Pulling the trigger on a Beretta A400 Upland in 28ga. I have the A400 plus in 12ga. But love shooting the 28 at grouse, pheasant and prairie grouse and huns. All we hunt is wild birds.
Pulling the trigger on a Beretta A400 Upland in 28ga. I have the A400 plus in 12ga. But love shooting the 28 at grouse, pheasant and prairie grouse and huns. All we hunt is wild birds.
I shoot wild birds with a 3200 Special Trap 12 gauge #5’s. If I hunt put/take I
hunt with a Browning 525 28 gauge #6’s
My hunts were getting over so quick that I switched to a 410. Knocks them down just as good as a 12ga if your a good shot.
First of all you need to be honest about your shooting skill. I’ve hunted with some expert shots who can kill birds with .410’s but most mortals need at least a 20g for pheasants. Then you need to determine how you plan to hunt? Late season wild birds over flushing dogs in high wind is a completely different then hunt club birds over good pointing dogs. Most guys choose 12g guns not because they can’t kill birds sometimes with 20g but we don’t always get pick the weather/conditions we get to hunt and we owe to the dogs and birds to use the right gun. I agree with the earlier suggestion of a semi-auto Beretta A400. Remember your physics, the lighter the gun the more it will kick (all other factors being equal) so decide if your shoulder can handle the weight or recoil more effectively and go from there. Also make sure and get the right recoil pad, the ones that come with some guns are not very comfortable to me.
Benelli 28ga ethos or SBE3. 3” Fiocchi #5’s. Adjust chokes as needed. Awesome killing machine and a joy to carry and shoot.
With the correct hunting jacket/vest is recoil still a issue for a few shots a day hunting? I'm thinking compared to trap/skeet shooting etc.
Mossberg silver reserve in 12 guage
Not sure what LOP means but definitely agree with "so it handles well in your hands". You didn't say if the shoulder concerns were weight or recoil but in general I'd go with a light weight gun for bird hunting any day.Originally Posted by Transom
Back to handling, how the gun shoulders and handles is most important and that is totally your specific body. I'm sure there are videos available to help explain what is important. I've had a bunch of shotguns and the best "for me" were not the most expensive.
I've only shot pheasant on a preserve but a lot of quail and grouse. My preference has always been a double barrel with a double trigger so I have a choice of chokes depending on the particular shot. Double trigger is probably just a personal choice. Used plenty of pumps and autos but always came back to a double.
If you want less recoil, gas auto is the way to go.
Beretta makes some sweet 20's and if you need to go big you can use the 3 inch shell which is just as deadly as 12 ga. 2 3/4".
My grandsons all use the Stoger 20 ga. that shoots 3" and 2 3/4" Shells. Stoeger is owned by Benelli which bought them out because they used their patented gun but sold much cheaper!
The O/U will have much more recoil and 2 or 3 less shells!.
Use the copper plated lead or nickel plated and you will smoke em.
I used 7 1/2 copper plated when quail and pheasant are an option and in 2 3/4" 20ga and it is a winner.
I would even use 28ga with copper plated lead and feel good on pheasants even in late season.
Have fun!
If you are a well practiced shot, a 20g is plenty and will save some weight.
I have a 12g 870 express myself with a 26" barrel which is lighter than most other 12g options. If you want to stick to a 12g, the Benelli Montrefeltro Ultralight is a super nice shotgun and is extremely light weight. Caution though as lighter guns typically mean more felt recoil. Stick with standard 2-3/4s and you should be fine.
Yup, nothing better or faster than my Browning Sweet Sixteen.
I use an 870 pump 12ga for turkey, ducks, and doves. Its served me well since 1976. For upland birds I prefer my over/under 12ga, but a think a good 16ga would be fine also.
get a CZ 20 gauge, not the best and not the worst. I have a "drake" model cost about 7 hundred at cabelas\bps.
The lighter the gun the more the recoil. I have multiple brands My favs are the A300/400 Beretta and Franchi Infiniti 3 The franchi kicks a little more than the Beretta of the same caliber being inertia driven but it is also lighter and easier to carry.
21 Lund 1775 Impact XS 21 Merc 115 Pro XS
If you primarily hunt them on the flush, I’d recommend an O/U (Citori) with proper barrel length that you can choke appropriately. If you primarily hunt them on the pass, a semi-auto (Gold Hunter) would suffice. I’m a Browning fan for field guns…
Used a Benelli myself back in my bird hunting days.
Haven’t kept up on shooting in years. Is a 28ga between a 20 ga and a 410 ?
Belgium 12 gauge Browning automatic back when we had pheasants here in the north Ga. mountains.
i always used Remington 1100's in 12ga and 20ga low recoil gas operated guns ......i would like to find a nice 20 ga now
I'll throw my 2 cents in here. Light weight=more recoil but easier to carry all day in the field.
Semi auto=less recoil. 28 gauge is so much fun to shoot. 20 gauge is the do everything and 12 gauge just means more pellets going down range.
1200FPS #6 shot has the same lethal ballistics no matter the gauge. Only difference is number of pellets.
The only thing I have more of than fishing rods is shotguns. If shoulder issues mean you want less recoil get a name brand gas semi auto in 20 gauge and you'll never "need" another shotgun. Shoot clays, small birds, big birds, waterfowl..
You name it. But one gun is NEVER enough. Just like fishing rods.
Reply With Quote