28

pheasantaddict

pheasantaddict

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So I need a back up pheasant gun and a duck gun. If I shoot 2-5 ducks in a year that would be plenty even 1 would be okay, mainly just go to have fun. My wife wants the 28 legacy. Question is could this be her primary gun and back up gun for me? I know I would have to really limit my shot choice on pheasants or ducks. Are there any good non tox loads for a 28 to kill ducks?
 
They do make some steel and other non-tox loads in 28 but I've never tried them (no need for me). As far as limiting shots, I believe the 28ga has about the same effective range as a 20ga so it won't be to limiting. I'd say go for it, the legacy is a sweet gun!
 
The pheasants and ducks would likely prefer to be shot with something besides the 28 gauge.
RST sells a non-tox 28 gauge load....there are others....they pretty much all have a common denominator or two.

I'd consider the 12 BUL for your purposes.

What would be the appeal of the 28 gauge Legacy for your wife?
Just curious.
 
OldDublin said:
The pheasants and ducks would likely prefer to be shot with something besides the 28 gauge.
RST sells a non-tox 28 gauge load....there are others....they pretty much all have a common denominator or two.

I'd consider the 12 BUL for your purposes.

What would be the appeal of the 28 gauge Legacy for your wife?
Just curious.
Click to expand...

Pheasants and ducks would probably prefer not to be shot at all.:D As for the appeal. I would guess most women would like a light, soft shooting, asteticly (sic?) appealing shot gun. I shoot a 28ga almost exclusively on pheasants and even bagged a flushing tom turkey with 3/4oz of 7.5s last season.:cheers:
 
I've had good luck with RST non-tox in all of my 28s & I did drop a (close) Greenhead with my Legacy late last season; it jumped out of not much more than a wet spot. As for the Legacy attraction? Light, pretty, & they point quick.
 
Thanks....I was more interested if the fella's wife had shot a Legacy 28, or not....or was the appeal formed elsewhere.
But, your answers would fit the expected mold, I agree.
5# or less scatterguns do recoil and may not always be the easiest to shoot, balance-wise....perhaps, the recoil is even more than expected.

Turkeys die pretty easily with decent distance and shot placement, regardless of the gauge....and luck can be with us.
Judgement certainly always should be....not always is tho.

Lot of folks shooting pheasants with 28s these days....most have a good dog.
I had a 28 and found that, on average, more quite fragile ruffed grouse came back with their head up than down.
I would expect that to follow with pheasant and for a percentage of folks, that does not matter overmuch.
Essentially, bird in the vest is not really the most important point, imo....to many, it is.

I heard good comments re the RST load...why I mentioned it.
 
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I agree, birds in the bag are not nearly as important as enjoying your dog and gun and boy do I enjoy mine. Discretion must always be used on shots regardless of gauge size but must be given even more consideration when shooting a sub gauge. I would also think that non-tox would slightly decrease range as opposed to lead shot. All in all I think a 28 would make fine gun for your wife as would a 20 or 12.

Oh yeah, never over choke your sub gauge gun, I suspect a lot try to make up range with to much choke but it doesnt neccessarily work.
 
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really, as long as you use a 28 ethically, you will be fine, but as you know, you will/should turn down a fair amount of shots.
 
You do have to exercise self-control & limit your shots, but at 64 & with 2 bum shoulders, my 28s are easier for me to carry all day. My partner shot any more birds than I did last year with his 12, but he is considerably younger than I am & we had a ton of fun. My pup had a blast & for me, that is the #1 pleasure in hunting Uplands. Even in a light gun, there is not much recoil associated with a sweet 28.
 
I for sure would not recommend a 28 for anything bigger than doves for anyone other than an SEASONED EXPERT wingshooter, and with lead shot! Steel shot is anemic at best in a 20 GA, let alone in a 28 GA.

I like a 20 in early bird pheasant or grouse season with lead shot and do well with it. If limited to shooting steel at anything with wings, the 12 is much more reliable. There is nothing "sporting" about crippling birds with a 28, and I've seen it happen too often.
 
I wouldn't classify myself as an "EXPERT," but I at 64 I am well-"SEASONED", lol. As I said, one must limit his/her shots with a sub-gauge like a 28, or with any shotgun for that matter. Do I kill every bird clean? No. I didn't with a 12, either. Bad hits happen unfortunately & that's why I hunt with a good furry companion. However, a bird centered in a shot string & within range of that shotgun will effectively drop the bird. I've seen birds crippled by folks who were overgunned/afraid of 12's, too . . . IF they even hit them. As Dirty Harry said, "A man's GOT to know his limitations." I don't put steel thru my 28's, primarily because I consider the tube walls too thin & won't risk a barrel ring, but if I did, I'd shorten my range limitation because of the lighter steel pellets. Heavier non-tox shots works very well, however. And as with any device . . . shotgun, rifle, pistol, bow, fiddle, knitting needles, etc., practice is essential to best ensure competence.
 
CRP said:
I for sure would not recommend a 28 for anything bigger than doves for anyone other than an SEASONED EXPERT wingshooter, and with lead shot! Steel shot is anemic at best in a 20 GA, let alone in a 28 GA.
Click to expand...

Not all non-tox is steel, of course.

Can't quite buy the "seasoned expert" for the 28.
That is often leveled for the 410, which, imo, is never a game load...even for the quail, woodcock and doves where it is often advised and works well....but, that is just me.
The 28 is in a somewhat different league and while I think it a mistake as a general pheasant load for anyone, many do use it successfully and, as I mentioned, they often have a good dog that tends to even out memories a mite.
The 28 is also often chosen for recoil reduction, which may or may not exist to a practical extent dependent upon gun and load or, some choose it out of boredom or even those Joneses.
Choice is nice.
Soft birds larger than dove, like the ruffed grouse, do drop for the 28 gauge in anyone's hands pretty easily within 30 heavy yards....but, again, the kicker is whether the bird is head up rather than head down when pocketed for me....not the pocketing, never the pocketing.
Odds on with a 28....head will be up on ruffed grouse and larger.
The 28 has limits like any gauge and shot selection is not the only determiner of those limits.
Work within them, cross your fingers and Bob's your uncle.

Expert, imo, does not matter with any gauge or load...experience does.
The two seldom dwell together other than on message boards.
Experience w/o ego normally manages to choose a gauge for the day which has the widest chance of ethically touching any gamebird.
That is also nice.
 
If you are diciplined enough to pass on the iffy shots, and have a good dog that finds all the birds not "centered in the pattern" than have at it with the 28. I've just seen too many poor results from some whose actual shooting ability was much less than claimed.........

As for recoil, the new breed of semi-auto's like the Maxus/Silver/SX3 tame the recoil to comfortable levels even with heavier loads. Regarding weight, the 12's are now 7 lbs and the 20's 6 lbs. I can't imagine anyone unable to carry a 6 lb 20 in the field.
 
I'll be the first to admit that my 5.5lb SxS 28ga kicks harder with standard loads than 20ga. Step up to 1oz loads (which I don't use) and forget it, the things a mule but carrying it all day up steep hills, rivines, and draws chasing quail or chukar, where you do more hiking than shooting, is a dream. I do switch to my 20 during the second or third week of pheasant season though.
 
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