# 28 gauge!



## Stimmy (Sep 10, 2007)

I am officially a member of the club. My question to the founding members, is are there some quality off the shelf ammo. I don't reload (yet), so just wondering what the best options are for store bought ammo. I picked up a new (to me) savage/stevens over/under with 28" barrels. 5 chokes, etc.

Any help is appreciated (jerry, toasty, HH)

E


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Ba Boom! 
Your going to love the little bark with the big bite.


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## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

Stimmy said:


> I am officially a member of the club. My question to the founding members, is are there some quality off the shelf ammo. I don't reload (yet), so just wondering what the best options are for store bought ammo. I picked up a new (to me) savage/stevens over/under with 28" barrels. 5 chokes, etc.
> 
> Any help is appreciated (jerry, toasty, HH)
> 
> E


There is hevi steel and hevi shot. The hevi steel is a 5/8 Oz 4 shot steel load that should handle any duck out to 30 yards if it's moving at advertised speed. Don't know for sure add I've never tried it.

Hevi shot, well yes it's a hell of a goose load in the 4 shot but you pay out the noise for it. Those will get you by but get a loader as soon as possible to save money and build the best loads there are for the mighty 28!

Have fun and don't hesitate to pm for any load data and questions.

Welcome to the club

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## dubob (Sep 8, 2007)

*Factory fodder*

When I bought my Benelli Legacy 28 Gauge 6 years ago, I also bought a case of Winchester Xpert shells loaded with #6 steel shot. My very first duck hunt with it was in Montana for mallards. Here is the result taken with 7 shells. :mrgreen:



Two birds required a second shot. All were taken within 30 yards. If you keep your yardage at or below 30 yards, the Win Xperts will work just fine. They really work well on teal.


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

I've been shooting ducks with 28ga steel #4s so far this year. As long as they are inside of 25-30, no problems and the hevi steel 28ga should work well although I have never shot them. I do require more finish shots vs when I hunt with tungsten. When things require a little longer shots or it is really windy and you will need a little more, go with regular hevishot in #6s or classic doubles in #4. I shot a half case of those before I started to reload. I still have 15 boxes of 28ga classic doubles in #4 that are left over. If interested, shoot me a PM, will let them go for a song and a dance.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

toasty said:


> I've been shooting ducks with 28ga steel #4s so far this year. As long as they are inside of 25-30, no problems and the hevi steel 28ga should work well although I have never shot them. I do require more finish shots vs when I hunt with tungsten. When things require a little longer shots or it is really windy and you will need a little more, go with regular hevishot in #6s or classic doubles in #4. I shot a half case of those before I started to reload. I still have 15 boxes of 28ga classic doubles in #4 that are left over. If interested, shoot me a PM, will let them go for a song and a dance.


The WW Expert load of 6s works well in close, at least to 25 yards, maybe out to 30. I wish somebody made a reasonably priced load of steel 5s. I think that's the best overall compromise between pattern density and retained energy for steel shot. Both of my 28s are too nice to use in a layout blind or the mud. They only get used for ice hunts, which haven't been very good for the least few years. I have a single stage loader and I wouldn't mind weighing individual shot charges to load some 5s, just need some good wads. Can one use 20/28 for steel loads?


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## Stimmy (Sep 10, 2007)

toasty said:


> I've been shooting ducks with 28ga steel #4s so far this year. As long as they are inside of 25-30, no problems and the hevi steel 28ga should work well although I have never shot them. I do require more finish shots vs when I hunt with tungsten. When things require a little longer shots or it is really windy and you will need a little more, go with regular hevishot in #6s or classic doubles in #4. I shot a half case of those before I started to reload. I still have 15 boxes of 28ga classic doubles in #4 that are left over. If interested, shoot me a PM, will let them go for a song and a dance.


Interested......how much do song and dances go for now days....

you said #4 shot. tell me more...

E


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## hamernhonkers (Sep 28, 2007)

paddler213 said:


> The WW Expert load of 6s works well in close, at least to 25 yards, maybe out to 30. I wish somebody made a reasonably priced load of steel 5s. I think that's the best overall compromise between pattern density and retained energy for steel shot. Both of my 28s are too nice to use in a layout blind or the mud. They only get used for ice hunts, which haven't been very good for the least few years. I have a single stage loader and I wouldn't mind weighing individual shot charges to load some 5s, just need some good wads. Can one use 20/28 for steel loads?


