28 gauge for early season pheasants

J

jmuller19

Active member
Question, is a 28 gauge to small to hunt early season roosters? I understand shot distance is a issue. Thanks for any input.
 
My only hunting experience with a 28 gauge is with wild bobwhites here in Texas. IMO, a 3/4 oz load of 8's in a 28 gauge is the perfect bobwhite load.

I think that the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant 7/8 oz load of nickel-plated 6's, @1300 fps would work great out to 30 yards or so. I have a box of B & P nickel-plated 1 oz of 6's @ 1210 fps, and I would think those would be good to about 35 yards.

I plan to shoot a few 28 gauge test patterns soon, just to get an idea of how a few different load/choke combinations look on paper.
 
I carried a Beretta A400 28 on day one last year and dropped a nice rooster at about 30 yards. Never moved once he hit the ground. I carry the lighter gun because I'm working dogs in guided hunts. This bird escaped about 13 hunters but not my 28.
 
Actually this issue is the number of pellets not distance they travel. 1300fps from a 12ga is the same as 1300fps from a 28ga. With the smaller gauge you'll have fewer pellets on target, no matter the distance. This becomes a real issue the farther the target is from the shooter as the number of shot on target goes down quickly. That said, for some reason unknown to me the 28ga is a magic shotgun. It seems to shoot better patterns than any other gauge I have tried (12ga, 16ga, 20ga). Use quality ammunition and shoot well and it is fine for pheasants. Center the bird and it will go down. My recommendation is to shoot the gun that you shoot best with. Don't worry so much about the gauge.
 
Powderhorn Jim said:
Actually this issue is the number of pellets not distance they travel. 1300fps from a 12ga is the same as 1300fps from a 28ga. With the smaller gauge you'll have fewer pellets on target, no matter the distance. This becomes a real issue the farther the target is from the shooter as the number of shot on target goes down quickly. That said, for some reason unknown to me the 28ga is a magic shotgun. It seems to shoot better patterns than any other gauge I have tried (12ga, 16ga, 20ga). Use quality ammunition and shoot well and it is fine for pheasants. Center the bird and it will go down. My recommendation is to shoot the gun that you shoot best with. Don't worry so much about the gauge.
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So would it help the shooter to choke the gun more so you have more pellets in the kill zone at 30-35 yards? What choke are you using right now for pheasants?
 
goldenboy said:
So would it help the shooter to choke the gun more so you have more pellets in the kill zone at 30-35 yards? What choke are you using right now for pheasants?
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I've got zero experience w/ 28 gauges. But I do know (all choke/gun/load combinations being equal - which they're not) that my hunting is generally very suited to modified choke with a 16 or 20 gauge. Based on that alone, if I were to shoot a magic 28 gauge, I'd be inclined to find a gun/load/choke combination that gave me more of a traditional improved-mod or even full pattern. Say 65-70% at 40 yds. Pretty unforgiving at 20-25 yds, but I guess that's the trade-off if you want to kill longer birds w/ little guns.
 
I use a beretta 391 urika gold 12 gauge. I just bout a 28 gauge because i always wanted one. I was just curious what people thought, didnt mean to cause any problems.
 
I do some guiding for a pheasant and duck preserve near me. I took two older gentlemen out for pheasants in the morning and ducks in the afternoon. They couldn't walk much so the pheasants were hard for them to get close to but they killed their birds. When we went to the duck pass the one guy told the other guy, you shoot first and I will clean up after you. The clean up guy never let a bird get past them. What we he shooting you might ask? A .410!!! That is right. Shooting after the other older gentleman missed with a 12 gauge he knocked them down with a .410! Just goes to show you if you shoot well it doesn't matter what gauge you use!
 
jmuller19 said:
I use a beretta 391 urika gold 12 gauge. I just bout a 28 gauge because i always wanted one. I was just curious what people thought, didnt mean to cause any problems.
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Don't see that any problems have been created. We're simply spouting off about our opinions & experiences. Start talking about guns, birds, dogs, & the like....& we tend to want to show everyone how brilliant we are. And help, if possible. There's just a TON of experience here to learn from.
 
goldenboy said:
I do some guiding for a pheasant and duck preserve near me. I took two older gentlemen out for pheasants in the morning and ducks in the afternoon. They couldn't walk much so the pheasants were hard for them to get close to but they killed their birds. When we went to the duck pass the one guy told the other guy, you shoot first and I will clean up after you. The clean up guy never let a bird get past them. What we he shooting you might ask? A .410!!! That is right. Shooting after the other older gentleman missed with a 12 gauge he knocked them down with a .410! Just goes to show you if you shoot well it doesn't matter what gauge you use!
Click to expand...

Steel?? Holy cow. I used to shoot clays at a place where one of the regulars was an old codger who shot a .410 Remington 1100. Anything more would bloody his cheek. One of the best shots I've ever seen. Fun to watch.
 
There is no magic in the 28ga. Yes I have and shoot one a 1100 28ga and all my experience has been on Wild Pheasants.
I use Full Choke and Winchester 1oz load and 6 shot which is effective to 35 yards. Which is where most early season birds are bagged within. The 3/4 oz loads are very poor performers and useful to about 30 yards.
I have bagged a triple in Northwest Iowa three shots three birds.
I call the 28ga my Fun gun but I will not hunt with it with out a Good Dog. I will hunt Pheasants with a 20ga or 12ga with 1 1/4oz loads with out a dog if I have to.
 
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