28 Gauge

[achosenman]

I'm wondering if anybody has got any experience with a 28 gauge. Specifically how it compares to 410 in range/killing corvids etc.

 

It seems popular in the USA and Italy but not so much over here. Any particular reason? Cartridges seem available and 24gms payload would seem ideal for a moderated gun. The 20 gauge is only a tiny bit quieter than a 12 to my ears, so not really worth the effort.

 

All opinions, pro or con welcome.

 

Atb

[Milo]

Timely question. I got a bit fed up shooting heavy (relatively; 32g SIPE) loads through a heavy gun (Miroku MK38 G5 trap gun) and thought I would try a 28 bore just for the heck of it.

 

Standard Miroku stock shapes suit me perfectly so I bought a 28 bore MK70 and ordered two full choke Teague tubes. Out to 45 yards I see no difference in performance between the two in the real world. Pigeons I would expect to fold up with the 12 bore do the same with the 28 bore. What is very obvious, however, is that shooting the 28 bore is a much more pleasant experience than using the 12 bore and a lot of fun.

 

Regarding cartridges, I have used two to date. About 500 rounds of both.

 

Gamebore Pure Gold 25 gramme 6 shot fibre. Fine, they do the job very well. Patterns are consistent and very tight (thank you, Mr. Teague). They are quite quick and wad friction nibbles the crimp ends sometimes.

 

Hull High Pheasant 23 gramme 7 shot fibre. Also fine. Patterns are great. Very soft recoil indeed. Worth noting that 23 grammes of 7 shot (282) gives you more pellets in the pattern than 30 grammes of 6 shot (273) and way more than 32 grammes of 5 shot (226).

 

So far I am more than happy with the 28 and will buy another one to make a pair, having just sold my pair of side by sides. Go for it.

[Guest cookoff013]

Get a 12. Reload quiet loads.

Just because speed is below 1050fps doesn't automatically mean quiet.

 

I have very little experience with the little ones. But I can confirm decent recipes mean quiet ammo.

Infact 20s are really good to reload for. Makes my 12 look greedy it eats money.

 

But my 12has been reloaded with 6 or 7 quiet recipes and no hushpower.

 

Getting subsonic and quiet shells is a big issue with 28ga. Getting 28ga shells is sometimes near impossible.

 

Driven game shooting has always been ruled by the 12. Demand is high. Easy to make, easy to buy. That's why28ga fails. It's not popular.

[rws-89]

i,ve got a lincoln 32" barrels shoot game with it all the time with eley 21g 6 shot kill as good as 12g. had good results with 24g fiocchi 21g saga, express .

[achosenman]

re

Get a 12. Reload quiet loads.

Just because speed is below 1050fps doesn't automatically mean quiet.

 

I have very little experience with the little ones. But I can confirm decent recipes mean quiet ammo.

Infact 20s are really good to reload for. Makes my 12 look greedy it eats money.

 

But my 12has been reloaded with 6 or 7 quiet recipes and no hushpower.

 

Getting subsonic and quiet shells is a big issue with 28ga. Getting 28ga shells is sometimes near impossible.

 

Driven game shooting has always been ruled by the 12. Demand is high. Easy to make, easy to buy. That's why28ga fails. It's not popular.

 

I tried the 12g Hush Power and TBH I hated the size of the thing. It was monstrous. The noise was still significant and ear defenders were a must around buildings etc. The 20 was a tiny bit better than the 12g to my ear, but only just.

 

The .410 I'm reloading for atm is a great little gun. I use it more than both the12g's I have in the cabinet. I've found a 28g that might be worth getting moderated, if Hush Power can do it. (I've got to ring back Monday) If it kills better than the 410, without upping the decibels to ear defender territory around buildings, I can reload for it and just get the tooling set for my press. Crimping loads is way faster to do than a RTO, but heavy payloads tend to rag the ends of the case with a crimp. With velocity down at 800fps star crimping still creates problems with a heavy payload in the 410. Eley factory loads are doing it with 18gms as well, and I just hate doing RTO's

 

I want to launch 21-24gms of lead without pushing the envelope too much and be quiet. I don't want the bulk and length of a moderated 12/20g.

 

Atb

Edited September 26, 2015 by achosenman

[pestcontrol1]

I shot a miroku 30" barrel with 1/2 1/2 choke 28 gauge for about 9/10 years ( wish i never sold it ) 19 gram and 21 gram home loads i used it for everything even high pheasants and shot quiet a lot of foxes with it. I would get another one tomorrow if i had the money spare

[achosenman]

Sounds like 28g it might be the way forward. I love the little 410, but it does struggle with the heavier payloads.

 

Thanks for the input guys.

 

Atb

[henry931]

Timely question. I got a bit fed up shooting heavy (relatively; 32g SIPE) loads through a heavy gun (Miroku MK38 G5 trap gun) and thought I would try a 28 bore just for the heck of it.

 

Standard Miroku stock shapes suit me perfectly so I bought a 28 bore MK70 and ordered two full choke Teague tubes. Out to 45 yards I see no difference in performance between the two in the real world. Pigeons I would expect to fold up with the 12 bore do the same with the 28 bore. What is very obvious, however, is that shooting the 28 bore is a much more pleasant experience than using the 12 bore and a lot of fun.

 

Regarding cartridges, I have used two to date. About 500 rounds of both.

