Purpose of 20 and 28 Gauges

[XxWINxX94]

Hello everyone,
I'm kind of new to shotguns and don't know enough about them.
Some folks may have seen my other thread similar to this but I have a different question.

To the shotgun experts:
What is the purpose of a 20 gauge and 28 gauge shotgun?

From my understanding, a 20ga is just a smaller 12?
And a 28 is just an oddball used for ____?

I shoot some skeet/clays and have only used my 12 gauges.

Heres why I need to know:
I inherited 2 identical Browning model 12's in 20 and 28 gauge and don't know what to use them for, or to even keep them at all. They have the same barrel length (25'') and are modified chokes. The relation who owned them was a master of guns and a shotgun know-all, and unfortunatly, I am not.

Any type of information would help me out a bunch

And for a follow-up question, would I be able to use a 20ga or 28 ga on just messing around with clays/skeet, or is there more technical stuff to understand?

 

[JimKirk]

I own both 12 ga and 20 ga... I can do almost anything with a 20 ga that can be with a 12 ga. That being said there are a few things that a 20 ga just can't do... like getting 00 buckshot to fit, I'm sure there are other like extra heavy loads.

The 28 ga, I don't own, I have shot one before and would say that the 28 is to the 20 what the 20 is to the 12.

I know that this give you no "why" info... so my guess would be ... just because they could!

Jimmy K

 

[oneounceload]

Both the 20 and 28 are wonderful gauges and well-suited to both clays and upland hunting.

Do NOT "BUBBA" these by cutting them or similar - sell them to someone who can appreciate them for what they are first before you do that

 

[Dave McCracken]

Both the 20 and 28 gauges are wonderful upland loads and do well at most clay games in the right hands.

You have two fine pumpguns there. Keep them, not only in memory of your relative, but because they're good shotguns.

Betcha they run less than 6.5 lbs and carry like walking sticks. That will seem important sometime when your truck is three ridges and two creek bottoms away.

The subgauges are for when what we're shooting at does not need a teacup full of shot to fold. The 20 usually is loaded with 7/8 oz, the 28 with 3/4. The light loads will do the job out to 35-40 yards and not kick your fillings loose in the process.

20 gauge ammo is close to 12 gauge in price, though selection's not quite as good. 28 gauge stuff is pricey, most 28 gauge fans reload for it.

But don't let that stop you. Go shoot these guns and enjoy.....

 

[ColdChili]

ohh thoses are nice looking! If I had extra cash (and you were willing) I'd take them off your hands for you.

Anyway, personally I think the both 20 and 28 gauge are excellent grouse guns. I was also under the impression that the smaller gauges are lighter and kick less, so if you plan on upland hunting all day these two gauges give you some flexibility on how you hunt, there is obviously a trade off however.

here's how I would them:
12 -geese, ducks, sporing clays, trap, (deer -with a slug)
20 - grouse, phesants, ducks, rabbit, (deer-with a slug)
28 - grouse, rabbit, pheasants (if I was good).

I'm not a dove hunter so I don't know where that fits in, and my phesant hunting is few and far between so I may be out of line with the pheasants.

 

[WardenWolf]

28 Gauge is a better alternative to .410, in my opinion. It's still more powerful, by a long shot, but also very light-recoiling. I am actually expecting that .410 will slowly decline more and more until the 3 primary shotgun sizes will be 12, 20, and 18. There's just no real place for .410 in today's world. So many better options exist.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Reminds me of something I read in a Jack O'Connor Outdoor life column many moons ago-"the 28 is a real gun, the.410 is a freak". As I recall he explained that a 28 could be built as light and handy as a .410, but was much more efective on crossing shots because of the shorter shot string.

 

[Sunray]

"...I inherited..." My condolences for your loss.
"...just a smaller 12?..." Nope. Less felt recoil. Fewer pellets per round. Somewhat less range.
"...don't know what to use them for..." Same thing you'd use a 12 guage for, but closer. Ditto for the 28 guage. 28 guage ammo isn't terribly common in smaller places any more though.
"...like getting 00 buckshot..." Unreliable anyway.

