28 Gauge for Pheasant?

[Redseal]

28 ga?

I have used a 28 gauge for several years and with a I/C can reliably drop Pheasants out to 35 yards. Do yourself a favor and check out a book by author Bob Brister.."Shotgunning, The art and science". this book will explain any questions you could possibley have about gauge/patterns. Granted...my dog's are trained to work close and most of my shots are 15 to 25 yards however I can drop rosters out to 35 yards so I would not hesitate to recommend a 28 gauge.

 

[Dave McCracken]

I've seen a 28 be absolutely deadly on preserve holdovers in the hands of a master shooter. That was over close working,superb dogs.

On wild birds, I think the 28's a trifle light for most folks. Putting an insufficient amount of pellets in something that will suffer is not recommended.

My favorite ringneck load in 12 gauge is 1 1/4 oz of 5s.

 

[Dksimon]

as long as you use the proper shells a 28ga should be just fine. Everytime I take my 12ga out pheasant hunting my dad says "Why do you need a gun that big, by the time i was your age i had killed more grouse with my single shot .410 than i could count"

 

[Davek1977]

as long as you use the proper shells a 28ga should be just fine. Everytime I take my 12ga out pheasant hunting my dad says "Why do you need a gun that big, by the time i was your age i had killed more grouse with my single shot .410 than i could count"

Theres likely a lot of truth to that statement. In my teenage years, shooting a limit of sharptails on the family ranch got....well....boring it could be done so routinely using a 12 gauge (shot a limit in under 20 minutes once...best day to date). I thought I'm "handicap" myself a bit and break out Dad's ol' Western Field .410 pump gun. WEll, let me assure you it wasn't much of a handicap at all, and was a nice alternative....it was lighter, and killed grouse just as dead if I did my part. Not so sure I could be as successful today with it, but thats my fault for not shooting anywhere near the amount I did when I was 10thru 18, living at home, with a target range in the backyard and a clay shooting area behind the shop!

 

[GE-Mini-Gun]

28 is the only thing I use and on occasion the 410. I love the hunt and being outside with the dog and watching him work, he’s never been trained and stays within the limitations of the gun (40 yards)…terrible with pointing/holding the bird, however he’s great with the retrieve and I know his “tells”, so very few surprises. If I get something great if not that’s just as good. Over the years I’ve shot more birds than I care to remember and I’ve missed the same…sometime I think the dog wonders why I didn’t shoot…seems to look at me like “***…you think I’m doing this for my health?”