Free: Contests & Raffles.
I love my 28. I originally bought it for quail, but wasn't long before it was my go to gun for every species. I've taken pheasant and chukar, even shot a gadwall with it last year. Last trip out I got the upland grand slam with it.Benelli now makes a 28 gauge ethos chambered for 3" shells
I've seen that on the shelf, haven't tried it yet though!
I grew up shooting a 28, my Dad made me shoot it for years, thinking it would give me some skills. Perhaps that's why I've never felt attracted to them. I've owned and shot all the gauges for all the birds. I even used to shoot decoyed geese with a 410, those we shot in the head. My go-to gun for quick shooting is a 5-1/4# 20 gauge shooting 7/8oz loads. I pretty much only take this gun out after quail. Everything else gets the 12 gauge. For upland I shoot a light Uggie, and a heavy gun for waterfowl and dove. I am a fan of patterning my guns and I'm betting the 1oz 28 gauge load at 1300 doesn't pattern as well as 7/8oz at 1200. I'd speculate that the 3/4oz load going 1150 gives a more even pattern than the other two I mentioned. Regardless, I recommend those shooting sub-gauge guns to load their own with high antimony, (magnum), shot to avoid deformity and holes in the pattern at the edge of range. As to speed when shouldering the gun, a balanced gun that fits will come up fast enough for any of us. FWIW, I generally shoot 1oz loads in my 12 gauges except for geese and chukar. Both of them get 1-1/4 and 1-1/8 respectively. Even the ducks get an ounce of tungsten. I give the chukars extra because I hate them. Lastly, I've got no hate for Jason and his 28 gauge fetish, the dude is my friend. The rest of you 28 gauge lovers are a bubble off plumb.