Got to have lilgun, tps wads and cheddite hulls but they sure load up nice and kill well at 1450 fps 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


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## toasty (May 15, 2008)

Stimmy said:


> Interested......how much do song and dances go for now days....
> 
> you said #4 shot. tell me more...
> 
> E


PM Sent


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

hamernhonkers said:


> Got to have lilgun, tps wads and cheddite hulls but they sure load up nice and kill well at 1450 fps
> 
> Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk


Someday. First I have to use up the 13 cases of waterfowl loads On hand. Could take a while, as I've shot 3 shells so far this year.


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Stimmy said:


> Interested......how much do song and dances go for now days....
> 
> you said #4 shot. tell me more...
> 
> E


 Oh I wanted to scoop you when I read song & dance deal. Toasty is great to help and deal with. While your down there pick up some TSS shot if he has some to sell. You will want to play with that after you buy a press.

As for presses I really like my Ponsness Warren 375 for loading hunting loads. There has been some cheap ones on KSL but you would need to retool them for 28ga. The neat thing about the 375 is it holds two separate gauges on one tooling head. It takes 5 minutes to change up and load different gauges.

When I saw this thread. I thought Paddler would post up that famous Pintail pic in a blood bath on the ice.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

JerryH said:


> Oh I wanted to scoop you when I read song & dance deal. Toasty is great to help and deal with. While your down there pick up some TSS shot if he has some to sell. You will want to play with that after you buy a press.
> 
> As for presses I really like my Ponsness Warren 375 for loading hunting loads. There has been some cheap ones on KSL but you would need to retool them for 28ga. The neat thing about the 375 is it holds two separate gauges on one tooling head. It takes 5 minutes to change up and load different gauges.
> 
> When I saw this thread. I thought Paddler would post up that famous Pintail pic in a blood bath on the ice.


That was a 20 gauge, Jerry. Here's a couple of my nicer 28 with the Expert load:


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Very nice! ^^


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Another 28, another day:



This one's pretty cool, too:


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

Just great...I've been holding out on getting a 28, and now you guys have to go and destroy my plan of delayed gratification! 
R


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## Pumpgunner (Jan 12, 2010)

It's nowhere near in the class of your guns Paddler but a buddy of mine just picked up a Weatherby SA-08 in 28 gauge-that is one light, quick pointing gun. In fact I liked it so much that I went out and got the same gun in 20 gauge. I'm not going to change my name to Semi-auto gunner though :mrgreen:


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

rjefre said:


> Just great...I've been holding out on getting a 28, and now you guys have to go and destroy my plan of delayed gratification!
> R


I have a CZ Redhead I'm thinking of parting with. I want another another Remington 1100


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Well? Have you shot it yet?


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## Stimmy (Sep 10, 2007)

shot it yesterday....shot 4 teal....using hevi steel #4. may need to put it on paper and test some different choke combinations. of the 4 teal is shot, i had to swat 3 of them. all shots under 25 yards. I will get it dialed in. back to the 20 for geese tomorrow.

E


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## Dunkem (May 8, 2012)

Pumpgunner said:


> It's nowhere near in the class of your guns Paddler but a buddy of mine just picked up a Weatherby SA-08 in 28 gauge-that is one light, quick pointing gun. In fact I liked it so much that I went out and got the same gun in 20 gauge. I'm not going to change my name to Semi-auto gunner though :mrgreen:


 Love my SA-08-8/-


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

Stimmy said:


> shot it yesterday....shot 4 teal....using hevi steel #4. may need to put it on paper and test some different choke combinations. of the 4 teal is shot, i had to swat 3 of them. all shots under 25 yards. I will get it dialed in. back to the 20 for geese tomorrow.
> 
> E


Maybe try a box of #6 shot & see how that works for you.

There is a beautiful Browning model 12 28ga on Utah gun exchange at the moment. They don't show up very often.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

JerryH said:


> Maybe try a box of #6 shot & see how that works for you.
> 
> There is a beautiful Browning model 12 28ga on Utah gun exchange at the moment. They don't show up very often.


How much?


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## JerryH (Jun 17, 2014)

paddler213 said:


> How much?


$1000
The 28ga model 12 is built on the 20ga frame.


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## woollybugger (Oct 13, 2007)

Took my 28 gauge out to hunt pheasants on Friday. Dog found a nice rooster for me. I was shooting 7/8 oz. of hevi shot #7. I managed to miss it with both barrels. No excuses. :shock: 

I can miss birds just as easily with a 12 gauge.


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## dubob (Sep 8, 2007)

woollybugger said:


> I managed to miss it with both barrels.


Ouch! That had to suck! O|*


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