Goosemaster
Well-known member
I have a Ithaca 20 sxs.made in 1970.I like it.Florecent sight.
28 guage
- Thread starter Goosemaster
- Start date
Goosemaster
Well-known member
Probably not.Im also not going to the Conrad Hilton ranch in Gregory, South Dakota.
KEOutdoors
Well-known member
You dont have to go all the way to tss for roosters, a load of #6 hevishot will put down any rooster within 40 yards without question.. as long as the pattern is there.
Goosemaster
Well-known member
I'm thinking 25 yards.I smoked one at 30 yards, and he ran off into very thick brush.12 gauge that was a done deal.I do like the idea of the sophisticated gentleman with the Italian 28 gauge on the estate grounds.
Wind River
Well-known member
Smoked = Dead in the Air
KEOutdoors
Well-known member
You know the 28 is just as "powerful" as the 12 with the same shot size right? You just need to tighten your 28ga pattern so you get more hits instead of just breaking a wing. If you shoot IC in 12, try Mod or IM in the 28. If you shoot mod in 12, try full in the 28.
Goosemaster
Well-known member
I always shoot ic in 12. I'll have to do some pattern testing with the 28.I have not shot a ou in years.Just started shooting my dad's 20 sxs.
I have never loaded hevi-shot. I do load #6 bismuth for my 16ga early season. But that has to get changed to #5 then #4 pretty quick.
LC Smith
Well-known member
I always figured 1oz of shot was the same in all gauges. I shoot the same 1oz of#6 in my 12b and 16b in a 2 1/2” hull.
KEOutdoors
Well-known member
Close enough, yeah. But I would bet goose is not shooting 12ga and 28ga 1oz in this case.
Bob Peters
Well-known member
Larger bores as a rule have better pattern efficiency. Lots of variables here. "Pushing a heavy load of shot through a small hole is simply inefficient; it creates more recoil, deforms more pellets, and elongates the shot string." Bob Brister. Pushing 1 oz. through a 12 vs. a 16 might see small differences. Increase the difference between bore diameters e.g. 28 vs. 12 and the differences are greater. The larger bore wins.
A5 Sweet 16
Well-known member
Minimum load requirements for my style of hunting that will consistently kill roosters are as follows: 7/8 oz lead #5 or 1 oz bismuth #4. A 28 can meet these requirements. If these relatively heavy loads (for a bore the diameter of a frog's ass) can be made to pattern well, & somewhat tightly, then they're totally valid pheasant loads out past 40 yds. These minimums aren't well suited for the average shooter, unless shots are 35 yds & under, so pattern can be relaxed a bit.
birddude
Well-known member
Wow, I don't even shoot 7/8 for quail. Or 1 1/8 for WILD roosters. 11/4 5's lead thank you..
Golden Hour
Well-known member
Deader is better.
A5 Sweet 16
Well-known member
Yes, when I say minimum, I mean bare minimum, for a consistently good shooter. I shoot 1-1/8 oz loads of lead 5's & 1 oz loads of bismuth 4's, but I'm excited that Boss says their 16 gauge loads will be growing to 1-1/8 oz. An extra 20 pellets won't make a huge difference, but it's significant. If I can put 1, perhaps even 2, more pellets into a bird at longer ranges, it would be cause for much happiness.
Goosemaster
Well-known member
Yep, I shoot lead 4s late season. Wild flushing,educated birds.Long shots, and difficult angles.
Goosemaster
Well-known member
I don't think a 28 is good beyond 30 yards.
birddude
Well-known member
Yes! I like that. As I've said, If I lived where I could hunt wild birds often, I probably would use a smaller gun and just take birds that get up close. But once or twice a year... 1 1/4 oz 4s or 5's full choke..deader IS better..
Golden Hour
Well-known member
Before switching to bismuth, I shot 3" #2 steel for many years. I settled on that combo after seeing steel #4 just not quite do the trick. While I love the feeling of Sage finding a cripple, I prefer to not have those moments in the field.
KEOutdoors
Well-known member
I shoot 1 1/4 5s for roosters usually, because i can. But I have taken A LOT of birds with 7/8 and 1oz 6s, the 1oz 6s are more pellets than the 1 1/4 5s so as long as the #6 pellet is still lethal it will be a more effective load. All about multiple strikes to extreme vitals, not making a bigger hole. You have to talk pellet count, not shot weight though really. When i shot 12ga i used to shoot 1 3/8 4s quite a bit because they were cheaper than 5s, guys would always say "those aren't going to be edible with all those holes" when they were shooting 1 1/4 6s or 5s. I had to try and explain i only have 185 pellets, you have 210-280... Yours are gonna have more holes.
Shot string is bull. Theres no mathematical chance a pheasant flies into or out of a shot string unless the bird is going 300+mph. Was a way for guys to justify missing with the small bores back in the day. Beside, i don't know about you guys but almost all of my birds are going away from me.. not crossing at 90deg.
7/8 6- 200
1oz 6- 225
1 1/8 6- 255
1 1/4 6- 280
7/8-5- 150
1oz 5- 170
1 1/8 5- 190
1 1/4 5- 210
Tom roster says minimum 90-95 pellets in 30" circle for clean kills on roosters.