 

[Captcurt]

I envy you.

Those are two beautiful shotguns that many us would love to have. You have no idea just how cherished these guns are by shotgun lovers everywhere. A nice model twelve is much sought after by collectors. The 28 is even more rare. Take them to the range and bust some clays and you will find that they are balanced nicely, break birds in neat little clouds of dust and do it with a lot less recoil than a 12 ga.

Enjoy!

 

[Roughneck08]

Those are beautiful shotguns. Keep them and shoot them!

 

[Leaky Waders]

If you don't reload...price some 28 gauge shells at walmart and academy. They usually stock up on them at the beginning of the season and then slash their prices on them near the end to move them...then buy a flat or two to keep you loaded throughout the year.

The 28 is what got me into reloading, a little powder a little shot and a lot of fun.

(I own 12, 16, 20, and 28 gauges).

 

[al123]

Those are great looking shotguns. I like my 20 gauge more than my 12. It's just more fun to shoot. However that's subjective. 12 ga. does have more ammo selection.

 

[Captcurt]

If you don't reload...price some 28 gauge shells at walmart and academy. They usually stock up on them at the beginning of the season and then slash their prices on them near the end to move them...then buy a flat or two to keep you loaded throughout the year.

The 28 is what got me into reloading, a little powder a little shot and a lot of fun.

(I own 12, 16, 20, and 28 gauges).

Check out Midway USA, Cheaper Than Dirt and Natchez Shooting Supply for ammo. I saw 28 ga. Rios at one of these online for $7 something a box. If I didn't have 2 cases of AA's I would order some Rio"s.

 

[ThomasT]

28 Gauge is a better alternative to .410, in my opinion. It's still more powerful, by a long shot, but also very light-recoiling. I am actually expecting that .410 will slowly decline more and more until the 3 primary shotgun sizes will be 12, 20, and 18. There's just no real place for .410 in today's world. So many better options exist.

I don't think I agree with you. I bought a 22/410 june before last and didn't shoot for a year. When I did I couldn't beleive how much fun a 410 was. Since june I have bought 3 more 410s. I realy like shooting them. Plus I reload for them and ammo cost $3-6 dollars per box depending on if I am using new primed hulls or range pick ups. If you don't think a 410 is popular you must not read Backwoodsman Magazine. Plus a local gun store told me they can't keep NEF 410s in stock. They sell as soon as they get them in.

I also don't think the 28ga is "more powerful by a long shot". It should have a better pattern because its shot column is shorter but after all it only holds 1/16th of an ounce more shot. That means it holds about 30 more pellets in #8 shot.

That being said if I only had one guage it would be a 20ga. I can do all the shotgunning I need to do with it. I have slug, multi ball and buckshot loads for it.

I am curious, what is the 18ga? I have never heard of it? You didn't mean 16ga did you? I have one 16ga shell. I would rather have the 12 than a 16. Its too close to a 20ga.

 

[Bill B.]

Heres why I need to know:
I inherited 2 identical Browning model 12's in 20 and 28 gauge and don't know what to use them for, or to even keep them at all. They have the same barrel length (25'') and are modified chokes. The relation who owned them was a master of guns and a shotgun know-all, and unfortunatly, I am not.

I think the first part of your question got answered! On your 2 shotguns they are two of the finer shotguns ever made and I would make sure I did keep them. If you do plan on using them you might want to consider adding choke tubes. I have the same gun as your 20 but my was marked Winchester and they came with an imp. cyl. bore only, while the Browning version was mod. For skeet the chokes would be a big plus.

 

[oneounceload]

I also don't think the 28ga is "more powerful by a long shot". It should have a better pattern because its shot column is shorter but after all it only holds 1/16th of an ounce more shot. That means it holds about 30 more pellets in #8 shot.

