Would you buy one? If so, what would you get? I find it intriguing and am "sorta" shopping for one. I'm leaning toward a double, either O/U or SXS. If you have one, what's your take, love it or leave it?

I can't really think of one good reason to own a twenty eight gauge, Unless it's just are an excuse to buy something different.

Already have a .410 and a .20 gauge, I feel like it's a novelty but I wouldn't turn down a beretta semi in 28 gauge.

28 g yes o/u get a Beretta silver pigeon. Had a Remington 1100 28 g and doubled my money selling it CZ makes good doubles SxS but I never could get one. Love the 28 g. Silver pigeon is hard to beat. Great gauge for anything except ducks and geese. Some use them but I was never that good

I shoot a CZ Sharptail and a Ruger Red Label. Lightweight, easy to carry, balanced real nice, and if you're on the target it kills it. But plan to reload!

I had one of these years back. Daintiest little thing at five pounds but I couldn't hit a thing with it. I prefer a twenty gauge.

I only ever shot skeet one time. With an italian shotgun (long time ago don't remember the brand) Belonged to an Air Force pilot. i was hitting them pretty good. Had never shot any clays before that. Just birds. Little gun was easy on the shoulder.

I believe I had 5 or 6 of them before the boating accident of 2022. I enjoy them and they are "different". I have a Remington auto that I bought as a grouse gun. I couldn't seem to hit a bird with it. One day in the fall I walked right into a flock of turkey's and having a Fall turkey tag in my pocket I decided to give it a try. I absolutely SMASHED one at around 40 yards. Carrying it home I walked by my shooting range and decided to try patterning the gun. It shoots like a rifle! I have taken my turkey each year since with it. I have a bunch of single shots in 28 too and they are just a joy to carry.

Picked one up a couple years ago just because I didn’t have one. Shot a couple prairie dogs with it just because I could. It’s a cheap automatic fun to shoot running dogs with. Planned to take it bird hunting last fall but had a couple others I was eager to try.

Absolutely on my bucket list. I grew up shooting a 410 and no matter what I've never been able to beat its limitations on shot size vs pattern. The 410 is a really poor design for a shotshell. The 28 on paper is everything the 410 should've been.
As to which, well it would have to be a JMB design as I'm kind of funny that way. So a franchi AL48, remington 11-48 or Ithaca 37.

I have a browning 28ga bps pump still have original box of shells I bought with it only 3 missing just never really found a good use for it but I bet I could find more for a semi auto beretta

A buddy has a 28 gauge Rizzini O/U that he uses as his primary grouse/woodcock gun and he kills his fair share with it.

MX28

My brother kills lot's of birds and loves his 28 gauge.light weight and packs easy.

I have a franchi AL48, and a CZ. Love them.

I bought a Tri Star side by side last year, just because I never had a 28. Pretty good quality for the price and a lot of fun to shoot.
Real good rabbit gun, wish we still had grouse around here.

Zim

I mainly hunt everything with 20s leaving the 16 and 12s at home. Never liked how thick a 12 is. Only shot 410s a few times and was not impressed. On pattern density at 20 yards.

During the last shortage 28g was about all that was on the shelf, and I believe it looks like it would do all I need it to do on an even trimer frame gun. If I see a good one that fits me for a fair price it will come home with me. Also if I ever wanted to load shot shells less powder and shot makes it more affordable to shoot especially when I don't like shot in my meat and most of my shots are point blank to 3O yards on rabbits or quail. Sure don't need any more than a 20 and I think a 28 will be fine.

What gun? Preferably a sxs or o/u but if they made a model 12 on a 28 frame like they did the 42 on a 410 or anything similar built for the 28 not a bigger gun with small barrel slapped on they could follow me home. I don't even hunt with a shotgun much anymore ( have not packed one in a few years) but would buy it in a second.

Own several

You need to come for a visit. I would let you shoot a few of my pet grouse.

Zim, last fall MN was literally polluted with ruffed grouse, if they have decent nesting success again it should be a banner year.

Come on over.

There is a guy on youtube who pheasant hunts with a sxs 28 and he absolutely hammers them. Cant think of the name on youtube but he’s a heck of a shot and made me a believer in the 28.

Why thank you guys for the invite. Gonna hang up my plumb bob for good in the next few months so hope to have time to do a few more things like that.

Zim

I bought an 870 28 gauge from a skeet shooter probably 20-25 years ago. I really like it for grouse and pheasants.

