28 Gauge Choice
- Thread starter quigley257
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Lenny Foffa
Well-Known Member
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- Mar 6, 2017
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I'm a big 28 gauge. Pheasant hunter ! Fausti 28 gauge O /U! Just love it ! Fiocchi 28 gauge 7/8 oz load ! 1300. Fos
waveslayer
Well-Known Member
Yes, it's awesome. I've tried all of the Benelli's. I love the ultra . We would shoot skeet with one hand, it's so light and minimal recoil.
Quigley-
I have fired tens of thousands of rounds with 28 gauge ammo, at both targets (skeet and sporting clays) and live birds. Admittedly the majority of those rounds have been in larger over/under firearms wearing ultralight Briley sub-gauge tubes but I also have experience in those disciplines with true lightweight 28s in autoloading, pump and over/under styles, such that I'd like to share some observations on the subject.
If you are absolutely committed to purchasing an O/U 28 gauge your observation that the Savage 555 seems to fit & feel right for you is extremely important. Even its aesthetic appeal is of importance to your enduring satisfaction with your choice. I wouldn't assign much importance to other people's complaints about a heavy trigger pull. It's a shotgun, for Gods' sake, and you don't precisely squeeze off a shot at a flying target with a shotgun you slap the trigger in a small fraction of a second. If the trigger pull is really, really heavy return it to be repaired or replaced. In reviewing the Savage specs on the 555s I'm inclined to believe that the gun is built on just two receiver frames, one for 12 & 16 gauges and the other for 20, 28 & .410 each of them with barrel profiles tailored to the individual chamberings. But, again, it's what feels right and swings right that really matters.
As for .410 bore vs 28 gauge there is, in my opinion, no comparison. The .410 is much more difficult to reload, with much shorter hull life and patterns much more poorly than the 28.
When it comes to hunting, the 28 gauge can match the normal range of pellet energy of the larger gauges, it's just a question of knowing the reduced pattern size of the smaller gauge and knowing at what range you are competent to put that pattern on the bird you are hunting. An extreme example that illustrates that principal well was a dear friend of mine who routinely would shoot his .410 bore skeet gun when decoying Canada Geese in to his set. When asked how you can kill a goose with a .410 and #7-1/2 shot he'd reply "Simple, know your load's limitation, don't take any shots that are out of range and forget the 747 sized body, just shoot at the head as though it's a dove. Of course it didn't hurt any that he is in the National Skeet Shooting Association's Hall of Fame (Grayum Steele - may he Rest In Peace.)
Thanks, yes... they are great O/U hope you find one down the road you would enjoy it for sure. Cheers
Jake Jones
Member
I have the same 20 gauge and love it. Its not as flashy as a 686 but will out shoot them every day. I have experience with a few other CZ shotguns and several handguns and have been very impressed with them.
Prairie Sasquatch
Well-Known Member
I've got a Beretta 686. This one is the 28 ga on the 20 gauge frame. Light but not so light it's difficult to shoot. I find scaled frame 28 and .410's hard to shoot. Probably because I shoot a lot of sporting clays with a dedicated 12 ga 686 sporting clays gun that is heavy and has 32" barrels.
I love 28 gauge and have shot doves, partridge, grouse, pheasants, ducks and geese with mine. If you are going to shoot a lot then you need to reload as it is much cheaper and you can work up great hunting loads.
I shoot .410 on game also but that's another animal and requires extreme discipline with shot selection. There just isn't enough pattern density to shoot game consistently past about 30 yards. Although I find a load of heavy shot 6 will kill even Canada geese with authority under 30 yards and snow geese a bit further if you can hold a pattern together.
I love 28 gauge and have shot doves, partridge, grouse, pheasants, ducks and geese with mine. If you are going to shoot a lot then you need to reload as it is much cheaper and you can work up great hunting loads.
I shoot .410 on game also but that's another animal and requires extreme discipline with shot selection. There just isn't enough pattern density to shoot game consistently past about 30 yards. Although I find a load of heavy shot 6 will kill even Canada geese with authority under 30 yards and snow geese a bit further if you can hold a pattern together.
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Got that right on reloading. I use PW press. Once you get pass the sticker shock, you in.I generally load 1oz loads.
Watrdawg
New Member
I've been shooting a Benelli Ethos 28ga for 4-5 years now and love it!
