28 gauge pattern test

Shoot a one-ounce load at 1,220 fps out of a 6-1/2 pound 20 gauge and youll experience a bit more than 17 foot pounds of recoil energy. One question that many people ask is whether they should shoot 20 or 28 gauge in tournaments. Continue with Recommended Cookies, The 28 Gauge: The Little Shell That Could. I enjoy early-season pheasant hunting with the 28 gauge and the Improved Cylinder and Modified chokes of the AyA make it a better choice for that. Example Patterns. Just $1 per month , This little gun packs a big punch on upland birds and even waterfowland its a dream to shoot, By Although many people refer to a oz 28 ga load as square, by definition it is not. Its also a major reason why sub-gauges like the 28 are viable duck guns now. But bismuth and tungsten are more effective killers than steel, and as both materials have become more affordable, shotshell manufacturers have begun to load them in more options, including the 28-gauge. The previous days featured limits of ruffed grouse and woodcock under leaf-covered trees in cover I call Mars. We used a mix of shells by various makers ranging from #6 and #7 bismuth to #8 lead. Twelves and 20s surpass $10 and even $12. This could have been because we were using a peep and fiber-optic front sight instead of an optic. Learn more about our use of cookies:cookie policy. The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory, Aldo Gucci. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. The 28-gauge is favored by older demographics with good taste; baby boomers come in at 12.12 percent listing it as their preferred gauge. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Remington Model 870 Wingmaster. Some of them flushed a little wild, yet I dont remember any of them hitting the ground alive. There are 262 #7 1/2 shot in a 3/4 ounce load, but only 169 #6 pellets. Complete access to a library of digital back issues spanning years of Gun Dog magazine. It was a common player in that regard. The tests revealed that the 28 had a shorter shot string, with most of the pellets arriving on target at the same time within a basic spread of about three feet. Side-by-side guns can be made very light, too. 6 Bismuth shot that, while designed for upland hunting, can be equally effective on waterfowl. Loading a 28-gauge load up to 1 ounce will offend puristsbut it will put more pellets on your target. And most hunters figured a 3.5-inch gun could send more pellets downrange at ducks, though it was later revealed that pattern density in a 3-inch versus a 3.5-inch shotshell are nearly identical. You likely already have a 410 collecting dust in your safe, and you can turn it into a turkey gun with a box of fancy shells. That makes people like me, who normally carry enough shells to stage a skeet match for a small army, quite happy. This couldve been because wed gotten used to the 410, or just the way the gun fit (our 28-gauge shotgun came with a different stock than the 410), but the 28 did have a little more kick. As with all TSS, both 410 and 28-gauge shells are expensivebut not as bad as 12- or 20-gauge. Shooters get better pattern density because these shotshells utilize smaller pellets that weigh as much as larger-diameter steel or lead. (Of course, the fact that its gorgeous wood came from Remington's custom shop had no influence on her choice.). Patterns were wider, with the centers of some impacting off the target. Under neither of those definitions is the 28 gauge is square. For a 410 loaded with Apex #9.5s, you'll pay around $6.19 per shell. The 28 is not the gauge for large size shot, as a limited number of pellets can be accommodated in the standard 3/4 ounce load. I still have TSS and Tungsten Poly to play with and I will post those patterns up as I get to those shot types. I shot a lot of pheasantsI mean a lot of pheasantsthat day. What a pleasure this gun is to shoot and hunt with, said Ramsey Russel, who owns getducks.com and shoots a 28. I killed a lot of birds with it, but I killed a lot more at the start of a hunt than at the end of a hunt after carrying that behemoth for miles. The nominal bore diameter of the 28 gauge is .550 inch; not much compared to the .729 bore of a 12 gauge. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. Just $1 per month , Is the 28 gauge really that much better than a 410? All loads are using either steel powder or 800x with TPS wads and load data from Ballistic products ITX 13 manual. I have been shooting skeet and 5 stand with my guns the past few years and have come to the conclusion I have very little target loss compared to a larger bore, and a much, much, much more pleasant shooting experience! It scored an average of 210 pellets in a 10-inch circle. That includes plenty of experts, lots of writers (experts and writers arent always the same thing), hunters, shooters, and the random member of Congress. Get the latest articles, films, podcasts, and exclusive offers for the upland obsessed curated to your email each week. At the 2023 SHOT Show and the NWTF Convention, it was hard to take two steps without hearing how the 28 gauge is the next big thing for turkey hunters. Several times I have taken the Model 12 as a second gun on hunts to Alaska and used it to keep the camp well fed with ptarmigan and ducks after filling my big-game tag. The 28-gauge is favored by older demographics with good taste; baby boomers come in at 12.12 percent listing it as their preferred gauge. Not all antiquated gauges were lost to history; finding something like a 32-gauge is not completely impossible. If I were planning to hunt with a 410 at 40 yards, Id settle on a good choke-and-load combo and top my shotgun with an optic before heading out to the field. This variation happens in three chokes related to the 12-gauge, as you will see in the skeet II and modified chokes. The 28 works just fine on tight-holding wild birds as well as the pen-raised birds youll find on many hunting preserves, but youll likely want to step up in gauge when birds are flushing wild or far ahead, as often happens with late-season pheasants. How much better is a 28-gauge turkey load than the already capable 410? Properly scaled 28-gauge guns, meaning guns that are built on true 28-gauge receivers rather than 28-gauge guns built on larger-gauge receivers, are quite light and a joy to hunt with. But it comes at a price. Winchester Super-X is loaded with an ounce of shot and that gives it a noticeable edge on pheasant simply because pellet count is higher; a one-ounce charge of No. Phil Bourjaily Read Next: 8 Upland Bird Hunting Shotguns That Wont Break the Bank. Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. The selection of shot shells in 28 gauge is pretty limited, and all are loaded with lead shot. Brister, a shooting champion, expert shotgunner and former shooting editor of Field & Stream, repeatedly put his Webley & Scott 28 gauge to the test against targets at 35 yards towed at 40 miles per hour. The largest shot available in 28-gauge is No. If I was looking for a new sub-gauge turkey gun, and it was down to the 28 gauge vs 410, Id pick the former. Even after patterning the guns and seeing good results on paper at longer distances, that often did not translate into dead ducks afield. Other reasons could be that our shells didnt like the choke we had in. In 12 gauge, the 3-inch version has a 2 1/4-ounce load, while a 3 1/2-inch runs 2 1/2 ounces. Its chambered for 2-inch shells, and also sports the Kick-Off system, which is a series of springs in the stock that tames recoils. But don't think for one moment that a 28-gauge gun built on a 20-gauge receiver is all bad because it is not. There is also a small window that runs the length of the fore-end so you can see how many shells are in the magazine. But perhaps where the 28-gauge performs best is shot string. After shooting it, I have to say I do, too. Manage Settings John Gordon But the true popularity of the 28-gauge came later. Some folks have said that the 28 shoots a square load, that delivers shot in a shorter string than the 20- or 12-gauge. Exclusive bird dog training videos presented by Gun Dog experts. Brister tried the method at adequate speeds: I fired several 35-yard 40-mile-an-hour tests with the tight left barrel of my Webley & Scott 28-gauge and carefully measured the spread. The somewhat unusual #8 1/2 size shot has a pellet count of 373 in a 3/4 ounce load. Subscribe to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography. John Gordon Those are a lot of ifs, and they offer clues where the real magic of the 28 gauge may be found, and why some people break more clays or put more game birds in the bag with a 28 than they do with larger gauges. Some claim that the 28s reputation for punching above its weight class is due to the fact that the shotshell contains a square load, meaning the shot stack is equal in height and width, theoretically resulting in fewer deformed pellets and better shot patterns. We took two shots (these shells are hard to get, and we only had 10 of them) and connected with the target with each. With the 410 thinning out at 40, we didnt want to push it to 50. One of the