One of my favorite gauges. Ruger Red Label and Browning are what I have. Both are a joy to shoot.

A 28 is all I use for grouse. I have a Mossberg SA28 semi auto, only weighs 5 pounds, been very happy with it.

Those are quite popular with the ladies.

I've been eyeing a CZ sxs in 28 for a couple years, Hurts to shoot the 12's anymore but I can't figure what I'd actually use it for...lol
But it sure is pretty.....

There will be a 28 gauge on the auction in a couple days

I have a 12, 20, and 410. Never thought about getting a 28. Don't know what I'd use it for. Maybe a novelty?

Browning 525 and model 12. Use the 525 a lot, but I reload also so it keeps it somewhat affordable.

I have a Franchi instinct SLX it’s my grouse gun light weight fun to carry and just as fun to shoot I really wanted a good quality side by side rather than the OU but couldn’t justify the $ since my wife was buying and set the limits

I love my 870 28 gauge it is about all that I hunt with anymore. Shoot a ton of doves and rabbits with it using 3/4 ounce 7 1/2s for doves and 3/4-ounce 6s for rabbits. Easy to reload for and patterns great. I have a 20 gauge that I break out for an occasional Pheasant hunt but am sure I could hit them just as well with the 28. I have never found much use for a 410 however I shot many squirrels with a Stevens single shot using 3" #4s when I was young. If the targets moving it is pretty safe if I have a 410 in hand.

If you ever go on an old fashioned plantation quail hunt, a 28ga is the way to go. We get a few clients with 20’s and only a couple with .410’s. All the rest shoot 28ga. What’s funny is the client that always kills the most birds year after year shoots the .410. I have to remind him doubles are frowned upon, lol.
I want one myself to use dove hunting.

Ive thought about buying a 28 b/c when they are out of ammo theres always a few boxes of 28 sitting around.

I agree. I have a Silver Pigeon in 20 ga and absolutely want one in 28 and 410 just to shoot skeet

Are doubles frowned upon because birds get lost or?

Last fall I was looking hard at buying an o/u 410, bought a snowmobile instead.

Now I'm thinking a 28 , ammo is easier to find, it's cheaper and a little more oomph.

I want one just because

Yeah a guy needs to be a reloader for sure where the 410 is concerned.

Heck of a switch there.....from a shotty to a snowmobile

Tradition more than anything else. Generally only two birds are taken out of a covey. Two hunters so 1 bird each. We know Mr. Jimmy is going to shoot a double the first covey just to get it out of his system, and it’s allowed for him. The guys shooting a .410 and we like watching his skill. He’s one of the few that actually appreciate quail and their habitat.

There is a Bill Heavy article in Field and Stream somewhere where he and a buddy asked a guy to go pheasant hunting and they felt bad for him b/c he came out of the house carrying a .410. It may have even been a single shot I don't remember. Anyway they hunted multiple states and the .410 guy put on a master class of shooting and made them carrying a 12ga look foolish. He killed a bird with every shot and they didn't come close to that. lol. That story always made me laugh.

That's a great story Troy !

I hunt pheasants with a couple TMAN members and for years I have taken grief about my 20 gauge over & under. I get ribbed about....."whatcha gonna do when a bunch of roosters get up at once ? ".................... Well the daily limit is three roosters so I only have to reload once a day. I hunt for five days so I only need 15 rounds total......maybe a couple less considering the likelihood of doubles. I guess I learned to shoot differently than the guys in the mid-west.

I will sometimes shoot my .410 or 28 gauge in the early season and have shot plenty of birds with both. Late season you are better switching to a 12 gauge because shots are typically longer. January roosters are wild as heck and will run and flush a lot.

I have a .28ga. SKB 720 Field O/U that is a great feeling and beautiful gun.

Well, that pretty well seals it for me. I'm gonna have to spring for a .28. Thanks for all the banter, etc.

But which one??

Leaning towards a CZ Drake.

Them CZs are a nice gun for the price point.

Ken. I can get all the 209 primers I want so I can shoot more lol.

Winchester model 12 in 28 gauge, my go to for woodcock and grouse, for some reason it just seems to point and shoot better then any other shotgun I own even other model 12s

No, it's because people lack sophistication. Unwashed, uncouth.

Plantation quail, I wish. The closest I get is having my dogs head to South Texas to guide. My training partner guides on a South Texas ranch and takes some of my dogs to round out his string. A few more years and I can start going with my own string.