28ga question - How do you hit anything?!

c_d

c_d

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My buddy bought a 28ga Benelli Legacy. We went to shoot sporting clays this past weekend... well, I couldn't hit squat with it(neither could he!). Granted, I only shot about 10 shells worth, but jeez. Fine with the 12ga, but just could not figure out how much lead, site picture, or anything.

What is really your effective distance/range with a 28ga? Any tips on knocking those birds down with it?
 
Test It

You need to shoot some patterns with it to see what it's doing with the slected load? Did you check the choke? It should be fine out to 35 to 40 yards with the correct choke and ammo. The pattern will tell you a lot.

Lock and Load! :D
 
I've never patterned mine but shooting cyl/ ic I have no problem hitting flushing quail out to 30-35yds. I'm a "snap shooter" so I couldn't tell you how I hit birds just that I point, shoot, and most of the time the bird falls. My shot to bird ratio on quail is even better than my 20ga I think.
 
Thanks guys. Patterning should definitely be in order. At one point, we picked a spot on the hill at one station, and fired a couple shots. I noticed I was shooting a bit low, but... didn't really matter. Swing through, lead, etc.. all that was totally off for me. Then again, I was shooting a 12ga o/u for 80 somthing rounds before hand, so of course I was off. Will try again. Fun gun to shoot, just realize it's HARDER with less bb's and smaller pattern
 
IMO, you were shooting one of the lightest guns produced. It's very easy to stop your swing and the gun can be quit wippy. IMO, it's not the gauge or type of shell you were having problems with. It was the gun. You have a lot to over come if your use to shooting a gun 2 or more pounds heavier. Many have a problem with light guns, it's not just you or your friend.
 
If you can, spend some time with the shotgun without shells or targets.

Bring it up, watch yourself lift, shoulder and meet your face with the stock. Over and over...you may find you've brought the shotgun up so fast that you are out of sync with your normal rhythms with the 12 ga.

Adjust your eyeline to the shotgun stock, look for the bead, over and over, then look beyond the bead at your imagined target. You have all the time in the world, use it to match shooter with shotgun.

Things will get much better.

Have fun.
 
Onpoint is right the guns around 5 pounds are heck to shoot. I won't go below 6 pounds. If you do do the problems you and your friend have is the result usually....Bob
 
great feedback fellas. I really appreciate all the insight. Makes me feel like I'm not such a terrible shot. I'll pass on the notes and see if the next time out yields some better results. Sounds like if anything, more time spent patterning and shooting the gun is in order.

fwiw - it was my first time shooting my new-to-me Ruger Red Label. I shot decently with it, but need to pattern that on as well. Should be a fun summer of clays ahead. Just glad we could get out for a bit of shooting, as we've got a canned chukar hunt coming up for a buddy's bday. should be lots of fun
 
When shooting sub-gauge guns, shoot them by themselves rather than "after" shooting a larger or heavier gun. If the gun fits OK, your lead's won't be any different, but you do have less pellets on the fringes to tickle birds that a 12GA might break.

I also shoot a 28, but it's an O/U that weighs around 7 lbs just like my Citori 20. When these guns get to 6 lbs (and below) they just don't feel or swing right. That could be the real problem right there.
 
In my youth I had a .410 SxS that I shot a lot at quail. I killed one quail with it. Back then in California on some of the wildlife areas they used to have Depredation Coot Shoots after the waterfowl season to reduce the Coot population for some reason. You were encouraged to shoot as many as you could so long as you picked them all up and kept them or brought them back to the check station.
I took the .410 and 5 boxes of shells both 2 1/2" and 3 " and shot a l l- d a y- l o n g. The 3" .410 shell has the same lead load as the 28 ga. shell...3/4 oz. I found that the .410 killed Coots basically as far as the 12 ga. but that there was no room for error. Coots fly pretty slow compared to other game birds and even so I had to shoot it like a rifle at the extreme ranges I tried. 3/4 oz. of shot will kill at long range but you have to be both lucky and good instead of just one or the other like you do with heavier gauges.
 
Was invited to go shoot at Camanche Hills hunting Perserve a couple weeks ago to run the sporting clays course, which we all know will challenge your skills to the T .....

sooo I brought the 28ga. and busted up some clays...ended up with a 70 out of 100... had a rough start till' I started to LEAD more on the clays, then I only missed a few here and there. Our team of 5 got 2nd place beating out all other teams...I ranked number 3, with the good old 28ga.

You have to lead with the 28 and be a bit more percise, and keep er swinging like stated, there light guns, but a lot of fun!!!!!
 
I passed on all the great advice here, and low and behold... he knocked birds down no problem this past weekend. I also think swapping out the choke for a more open one helped as well. All in all, I think a bit less thinking, and a bit more snap shooting was the way to go.
 
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