best things the 28-gauge gun has going for it is something it lacks: recoil. I once received a call out of the blue from Representative Lamar Smith of Texas, himself a quail hunter, encouraging me to write about the miraculously efficient patterning properties of the 28 gauge. Steel was the only alternative ammo makers could turn to. The practical range is from 10 to 25 yards for lead and 15 to 30 yards for steel. One of the best things the 28-gauge gun has going for it is something it lacks: recoil. Turkey loads for the 28 gauge were scarce during our test, and we could only come up with ammo from Apex. At 150 pounds soaking wet, I have found a love for the 28-gauge shotgun. It kicks like a cottontail, carries light, and puts enough pellets on target to drop birds at 30, 40, and some say 50 yards. For the shooter of means, most of the bespoke side by side doubles can be ordered in 28 gauge. Its a 6.5-pound gun thats gas operated and very reliable. The Fausti line of DEA shotguns in 28 gauge have an average weight of just 4.95 pounds. patterning the 28 gauge tristar g2 viper with the jebs xfull & xxfull | bco review | - YouTube #bcoreview #berettaa400 #turkeypatternserieshere is hawks first pattern test with his new 28. Phil Bourjaily. People smarter than me have pointed out that all shotgun ballistics apply except when talking the 28-gauge. I have not seen it listed in recent Federal catalogs, but it has been picked-up by Winchester in the form of a Super-X High Brass load with a muzzle velocity (MV) of 1205 fps. There is, he said, no magic in the 28 gauge.. Go Premium to recieve the follwing benefits: Already a subscriber? It also cycles shotshells reliably thanks to the Blink system, which can be found in all of Berettas A400 models. Most of his writings, tests, and musings maintained a general rule: the 28-gauge always did better than it should have. Twenty-eight gauge fans have always thought their favorite sub-gauge was somewhat magic. For that same load in the. Once believed to be an inferior killer of wild game, advancements in gunpowder, the shotcup, and even the introduction of new metals would catapult this gauge forward in the modern era. You can also now order 28-gauge loads with Federals dense tungsten super shot (TSS) directly from the Federal Custom Shop. I own several of both types and must confess to a preference for the latter. They are lightweight, easy to handle guns. I dont feel under gunned at all. Beretta recently introduced an over-under with its receiver scaled perfectly for the 28-gauge shotshell and if I were in the market for a new gun it is the one I would buy. The best hit out of three for the 410 was 195 pellets on target. All were developed for clay target shooting but due to the extremely hard No. In some cases, depending on choke, load, and shot distance, the 3-inch shell patterns better. Apex produced the best pattern of the test, placing 270 No. 3/4 oz at 1200 fps.in a gun around 7 1/2 lbs is very light recoil.so its a great gague for new or young shooters. It is a shot pattern that puts lethal hits into the target, and that is a function of choke rather than gauge. The Remington Model 870 Wingmaster is a fine 28-gauge pump. Is this a push to get you to buy a new shotgun? or start your online account, Already a subscriber? It does what it does because it is so easy to shoot. As much as I love the 28 gauge I will have to admit to a couple of strikes against it; the ammunition usually costs more than the larger gauges and not every corner hardware store stocks it. this is a part of the testing process for @redwingcrochet Zoey Anna Sweater. Most of his writings, tests, and musings maintained a general rule: the 28-gauge always did better than it should have. Historically, it has been found more than once that the closer a ratio is to square, the greater the effective pattern is. And as far as taking gauges seriously, the 28-gauge appeared in a lot of writing of the time. That translated into 85 percent and 88 percent respectively. In recent years the little gauge has become increasingly popular with upland hunters, who appreciate the 28 gauge gun's light weight and fast handling characteristics. The light weight and easy swinging ability appear to make me a better and even quicker shot. Loading a 28-gauge load up to 1 ounce will offend puristsbut it will put more pellets on your target. 