20 vs 28 gauge

[Challer]

The 28 ga is a "fad". It will die out eventually. The 12 and 20 can take care of everything. The only reason the 28 has a revival is because of new "hevi-shot" ammo. But, who wants to spend that kind of money on high volume shoots?

Not a fad for real upland hunters. That 12 gauge gets real heavy walking all day in the fields. My upland, not target, 12 gauges all come in around 7.25#. My Fausti DEA deluxe in 28 is 4.95#. Doesn't sound like much until 4 hours in; then you know.

Shooting over pins on a driven hunt it doesn't matter, all loads being equal. But it's not like we need a stopping gun for a charging grouse.

 

[gcbailey]

I don't know where you live. But if you want a "southern gentlemen's quail hunt," and show up with anything else you will be an outcast. That's the only reason, that I own one. I would prefer to use a 12 or 20. However, the older I get the more I prefer the 20, but I still have cases of 12 to shoot up first.

As someone from Georgia who has hunted my entire life, especially quail, I find this utterly preposterous, snooty, superficial, and fake. I have hunted a few game farms, but not any of the high end ones that require a suit and tie. I'm just not willing to spend $5,000 or more to hunt quail when I can do it with my dad and his farming buddies for nothing more than the cost of put and take birds and shells. Some of the men I hunt with are some of the best wing shooters I have ever seen, and their shotguns run the range of gauges. A 12, 16, or 20 gauge makes no difference. Using more than 28 gauge doesn't make you a cheater or someone compensating for a lack of skill. It still comes down to the individual, regardless of gauge.

If someone told me I couldn't hunt because my shotgun wasn't a 28 gauge, I'd tell them where to stick their gun barrel. The haughtiness of some of these people infuriates me.

* Edit: It seems like I was accusing you of being pretentious, but this post is not directed towards you. My frustration is that someone would REQUIRE you to use a 28 gauge rather than whatever gauge you prefer. I also recently read an article in a popular magazine where the author accused those of using more than a 28 gauge as lacking skill. The men I hunt with may be farmers who wear jeans and dirty shirts, but they are more gracious and gentlemanly than these so called "southern gentleman" hunts. Wearing a tie and felt hat doesn't make you a gentleman. I took his article quite personally and was flabbergasted that he would make such an asinine claim in print.

 

[Red Leg]

The 28 ga is a "fad". It will die out eventually. The 12 and 20 can take care of everything. The only reason the 28 has a revival is because of new "hevi-shot" ammo. But, who wants to spend that kind of money on high volume shoots?

I actually think for much hunting in North America it is the 12 that is in the most danger.

 

[Red Leg]

As someone from Georgia who has hunted my entire life, especially quail, I find this utterly preposterous, snooty, superficial, and fake. I have hunted a few game farms, but not any of the high end ones that require a suit and tie. I'm just not willing to spend $5,000 or more to hunt quail when I can do it with my dad and his farming buddies for nothing more than the cost of put and take birds and shells. Some of the men I hunt with are some of the best wing shooters I have ever seen, and their shotguns run the range of gauges. A 12, 16, or 20 gauge makes no difference. Using more than 28 gauge doesn't make you a cheater or someone compensating for a lack of skill. It still comes down to the individual, regardless of gauge.

If someone told me I couldn't hunt because my shotgun wasn't a 28 gauge, I'd tell them where to stick their gun barrel. The haughtiness of some of these people infuriates me.

* Edit: It seems like I was accusing you of being pretentious, but this post is not directed towards you. My frustration is that someone would REQUIRE you to use a 28 gauge rather than whatever gauge you prefer. I also recently read an article in a popular magazine where the author accused those of using more than a 28 gauge as lacking skill. The men I hunt with may be farmers who wear jeans and dirty shirts, but they are more gracious and gentlemanly than these so called "southern gentleman" hunts. Wearing a tie and felt hat doesn't make you a gentleman. I took his article quite personally and was flabbergasted that he would make such an asinine claim in print.

View attachment 701237

If you would show up at almost any quail hunt in Texas (wild or pen raised) with a twelve - or a semi-auto of any type - your hosts might be correctly polite, but you would not be invited back. I will not argue with your experiences in Georgia, but that would also be the case on most of the plantations I have hunted there except you would not be allowed to use a 12 period. At none of those places did I wear a tie.

I hasten to add that I agree this is somewhat ridiculous (ok, maybe not the semi-auto part - I don't trust anyone with one over dogs). As I noted above, I fail to understand the difference between 1 ounce of shot from a fine 12 bore English game gun and 1 ounce from a cheap Franchi 20 OU.

Nice hat in your Avatar.

 

[Rubberhead]

The OP clearly said two very important things, 1) recoil is the issue, and 2) he only hunts doves and shoots clays (5-stand and skeet).

