28 bore v 20 bore

[snow white]

Hi lads i shoot a 20 bore at the moment on game and doing very good with it but was thinking of getting a 28 bore for game i only shoot driven birds quite a few high birds whats your thoughts please.

[decoyman]

I shoot 20 and 12 sxs on game., prefer the 20 now especially with partridge and like you thought of trying 28.

A couple of guns in my syndicates use 28 and seem to manage ok however last Monday one of them forgot his cartridges and ended up 

********.no one else had any.

I think availability and cost of ammo might be a concern, but 25 yd birds all day.

[oldypigeonpopper]

hello, if you doing ok with your 20 why change,

[snow white]

Just want to try something more trying

[markm]

I’ve got a 28g browning cynergy. 

 

Love it, nice and light and no noticeable recoil with loads up to 25gm. 

 

Kills driven birds all day long as long as you point it in the right direction.

 

No good for non toxic though  

 

Edited November 29, 2018 by markm

[Townie]

Chap on our shoot uses one occasionally and does no worse than those of us with 12s.

[snow white]

Thank you for your reploys i will be getting one next couple days

[button]

13 minutes ago, snow white said:

Thank you for your reploys i will be getting one next couple days

What you thinking of going for?

[Westley]

I find it difficult to understand WHY  ?   I really do believe that we owe it, to what we shoot at, to use the best possible tool for the job. I have no problem with ANY calibre guns and the least amount of shot being used on clay targets, it does not bother me to leave wounded clays all over the place.  I have listened to people boasting about shooting game with a .410", personally, I believe that they on one VERY big ego trip and do our sport no favours whatsoever  !  If, through medical reasons, you are forced to use a smaller bore gun with LESS recoil, then either a 20 bore, or a 28 bore should be considered. I now use a 20 bore on game, due to age and a shoulder/neck injury. I would not consider putting anything above 28 gram of 6's through the gun, I will also reduce the ranges at which I am shooting too. If, I was fortunate enough to shoot at really high birds, then 32 gram 6's through my clay shooting 12 bore would be my choice. I find it odd that people will buy a small bore gun and then promptly start using 12 bore loads through it, why not just use a 12 bore in the first place  ?  Unless of course it is to bolster that Ego again  ?  There have been a couple of tests carried out recently on small bore guns and their suitability for use on game, both of the tests merely confirmed what, I and a lot of other experienced game shooters have always said. They are just NOT up to the job.

[alastair0903]

I had a go a couple of weeks ago with a friends 725 28b, must admit I really liked it. Was very satisfying knocking down decent birds with it. I went for being a avid 12b shooting to jumping straight into small bore shooting and have been looking for a nice 20b to add to the collection 

[snow white]

Hi button i have two lincoln jubilee in 20 think i will get one in 28

[Walker570]

I shoot a 410 exclusively and average 22 days driven a year.   I do not find I am undergunned on any of the shoots I go on.  Last week the team put one or two partridge over the guns which stretched the 12 bore users and another regular user of a 410 commented afterwards that he did not even pick his gun up and neither did I but had the pickers up behind me come up and complement my shooting and also they were amazed I was shooting a 410.  On another shoot this week I had a guest gun come over and comment on my shooting with the 410.  He was amazed how I was killing pheasants and good ones at that.  All shot with my own reloads of 18.6gs of #6 shot over fibre wads.

Common sense on range judgement and put it in the pattern and it will do the job. Seeing I shoot on a fair number of days I also see quite a lot of birds hit and fly on above the 12 bore users as well .... but they don't want to talk about those. 

The 28g is nice nice little cartridge easily up to the job if you can do yours.   As our host on our shoots says during the pre shoot talk.... " Shoot what pleases you".