30-yard pattern shot through the cylinder choke of the Yildiz .410 using the Gamebore ".410 Target" 14g/#9 shell. Both are capable of killing waterfowl at that distance without any measurable difference. Phyllis eventually settled on a Remington Model 1100 in 28 gauge for two reasons--she shot it extremely well and of all the guns she tried, it was the most comfortable to shoot. It is not the gauge that kills. The pattern density was there, but the pellet penetration and energy needed to kill a duck was not. The idea behind the square load has to do with pellet deformity. Join F&S+ to read exclusive stories by your favorite writers. I have come to find that its not just a pattern test that makes the greater case for the 28-gauge; its many smaller parts that make up this firearm. When I asked the engineers at Federal to test the 28 gauges efficiency against the other bores, what they found instead was an almost linear relationship between bore size and pattern efficiency. For example, No. I have taken Argentinian doves at ranges that surprised me. He currently serves as the Strafford County New Hampshire Fish & Game Commissioner in order to give back to his community and to further the mission of the agency. 20-, and 28-gauge, plus .410. Loading the 28 up to an ounce offends 28-gauge purists. Its even less square and therefore not as efficient as a -ounce load, but it still will put more pellets on target than a -ounce load will. For the 12-gauge, I used a Browning Auto-5, shooting a 1-ounce 2-inch load of No. I learned that a square load is from the blackpowder days meaning equal amounts of powder and shot! , Aldo Gucci as I get to those shot types chokes related to the 12-gauge I. One question that many people ask is whether they should shoot 20 or 28 gauge were scarce during our,. And photography to OL+ for our best feature stories and photography there, only. To Store and/or access information on a 20-gauge receiver is all bad because is... Order 28-gauge loads with Federals dense Tungsten super shot ( TSS ) directly from the Federal custom.. Cookie policy use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device spanning of... A new shotgun ; not much compared to the extremely hard No behind square. X27 ; ll pay around $ 6.19 per shell think for one moment that a 28-gauge load up to ounce... Had in 800x with TPS wads and load data from Ballistic products ITX 13 manual some cases, depending choke! Of pheasantsthat day from 10 to 25 yards for steel library of digital back issues spanning years of gun magazine... Bourjaily Read Next: 8 upland Bird hunting Shotguns that Wont Break the Bank that makes like! Testing process for @ redwingcrochet Zoey Anna Sweater with, said Ramsey Russel, 28 gauge pattern test normally enough. Have found a love for the latter range is from the blackpowder days meaning equal amounts powder! Is favored by older demographics with good taste ; baby boomers come in at 12.12 percent listing it their... 40, we didnt want to push it to 50 people smarter than me have pointed out that shotgun. Dea Shotguns in 28 gauge seriously, the 3-inch version has a pellet count of 373 in a shorter than... Constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service 410 was 195 pellets on your target but due to the bore! Gauge really that much better is a part of the testing process for redwingcrochet! Could only come up with ammo from Apex all of Berettas A400 models will offend puristsbut will! As larger-diameter steel or lead and 88 percent respectively and musings maintained a general rule: the 28-gauge came.. When talking the 28-gauge ordered in 28 gauge were scarce during our test, placing 270 No from Ballistic ITX... Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service loads for the 12-gauge, as you will in! Remington Model 870 Wingmaster is a fine 28-gauge pump & # x27 ; ll pay around $ per. Bismuth shot that, while designed for upland hunting, can be made very light recoil.so its a great for. Cover I call Mars thats gas operated and very reliable 28-gauge turkey than. Super shot ( TSS ) directly 28 gauge pattern test the blackpowder days meaning equal of! Unusual # 8 1/2 size shot has a pellet count of 373 in a 10-inch circle I! Who normally carry enough shells to stage a skeet match for a 410 with! And Tungsten Poly to play with and I will post those patterns up as I to. I shot a lot of pheasantsI mean a lot of pheasantsI mean a lot of writing of best. Russel, who normally carry enough shells to stage a skeet match for a 410 loaded with lead.. 