He is not looking for a light, walking-up gun. He's wanting a gun heavy enough to absorb recoil and keep his swing smooth. A 6¼ to 6½lb 28 gauge or a 6¾lb 20 gauge would be on the right side of the "Rule of 96"...

 

[gcbailey]

If you would show up at almost any quail hunt in Texas (wild or pen raised) with a twelve - or a semi-auto of any type - your hosts might be correctly polite, but you would not be invited back. I will not argue with your experiences in Georgia, but that would also be the case on most of the plantations I have hunted there except you would not be allowed to use a 12 period. At none of those places did I wear a tie.

I hasten to add that I agree this is somewhat ridiculous (ok, maybe not the semi-auto part - I don't trust anyone with one over dogs). As I noted above, I fail to understand the difference between 1 ounce of shot from a fine 12 bore English game gun and 1 ounce from a cheap Franchi 20 OU.

Nice hat in your Avatar.

Lol! I knew someone quick witted would point out that I wear a felt hat. I like it but it's just a $30 hat I picked up at Tractor Supply several years ago. It just fit me right. I digress. I do know a lot of places don't allow for semi-autos due to shells being left behind. I don't think the gauge has a bit to do with the safety of hunting over dogs. Shot type and size and choke are what matter. I don't want to be shot by any gauge gun and don't want my dogs to be either. If someone can't safely shoot a 12, they aren't going to be any safer with a .410. I've hunted with pointers and setters my entire life and never shot one because my dad taught me early on and initially wouldn't allow me to shoot below the horizon. When I first started out, I used 20 gauge because that's what my dad likes and that's what we had laying around. As I got older, I moved to 12 gauge guns (many vintage with 2 1/2" chambers) because components and shells were easier to find. I have other gauges, but all my vintage guns are 12.

 

[DLSJR]

Thanks, that makes sense now, so they are roosting ponds or holding ponds, nice. GF has a 28ga and the only small bore I have is an old savage single shot. 410, I'd have to get inserts for my 16ga.

We hunt a mix of open pasture grounds, timber lined natural ponds, alfalfa fields, harvested dry cornfields and flooded standing corn fields. I always enjoy hunting the timber ; and flooded corn fields are just special experiences for those who’ve not done it before.

 

[codofish]

I have hunted several of the snootiest bird hunting clubs in America and they are not going to say anything if you show up with a 20 to shoot quail. They may not allow semi-auto but is it so they can know when you are loaded up. Most clubs want you to keep your action open until the dog goes on point and the safety on until the bird flushes.

The gauge is not a safety concern, it is so there will be something left to eat if the bird is centered at close range.

This thread doesn't have enough pictures so here is my setter in action

....

 

[codofish]

You’d be stunned at how effective a 410 loaded with TSS is on any bird, including Honkers. I’ve got a friend from the south who comes to hunt waterfowl with me in Idaho. He brings Foxtrot Ammo TSS shells loaded with a mixture of 9’s&10’s. He’s got right at 300 pellets in a 3” 410 load. I’ve seen him shoots dozens of mallards and probably 20 big Canadians with that little gun and it’s devastating. My son was breasting out a bunch of honkers we’d shot and he called to tell me he had to toss some of the breasts as they were too bloodshot to eat. I asked him what the heck he was shooting in his gun and he replied that the birds he shot were fine but that some of the birds shot with those TSS shells were a mess. He also told me he picked the backs of some of those birds and that a lot of the pellets had gone clear through the geese.

The TSS is the real deal for turkey hunting and great for pheasant also. Since you are not taking so many shots they are affordable. The real problem is when you bite into one, they don't have any give like lead.

 

[Kynoch2015]

I think that you’ll like the 28. The key is to find one that fits. Many of these look great in the shop, but don’t feel right in the field. You’ll find both extremes, heavy on a 12 or 20 frame or flyweight that swings poorly. If a 28 can’t fill the roll, I jump to a 16. That or a Two-inch 12 bore, but that’s another story.

 

[shootist~]

The 20 is more practical; the 28 is more fun. My 28 is a Sporting model O/U with 30" barrels. I shoot 8 1/2's for everything clays.

For pheasant, a light 20 O/U with 3" chambers is my favorite.

 

[RETD16]

A 28ga is great for dove!!! I’ve shot ducks and geese with my O/U 28ga. I personally love the 28ga!!! It kinda defies logic a little bit because the shot column is long and narrow. According to “some experts” it should have stringy patterns. But my 28 patterns very well. It’s a great skeet and sporting clays gauge also. I was lucky enough to get one of the first Benelli SBE3s in LH 20ga. I would LOVE it if they made a LH SBE3 in 28ga!!!

 

[Challer]

And if it’s truly a hunting gun, consider a round body if you plan to carry all day. You old hands will thank you.