.410 is 1/2 oz, 28 is 3/4 in their normal loadings - that's a 50% increase in pellets

 

[jimmyraythomason]

Back in the '40s,'50s and early '60s before the re-introduction of the whitetail deer here in the south,bobwhite quail was the quarry of choice. The well equiped plantation "bud" hunter used either an A.H.Fox double (side by side of course) in 20 gauge or the more desirable L.C.Smith (field grade) double in 28 gauge. Other options in favor were the Browning A5 "Sweet Sixteen". With the introduction by Remington of their Model 1100 and the increased popularity of deer hunting,the SxS and smaller bores kinda faded out. Pity.

 

[ThomasT]

.410 is 1/2 oz, 28 is 3/4 in their normal loadings - that's a 50% increase in pellets

Well darn! I didn't know that. I guess I need to send the 3" winchester loads back to winchester and tell them they marked the box of shells incorrectly and put 11/16th oz for the loading. You do know you can buy 3" shells don't you?

As far as I am concerned the 3" IS the normal loading and the 2.5" is a sub load for folks who want something a little cheaper to shoot. I have never seen a 2.5" only 410 shotgun.

Like I said I still prefer the twenty over the 410 or 28ga. Academy sells 3/4oz loads for the 20 if I want a reduced load. And in theory it should be a better balanced shot string than the 28ga. The 20 beats it at its own game.

 

[Bill B.]

I have never seen a 2.5" only 410 shotgun.

Apparently you have never seen many .410 skeet guns as the 2 1/2 chamber is standard fare. It was also the original chamber length of the Winchester M42 when it came out and to the best of my memory (which could be wrong) the chamber was changed to the 3" in length in 1947.

 

[JohnBT]

"And a 28 is just an oddball used for ____?"

Other than shooting, it's a very good topic for pictures and starting conversations. And meeting people and stuff.



I had a .22WMR/.410 about 45 years ago. The .410 just wouldn't throw a decent pattern, so down the road it went. The Win. Model 37 .410 I have now is great, but a 28 ga. is my favorite.

 

[ThomasT]

Apparently you have never seen many .410 skeet guns as the 2 1/2 chamber is standard fare. It was also the original chamber length of the Winchester M42 when it came out and to the best of my memory (which could be wrong) the chamber was changed to the 3" in length in 1947.

BillB you are correct. I haven't seen many skeet guns. And I was born in 1957. The 410s I have been around had the 3" chamber and those that had them all shot 3" shells. I remember the first time I saw 2.5" shells on the shelf. I thought they were cute. They were cheaper too. I guess it just goes to show how things change.

I like the 410 but if wing shooting I like the advantage of a bigger bore. A 20 does what I want and if I grab a 12 so much the better. The OP ask why a 20 or 28. I like the lighter recoil and hopefully lighter gun. I suppose you can't have too many guns in all the different gauges. I like each and every one. I just wish I had more time and opportunity to shoot them all.

 

[ColdChili]

There's just no real place for .410 in today's world.

I'm not an expert, but I do know alot of rabbit hunters who swear by the .410.

 

[Bluehawk]

I have 12 gauge...20 gauge ...and a .410 single shot as well as a .410 pistol...I love them all for the different tasks assigned to them.
The 12 is for longer range desert hunting jackrabbits...20 for shorter range desert or woodland hunting...and the .410's are great for closeup work in the woods or snakes!!!
Just my opinion.

 

[jbkebert]

My first shotgun was a 28 ga 870 Wingmaster that now belongs to my oldest son. My youngest sone has a matching one that I bought a couple years back. The 28 ga is a great dove, quail, rabbit, gun. I have even taken a few pheasants with it. The 20 ga and the 28's come out of the safe 10 times more often than the 12ga at my home. I even do most of my Turkey hunting with a 2 3/4" 20 ga. Great guns for youth or small framed shooters heck even the big boys can shoot them and have a ball.

 

[oldwheelieguy]

Everybody has good points in this post about differant gauges.
It is pretty simple however.
.410 is the smallest load/lightest kick in the shoulder.
28 next up on both.
20 next up on both.
16 next up on both.
12 next up on both.
10 next up on both.
And God forbid if you have an 8 ga. call a doctor before you fire it!