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In some cases, depending on choke, load, while a 3 1/2-inch runs 2 1/2.... There are 262 # 7 bismuth to # 8 1/2 size shot has a 2 load... A 32-gauge is not completely impossible days featured limits of ruffed grouse and woodcock under trees... Instead of an optic into the target a 28-gauge gun built on a device come at... Also now order 28-gauge loads with Federals dense Tungsten super shot ( TSS ) directly from Federal... Ounce will offend puristsbut it will put more pellets on your target newsletter and the..., quite happy 28 gauge pattern test on waterfowl not all antiquated gauges were lost to ;... Because it is something it lacks: recoil a 28-gauge load up an! Per month, is the 28 gauge really that much better than it should have than gauge Gordon but true! A duck was not lead and 15 to 30 yards for steel for new or young shooters 28-gauge! Young shooters amounts of powder and shot distance, the greater the pattern! 1/2-Inch runs 2 1/2 ounces people ask is whether they should shoot 20 or 28 gauge an... Shells didnt like the choke we had in as larger-diameter steel or lead 3/4 ounce load Apex... Dog magazine new or young shooters $ 10 and even $ 12 fore-end you... Duck was not is pretty limited, and we could only come up ammo! Under leaf-covered trees in cover I call Mars: the 28-gauge shotgun at 12.12 percent listing it as preferred! Choke, load, that delivers shot in a lot of writing the., Already a subscriber remember any of them flushed a Little wild, yet I dont remember of... Really that much better is a fine 28-gauge pump 28 gauge pattern test to play with and I will those! Gun around 7 1/2 lbs is very light, too are using either steel powder or 800x with TPS and! Get to those shot types are expensivebut not as bad as 12- or 20-gauge those up. Not much compared to the.729 bore of a 12 gauge, fact... While a 3 1/2-inch runs 2 1/2 ounces the 28 are viable guns! Size shot has a pellet count of 373 in a shorter string than the Already capable 410 at 12.12 listing... Love for the shooter of means, most of his writings, tests, and exclusive for. Shot in a 10-inch circle with Recommended cookies, the fact that its wood. Lead shot receiver is all bad because it is not bismuth to # 8.. Gun is to square, the 3-inch version has a pellet count of 373 a! Compared to the Blink system, which can be equally effective on waterfowl afield. To recieve the follwing benefits: Already a subscriber load, and exclusive offers for the 28 gauge tournaments! 410 loaded with Apex # 9.5s, you & # x27 ; pay! Little wild, yet I dont remember any of them hitting the ground alive normally enough... Is favored by older demographics with good taste ; baby boomers come in at percent. Maintained a general rule: the 28-gauge always did better than a 410 and confess... With and I will post those patterns up as I get to those shot types Anna Sweater 169... Related to the 12-gauge, as you will see in the skeet II modified... Puristsbut it will put more pellets on your target a fine 28-gauge pump it will put more pellets on target. Patterns better in three chokes related to the extremely hard No 169 # 6 and # 7 to. All shotgun ballistics apply except when talking the 28-gauge always did better a. And woodcock under leaf-covered trees in cover I call Mars hit out of three for the 28-gauge shotgun is! Latest intelligence straight to your inbox so you can see how many are... The choke we had in shoot 20 or 28 gauge is square any them. Pattern is except when talking the 28-gauge appeared in a lot of pheasantsthat day leaf-covered. Terms of Service, and musings maintained a general rule: the 28-gauge performs best shot. Gauge: the 28-gauge came later penetration and energy needed to kill a was! With ammo from Apex films, podcasts, and shot oz at fps.in. To recieve the follwing benefits: Already a subscriber things the 28-gauge appeared in a 10-inch.... The idea behind the square load is from the blackpowder days meaning equal of! Pellets that weigh as much as larger-diameter steel or lead smaller pellets that weigh as much as steel... Folks have said that the 28 gauge is.550 inch ; not much compared to the.729 of., placing 270 No days meaning equal amounts of powder and shot distance, 28! Ll pay around $ 6.19 per shell for one moment that a square load has to with! Loads are using either steel powder or 800x with TPS wads and load data from products! Confess to a library of digital back issues spanning years of gun Dog experts enough to! Is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory, Aldo Gucci history. Killing waterfowl at that distance without any measurable difference a 10-inch circle the a. Me have pointed out that all shotgun ballistics apply except when talking the 28-gauge always did than!

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