[Ultrastu]

Just now, Westley said:

I find it difficult to understand WHY  ?   I really do believe that we owe it, to what we shoot at, to use the best possible tool for the job. I have no problem with ANY calibre guns and the least amount of shot being used on clay targets, it does not bother me to leave wounded clays all over the place.  I have listened to people boasting about shooting game with a .410", personally, I believe that they on one VERY big ego trip and do our sport no favours whatsoever  !  If, through medical reasons, you are forced to use a smaller bore gun with LESS recoil, then either a 20 bore, or a 28 bore should be considered. I now use a 20 bore on game, due to age and a shoulder/neck injury. I would not consider putting anything above 28 gram of 6's through the gun, I will also reduce the ranges at which I am shooting too. If, I was fortunate enough to shoot at really high birds, then 32 gram 6's through my clay shooting 12 bore would be my choice. I find it odd that people will buy a small bore gun and then promptly start using 12 bore loads through it, why not just use a 12 bore in the first place  ?  Unless of course it is to bolster that Ego again  ?  There have been a couple of tests carried out recently on small bore guns and their suitability for use on game, both of the tests merely confirmed what, I and a lot of other experienced game shooters have always said. They are just NOT up to the job.

What a load of bobbins .So by that reasoning every rifle shooter should use a .50 cal (for rabbits ) 

And you should use a 4 bore shot gun for pigeons .? 

Is that correct  ? 

Errr no ! Every gun has its limits .you shoot within the guns limits .thats it .

If you take a .410 on a high driven bird game day then yes you have chosen the wrong tool .in the same way s if you shoot rats around barns with a 12 b and 45 grm no 4 you have chosen the wrong tool .

Smaller bores are very capable and IDEAL in the correct situation .

 

You should buy one and see for your self .

This lot didnt know that they were killed by  16 grm of no 6 from my ss .410 

[oowee]

1 minute ago, Ultrastu said:

What a load of bobbins .So by that reasoning every rifle shooter should use a .50 cal (for rabbits ) 

And you should use a 4 bore shot gun for pigeons .? 

Is that correct  ? 

Errr no ! Every gun has its limits .you shoot within the guns limits .thats it .

If you take a .410 on a high driven bird game day then yes you have chosen the wrong tool .in the same way s if you shoot rats around barns with a 12 b and 45 grm no 4 you have chosen the wrong tool .

Smaller bores are very capable and IDEAL in the correct situation .

 

You should buy one and see for your self .

Exactly. Shoot within the gun limits and your own abilities. Walkers clearly having some good sport and shooting within his own capabilities and that of his gun. 

I should learn not to lift my 12g on a few occasions 

[figgy]

If your walking up hedgerows and a bit of rough shooty a nice light and quick handling 28bore is a joy to have,few more carts go in your pocket and they will deal with anything you flush to 30 yards with ease. On a driven day I was missing everything at normal ranges and oy picking off birds at longer range due to going in front..

I really would stick with a twenty bore,you get more upside for no real downside. With weight size and cart availabilities.

[Ultrastu]

Spot on oowee ..with the .410 you just have to stay well hidden and wait .wait and wait a bit more till the bird is close in . (25 -30 yds  im my guns case ) and then shoot. A 166 pellets  of no6 at 25 yds really hurts. 

[Ultrastu]

I shoot 20b and .410  and dont have a 12 b 

Is that ego ? 

I like my smaller bores because they are lighter , quieter ,easier , shorter .

All round much much more pleasant to shoot . (Thats why a shoot for pleasure ). And if that means i have to limit my range by 5 yds for the 20  and 10 for the .410 then so be it .i think its the 12b shooters who cant have anything smaller,  as its for girls , are on the ego trip .

[Dave at kelton]

I shoot a 28 bore on driven birds, 24 or 25 gm loads and do not find I am undergunned at all shooting average height birds, that is not more than 35-40 yds. I would not shoot it on super high birds but nor would I use a normal 12 bore with 28 gm load. I join a team of guns for a traditional partridge day with 28 or 410 and maximum 21 gm load and yes we get our 100-120 bag without loads of pricked birds. 

I use a John Macnab sideplated 28; it’s light has 29” barrels and does the job so, as others have said used on average range birds the suggestion that you are undergunned is “bobbins”. Just point it in the right direction and pull the trigger at the right time!

