3" 28 Gauge

[orhunter]

Kent: Yea, a person doesn't go through much ammo shooting pheasants over pointin' dogs. When packing the 12, I have three in the gun and two in the vest. If the birds aren't holding well or packing the 28 I'll take a couple more. Have never run out. Maybe I'll think about getting a 28 loader next summer.

[J D Patrick]

If you really need a larger shot charge it is time to use a larger gauge which will pattern it. 3 inch .410 won't do what a 23/4 28 will, a 3 inch 20 won't do what a 23/4 inch 12 will and a 3.5 inch 12 won't do what a 10 gauge will.

that's my philosophy on the subject,,,

[orhunter]

Yup, couldn't agree more.

[Willie T]

I’ll be the odd man out here. The only reason I carry a sub guage is for the advantage of an easy carrying, fast handling, nimble shotgun. That is it’s only advantage the sub gauges have. A baby frame 28 that fits is pretty sweet in that respect. A 20 doesn’t drive the same. Nothings free though and you give up a lot of horsepower to get it. Testing patterns are why I gravitate to the 20 over the 28. Now if I could capture 20 guage performance and the quick intuitive handling of a baby frame 28, I would be all in. With a little innovation and buffered shot, it may be looming on the horizon. A similar innovation with the introduction of the 3” 20 gauge is what turned the fine old 16 gauge into a novelty.
Willie

[Densa44]

I shoot a .410 sxs for upland birds, mostly pheasants, and I have a very good dog(s). I used to use a 20 ga. Yildiz but found it was a bit too much gun for close range. I was given the .410 by a friend (I re-load, he doesn't) .
I have some friends who now use a 28 ga. semi and I'm very envious, I personally think that if I had to do it all over again, that's what I'd like to use.
Thanks for all the info.

[orhunter]

Willie: I read Brister’s book a couple weeks ago and he says the .410’s patter can be improved a lot by boring out the barrel. Don’t recall him saying how much but probably .010 for starters. He also said the only gauge that doesn’t need boring out is the 28, all others need +.010. The 3 inch 28 will probably need to be bored. He said the 3 inch 20 needs it badly.

[Willie T]

Orhunter, I too have read Brister’s book, and I am a DIY type individual. It is a good read. I also reload and have spent a lot of time at the bench and on a pattern board. You are probably aware that patterns are not only affected by constriction, but also by shot size, hardness, velocity, and adding a buffer like grex. In the case of 3” 20 ga upland loads, if you want to stretch the range: copper plated high antimony shot, no larger than #5, with a shot buffer at moderate velocity, sitting in today’s improved wads with a shot cup that keeps the shot off the barrel, out of no tighter than modified choke, yields dense patterns at ranges further than I shoot.
Start loading 3” 28 guage with increased payloads and you will likely find the same thing to work with some experimenting. I am intrigued by the possibilities...
Willie

[orhunter]

Willie...... Yea, the hard shot thing has a lot of twists. Tough for the handloader to know the hardness of what they’re buying. Probably the smallest amount of Antimony acceptable is 5%. Six or seven% will show up on the pattern board.

Remember, the higher Antimony content, the lighter the payload. To get the proper weight shot charge a person needs to weigh what their loader is throwing. Adjust the shot bar to give the desired weight.

[Drahthaar1108]

I reloaded some 28 gauge 2 3/4 1 OZ of 7 1/2, shot them and it was a large difference in the factory 3/4 OZ load really had a good pattern.
And I would compare a 28 closer to a 410 than a 20.with factory shells. Forrest

[AverageGuy]

I am the opposite. I rate a 28 with factory 23/4 inch shells as very close to a 23/4 inch 20 gauge, and head and shoulders above a .410.

I shoot two factory loads, Winchester AA SuperSports 7.5s for quail and doves and Fiocchi Golden Pheasant Nickel Plated 6s for game farm pheasants and rabbits. Both are 1300 fps loads and pattern very well in either of my 28s.

[Drahthaar1108]

My 28 likes them a little slower,1180 to1200, the 1300 have more holes in the pattern. Forrest