petite frame gun. 2 triggers, SXS, very light.
Don't carry 12's anymore for upland birds. Shoot 20's and 28's for all upland birds.
Chinese chickens no problem, pick killing shots.
Cisco

I have killed more than a few pheasant with one and seen a lot more dropped with 28's.
I am not sure why people think they are light for pheasant. The 28 with one oz of shot has the same amount of shot as many of the 20 ga shells. If you choke it right and keep your shots inside 40, it will kill them dead.
The pheasant does not know if it got shot with a 12,20, or a 28.

Ruffed and three Birds dead in the air with three shots?

If so CONGRATS and burn that image into your memory bank, for it may be a long time before you pass that way again.

I adore my skb 28 gauge. I've killed a lot of birds with it take including pheasants. Also just put together a matched set of very early 870 wingmasters in the same. Both have vent skeet barrels and plain modified barrels. I hope the youngins enjoy it enough to wear out the little MEC jr.

When I actually hunted, the 28ga was my favorite bird gun for everything except pass shooting ducks and geese. Killed like a 12ga and kicked like a .410. Expensive ammo keeps it from being more popular.

Ithica 28. darn good stuff but that is just me. Kawi

Like most here, once you experience a 28, you realize what charmer it is. Light (if on the proper frame), lethal and with light recoil. I have an AyA SxS and really find it handy on pointed pheasants and on doves too. I use Fiocchis, 7/8 oz 6s for pheasants and 3/4 oz 8s for doves.

28's are great guns. But you can buy 2 boxes of 12 guage 2 3/4 for what they cost for a box or less. If I didn't reload I wouldn't even consider a 28.

I love my model 75 Ugartechea !
I loaad 7/8 of nickle plated 7 1/2's in it with 30 grains of H110, and it flattens roosters with no problem!
Cat