[snow white]

Been reading up on 28bore everybody is saying the pattern is a lot better than 12bore

[button]

2 hours ago, snow white said:

Hi button i have two lincoln jubilee in 20 think i will get one in 28

Nice

Let us know how you get on

Despite what some say, I have a 28b SP and love it

[button]

2 hours ago, alastair0903 said:

I had a go a couple of weeks ago with a friends 725 28b, must admit I really liked it. Was very satisfying knocking down decent birds with it. I went for being a avid 12b shooting to jumping straight into small bore shooting and have been looking for a nice 20b to add to the collection 

725 28g? Is that new out?

[markm]

4 hours ago, Westley said:

I find it difficult to understand WHY  ?   I really do believe that we owe it, to what we shoot at, to use the best possible tool for the job. I have no problem with ANY calibre guns and the least amount of shot being used on clay targets, it does not bother me to leave wounded clays all over the place.  I have listened to people boasting about shooting game with a .410", personally, I believe that they on one VERY big ego trip and do our sport no favours whatsoever  !  If, through medical reasons, you are forced to use a smaller bore gun with LESS recoil, then either a 20 bore, or a 28 bore should be considered. I now use a 20 bore on game, due to age and a shoulder/neck injury. I would not consider putting anything above 28 gram of 6's through the gun, I will also reduce the ranges at which I am shooting too. If, I was fortunate enough to shoot at really high birds, then 32 gram 6's through my clay shooting 12 bore would be my choice. I find it odd that people will buy a small bore gun and then promptly start using 12 bore loads through it, why not just use a 12 bore in the first place  ?  Unless of course it is to bolster that Ego again  ?  There have been a couple of tests carried out recently on small bore guns and their suitability for use on game, both of the tests merely confirmed what, I and a lot of other experienced game shooters have always said. They are just NOT up to the job.

And you are a total keyboard warrior..... 

Tell me how a traditional 28gm (1oz to you....) 6 shot game load is so different to 25gm (7/8oz est) 6 shot, both at the same speed on medium range driven birds. 

 

1st load 12bore

2nd load 28bore

Edited November 29, 2018 by markm

[Stonepark]

4 hours ago, Westley said:

 I have listened to people boasting about shooting game with a .410", personally, I believe that they on one VERY big ego trip and do our sport no favours whatsoever

There have been a couple of tests carried out recently on small bore guns and their suitability for use on game, both of the tests merely confirmed what, I and a lot of other experienced game shooters have always said.

They are just NOT up to the job.

 

We are not boasting, merely using a tool within it limits, the skill is knowing what those limits are. My cartridge to kill ratio varies from 3 to 1 on a bad day to 1.5 to 1 on a good day and 90% or better of what i shoot hits the deck dead.

Most 410 tests are carried out by people with a predetermined opinion and comparing them directly with a 12 bore which they are not. However within 35 yards using appropriate cartridges they will kill all normal game as effectively as any other bore.

They certainly are up to the job as evidenced by the dozens and dozens of pheasants, partridge, duck, crows, pigeons, mag pies, rabbits etc which i have shot successfully and similarly with other peoples experiences.

 

That of course is not to say that there is not a large body of so called experienced and inexperienced shooters (guided by the so called experienced shooters) who use the 410 (and more specifically the wrong cartridges normally too large a shot size and too light a load) in an inappropriate manner and then proceed to blame the gun for not doing its job in effectively killing game.

18g to 21g of 2.4mm or 2.5mm at 1200fps will kill medium and small game to 35 yards all day long.

 

[snow white]

Lots of blokes with 12bore say to me that 20 is to small cant put enough shot in the air i ask them what are you using 28 gram 6 is the answer i say i am using 28gram 6.

The reploy is yes but its not the same as a 12 then i point out 28 gram in 28 gram never mind what gun you are using i just shake my head and walk of thick or what

[Ultrastu]

There is a nice vid by " the gun shop " 

On exactly this. 20b v 12b .

And after a bit of testing  and theory. 

Concludes exactly as above 28 grm of no6 is 28 grm of no6. Irrespective of which cal it comes out of.