If you ever thought about a 28 gauge, you were thinking right.

[Mr VJP]

I love the 28 gauge.

 

http://www.shootingtimes.com/long-guns/longgun_reviews_28gauge_073106/

[EspressoBuzz]

Although my first experience ever with a shotgun was with a 10 gauge Lupara in Italy I have always gravitated toward smaller gauge shotguns, all my hunting shotguns are 20 gauge or .410 Bore and only contemplated getting a 12 gauge for Trap and Skeet.

[ants]

An old woodchuck I know is a big time small game hunter. Rabbits, squirrel, grouse…. Thats all he does until rifle season opens. He almost always uses a 28g a. Remington. Its a semi. I think its an old 1100. Im sure its a great small game choice. Only problem I can see, would be finding shells for it.

[Pygmy]

My main small game gun for a number of years was a Spanish SxS in 28 gauge...I shot many grouse, pheasants, woodcock, crows, rabbits and squirrels with that gun.. I eventually switched to a 20 gauge SxS because ammo was much cheaper, but the 28 killed game just as efficiently as the 20..I also owned a Rem M48 Sportsman in 28 gauge for a few years, but the stock had been shortened by the previous owner, and it never fit me as well as the little Spanish double.

[ants]

My main small game gun for a number of years was a Spanish SxS in 28 gauge...I shot many grouse, pheasants, woodcock, crows, rabbits and squirrels with that gun.. I eventually switched to a 20 gauge SxS because ammo was much cheaper, but the 28 killed game just as efficiently as the 20..I also owned a Rem M48 Sportsman in 28 gauge for a few years, but the stock had been shortened by the previous owner, and it never fit me as well as the little Spanish double.

 

 

Is the M48 a semi??

[Pygmy]

Yes, it is a long recoil operated semi..It has the long recoil action , basically the same as the Browning A5..The barrel moves back several inches upon firing...

The 1100, on the other hand, is gas operated, and the barrel remains fixed while the action is operated by a piston system which bleeds off gas from the fired round to operate the action...

The 48 was a 3 shot version of the 11-48..Otherwise they are identical..The 48, 11-48, and 1100 were all produced in 12, 16, 20, 28 gauge and .410 bore.

Other than THAT, I don't know anything about them....<<grin>>.....

Edited June 26, 2015 by Pygmy

[jjb4900]

My main small game gun for a number of years was a Spanish SxS in 28 gauge...I shot many grouse, pheasants, woodcock, crows, rabbits and squirrels with that gun.. I eventually switched to a 20 gauge SxS because ammo was much cheaper, but the 28 killed game just as efficiently as the 20..I also owned a Rem M48 Sportsman in 28 gauge for a few years, but the stock had been shortened by the previous owner, and it never fit me as well as the little Spanish double.

was it a "Pride of Spain" by any chance?

[Dinsdale]

Favorite shotgun is a O/U set with 20 and 28 ga barrels fitted; use the 28 almost exclusively.

 

Also have a 28 ga barrel that fits on my bolt action rifle and killed a couple hundred squirrels and a handful of turkeys with that one; acts as a single shot.

 

Only shotgun gauge I load for; although I found a great price on Winchester AA's and bought 10 cases so working through some of that for the hulls.

[Pygmy]

was it a "Pride of Spain" by any chance?

Nope...It is a Reno....Cheap gun...Bought for $100 new in 1968...

It still had a pretty piece of walnut for the stock, and with 27" bbls choked mod and full, it handled like a dream and shot where I looked..A few years ago a good friend of mine fell in love with it, and since I hadn't used it in awhile, I sold it to him...He has 100 acres of excellent deer and turkey hunting land that he allows me to hunt on, so I can go VISIT my old gun whenever I want...Good deal all around.

[Mr VJP]

Also have a 28 ga barrel that fits on my bolt action rifle and killed a couple hundred squirrels and a handful of turkeys with that one; acts as a single shot.

 

What make is the bolt action rifle?

[Dinsdale]

What make is the bolt action rifle?

 

Blaser.....wacked a few crows with it too when calling.

 

 

Has adjustable open sights and the smooth bore does VERY well with Brenneke slugs.....I'd have no issue shooting a deer with one if legal in NY.Set up to mount optics as well and used a red dot for slug testing.

 

Couple hunts I have done you can shoot birds if you fill tags and for the table, and 2 Allens screws and a bolthead swap make a quick changeover. Box or two of shells doesn't weight much for ammo allowance when flying.

 

 

Shotgun conversion of Mauser 98's are around, I've seen mostly 12 ga for sale on places like gun broker. Back a few years I handled two surplus 98's in 410 and 28ga in a gun shop in Barcelona and looked into importing one; but the costs started adding up and squashed the idea. They are highly modified and I just wanted one for a novelty; they were dirt cheap and they were fairly trim from the ones I have seen.

 

Sure wouldn't trust any high brass turkey loads in one. LOL

[Pygmy]

Back in the 60s, M98 conversions were pretty common..I knew a couple of guys locally who used them for deer hunting. They were 12 gauge and pretty bulky... Actually CLUNKY was a better term.

I suspect that a M98 conversion in .410 or 28 ga would be a much nicer choice...

[Dinsdale]

 They were 12 gauge and pretty bulky... Actually CLUNKY was a better term.

 

 

 

Yep!

[Mr VJP]

The reason I asked, is because I wasn't aware there was a current made bolt gun that could easily swap a rifle barrel for a 28 ga.  Very nice.

 

[Bowguy]

I've shot 28s almost exclusively for small game for prob 25 or more years. There's no disadvantage it seems to a 20 ga. Beats supper up less. I load so the inflated costs don't get me

[wildcat junkie]

Winchester makes 1oz 28ga loads that are only a few fps slower than 20ga. They were deadly on my preserve pheasants.

 

The little 5 1/4# Dehann SXS carried like a broom handle & with 28" barrels swung smoothly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I named her Catherine Zeta Jones.
 

Edited July 23, 2015 by wildcat junkie

[Paula]

Pretty

[wildcat junkie]

Pretty

Yes she was. Unfortunately, financial difficulties led to me selling her.

[fasteddie]

I have lived a sheltered life . I never heard of a 28 guage before . Looked at a couple of 410's in the past but thought their ammo was too pricey and passed on them .

 

[squirrelwhisperer]

13 minutes ago, fasteddie said:

I have lived a sheltered life . I never heard of a 28 guage before . Looked at a couple of 410's in the past but thought their ammo was too pricey and passed on them .

 

Right there with ya. Never heard of such a thing. 

[Dinsdale]

I'll really confuse those who are sheltered....

I have an English single shot hammer gun in 32 gauge.

 

 

[Rattler]

The 28 gauge is really quite common and has basically been kept alive by it's class in regulation skeet shooting.  It has all the punch of a 20 gauge, but less recoil and often comes in a lighter shotgun.  The ammo is much more expensive though.  It's like the 16 gauge is to the 12 gauge in smaller form. 

I have a CZ Ringneck in 28 gauge that is a great Grouse gun.  I also have an H&R youth model single shot to get kids started with.  Just wish the ammo was priced like 20 gauge shells are.

32 gauge is really an oddball.  I think there are some other oddball gauges besides that one too.

[mike103]

As others said the 28 gauge has been kept alive because of registered skeet. Registered skeet has four guns, 12,20,28 and 410 plus doubles. You can shoot a smaller gauge in a larger gauge event. Because of this most people don’t shoot the 12 gauge anymore.

I started shooting quail in Florida four years ago and I can’t see much difference between the 20 and 28 gauge. Just the price of the shells. But there is a cool factor in using the 28 gauge.