 

Gamebore Pure Gold 25 gramme 6 shot fibre. Fine, they do the job very well. Patterns are consistent and very tight (thank you, Mr. Teague). They are quite quick and wad friction nibbles the crimp ends sometimes.

 

Hull High Pheasant 23 gramme 7 shot fibre. Also fine. Patterns are great. Very soft recoil indeed. Worth noting that 23 grammes of 7 shot (282) gives you more pellets in the pattern than 30 grammes of 6 shot (273) and way more than 32 grammes of 5 shot (226).

 

So far I am more than happy with the 28 and will buy another one to make a pair, having just sold my pair of side by sides. Go for it.

 

Looking to get the browning 525 version, although may also look at the miroku as I am in a very similar position.

I'm just wondering is the full choke a bit overkill? How far do you think quarter or half would take you on pigeons etc maybe 35 yards?

Also there seem to be two versions if ordering aftermarket invector chokes are they the short or long ones?

[sitsinhedges]

I'm a 20 gauge fan and think the loads you are looking to use are really more suitable for that gauge. Without a moderator they are all going to need ear protection and any gun shooting loads outside what it was designed for will have an overlong shot column and the shot charge will be slow. You can get sub 6lb 20 gauges made for these loads so what's the issue?

[welshwarrior]

I shoot most of my game with a 28 patterns better than most other guns and is a better handling gun than most 410s I've never felt under gunned in normal game shoot (wouldn't use it on a high bird day).

[Milo]

 

Looking to get the browning 525 version, although may also look at the miroku as I am in a very similar position.

I'm just wondering is the full choke a bit overkill? How far do you think quarter or half would take you on pigeons etc maybe 35 yards?

Also there seem to be two versions if ordering aftermarket invector chokes are they the short or long ones?

 

Couple of things on the issue of chokes.

 

1. I like as much of it as I can get without either blowing patterns or upping the recoil to an unpleasant degree.

 

2. Having already ordered the chokes from Teague I patterned the gun with the 1/4 and 1/2 chokes that came with it at 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards. The patterns looked ok at 30 yards but fell off thereafter. The Teauges are more impressive regarding both pattern density and quality with both the Hull and Gamebore cartridges.

 

If my recollection is correct the only 28 bore chokes that would fit my gun were extended. I don't like the look but there you go.

[pestcontrol1]

I never used anything but 1/2 and 1/2 choke in the 28 bore for everything from pigeon to high pheasants and a home loaded 19 gram #6 will do everything you need it to do althou i did use a 21 gram #6 from time to time

[welshwarrior]

3/8 &1/2 in mine shoots well kills cleanly.

[achosenman]

I'm a 20 gauge fan and think the loads you are looking to use are really more suitable for that gauge. Without a moderator they are all going to need ear protection and any gun shooting loads outside what it was designed for will have an overlong shot column and the shot charge will be slow. You can get sub 6lb 20 gauges made for these loads so what's the issue?

 

I'm looking for a gun that handles 21gms better than a 410, and can be moderated with similar dimensions to a 410. The 20g, even moderated, around buildings leaves a lot to be desired noise wise. The .410 is ideal, but a bit out of its depth with payloads that are useful at longer ranges. I'm killing out to 35yds atm with a slow load of 21gms of #7 which is fine, but it is hard on the cases. The 28G seems on paper to be ideal for my needs, and might moderate closer to the .410 level in the decibel department.

Atb

[sitsinhedges]

 

I'm looking for a gun that handles 21gms better than a 410, and can be moderated with similar dimensions to a 410. The 20g, even moderated, around buildings leaves a lot to be desired noise wise. The .410 is ideal, but a bit out of its depth with payloads that are useful at longer ranges. I'm killing out to 35yds atm with a slow load of 21gms of #7 which is fine, but it is hard on the cases. The 28G seems on paper to be ideal for my needs, and might moderate closer to the .410 level in the decibel department.

Atb

 

I've often thought that an over under 28 gauge would make an interesting gun for moderating with a nice slim tube over it. If you go ahead you'll have to keep us updated.

[Guest cookoff013]

I'm looking for a gun that handles 21gms better than a 410, and can be moderated with similar dimensions to a 410. The 20g, even moderated, around buildings leaves a lot to be desired noise wise. The .410 is ideal, but a bit out of its depth with payloads that are useful at longer ranges. I'm killing out to 35yds atm with a slow load of 21gms of #7 which is fine, but it is hard on the cases. The 28G seems on paper to be ideal for my needs, and might moderate closer to the .410 level in the decibel department.

Atb

I got a a little bit of beef with this. Allow me to politely air my view.

You appear to be absolutely mindset on small payloads for game. 21grams is nothing.

35yards as a range is nothing. Get a 12gauge and push 70+ yards. Subs pattern decent.

As for the cases. Buy a12. I don't care about cases they are disposal.

[achosenman]

Your views are more than welcome. I like to hear both good and bad. I have had a moderated 12g. I chatted to you regarding the loading for it. It was rubbish. Not only was it loud, it was a monstrosity, size wise.

 

The payload thing is what I have found to give the best pattern density to kill reliably at useful range. I use my 12g sec 1 Extrema when it's appropriate. Killing vermin in and around the dairy with the herd in residence will cause havoc, not to mention ticking the farmer off.

 

If I was gunning over open fields I wouldn't worry about it. However I am expected to get the job done without stampeding the dairy herd through the far wall, hence my search for a niche gun.

 

Atb