Anyone using a 28 gauge shotgun for Waterfowl.

Mark Rongers

Mark Rongers

Active member
Hello all,

I was just wondering. The last time I used mine was on a January hunt for Eiders. They readily decoyed to the layout boat, and I never took a shot unless the bird was within 15 yards. I shot Factory bismuth loads, and ITX reloads in 7/8 oz and 1 oz, respectively. Both loads were highly lethal.

I have also taken limits of Branta Canadensis Maxima with my trusty 28.

I once heard of a fellow hunter that used his 28 gauge for Swans, out West. I was wondering if any of you pursue our beloved quarry with a 28?

Thank you.
 
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Good morning, Mark~


My only experience with that sweet gauge was as a kid. A friend of my Dad's lent a Parker GHE for the season - and I shot my first ever Canada with it.


I have taken Canadas with my 20-gauge - but only when they were unexpected and right in my lap over duck decoys. My "goose gun" remains my 12-gauge Winchester Model 12 with BB steel.


All the best,


SJS

 
Hi Mark,
We had a guy hunt with us years ago that used a 28 gauge side by side.
He was deadly on decoying bluebill from the layout boat.
I believe he worked for or was on the pro staff of an ammunition company and was shooting hevi-shot of some sort.
I always wanted to get a 28guage over under but haven't gotten around to it yet.
 
As a kid and later a young adult never really saw a 28ga. Didn't grow up around a skeet range. But, did spend many days working at a private shooting preserve. A lot of the SxS's were 16ga that the european's brought over. Not many 20's were shot either.
Later I became friends with a potato farmer and hunter that had a huge field with goose pits. He shot a 20ga Remington 1100 and would ball up geese easily. I came up with a brilliant idea to try a 410. Tried them that weekend and had many cripples to chase. Finally realized we were over compensating for the 410, started shooting it like a 20 and started killing geese. Realize we were shooting lead from a pit, 10-15 yards some landing on the top over stuffers.
Thought it was a good idea, but hated chasing cripples all over the fields. Would love to have had a 28 at that time, now I have a few. Don't know how they pattern in 28. Mine are to pretty for the blind, can we find 28 steel???
 
Good afternoon, Steve!

It is always good to hear from a fellow sub gauge gunner. Tomorrow, I will break out the 870 Express 20 gauge.
 
Mark,

Since you guys were out here ten years ago and turned me on to it, I've shot a fair number of ducks with the 28. I pick and choose where and what species, my favorite is brant because they decoy so well and aren't very tough. I use both the ITX and a little HeviShot, mostly reloads. The 28 is a great cartridge, it's darn close to the 2 3/4" 20 in payload and the guns tend to be a pleasure to handle. In addition to ducks, I enjoy it for upland birds as large as pheasants. My favorite 28 for ducks is a Model 12 (Browning copy), for upland birds sometimes the pump, sometimes an O/U as the spirit moves.

Hope you and the other MLB are well, be safe and best of luck.
 
Hi, Captain Rich!

I have had some very memorable hunts with that little 28 SxS of mine. One day while lying out 1/2 mile from shore on Lake Michigan, a leaden ceiling and light chop set the stage for a perfect day for Bluebills. Right at 9am, I spotted a strong flock of roughly 30 'Bills, headed my way. As they began to pass to my right, I selected a Drake at roughly 15 yards. He dropped at the report, stone dead. A second Drake that flanked his left an additional 5 yards away, also dropped stone dead. The best Scotch Double I have ever pulled off.

Regarding Steel loads, good question! I did see that the Hevi Shot Company has introduced a Hevi Bismuth 28 gauge load at a very reasonable price. Twenty five shells for $35.99. I shoot Bismuth through a 20 gauge Auto loader frequently, and am impressed with the knockdown power of Bismuth.

I just sold my 28 Gauge scattergun to a Pheasant hunter. He had no interest in the large cache of Factory Bismuth loads I have amassed. Now, what to do with these...
 
Hobart, IN. Northwest Indiana, 25 miles from Chicago, as the crow flies.

I just looked up shipping ammunition. Forbidden with USPS, criteria I don't want to get involved with for FEDEX, but reasonable expectations from the Shipper with UPS, and no Hazardous Materials surcharge.
 
For anyone looking at bismuth, I?d pick up Kent?s offerings over the Hevi stuff. Hevi stuffs a lot of steel and little bismuth vs all bismuth in the Kent offerings. The Kent performed very well out of my 20 with #5s on wood ducks a few weeks ago.
 
Hello Mark, long time no see.

Tom Modin is using a 28ga for waterfowling. I believe he just used it on a trip to ND. He is using bismuth from a new shell company called Boss Shotshells. If you look them up on Facebook you will see some photos from him.

I bought 100 rounds in 20ga to give it a try. For use in sub gauge and old guns $1.30 a round isn't too bad. I thought about reloading but am not sure I could do it any cheaper than that. I've only shot 3 rounds of it so far and it killed 3 rooster pheasants. It's so nice to carry a 6lb upland gun and feel like it is lethal with non-tox ammo.

Tim
 
Mark, Good to see your post. Was interested in your shooting of 28 bores. Several years ago I shot two for a few years. Entirely for quail, doves, pheasants. Did take one to Scotland once for woodcock. But by and large I crippled too many birds with a 28 so quit shooting them. Having said that, I recently got another. It is a Charles Boswell double, made in 1905. I now plan to take it to Arizona this December for doves. Hope for the best.
While I found that a 28 wasn't the best gun for me to use, I certainly have been with two other fellows who were deadly with one. The first was John Batley. He was a professional wood pigeon shooter from England. He and John Gregson, who was then editor of the SHOOTING TIMES, came over to hunt with Marge and I in Sask. At the time John Batley was a good will ambassador for Holland and Holland. Holland paid his way into important shoots to show off their guns. When he showed up in Sask. he had two Holland guns, both over/under. One was a 12 bore, the other a 28. At that time they were $50,000 guns. (now likely closer to $100,000) On the first morning he asked if he could use the 28. I told him I didn't think that was a good idea as we were after geese. He promised he would only shoot at close ones so I said ok. The limit on whitefronts was three that year. And he quickly shot his three. One was out there. I was amazed as I was shooting my old double Ithaca 3 1/2 10 bore, and the one he got was about as far out as the ones I was dropping. I found out the reason for his success when I looked at his birds. He was shooting them in the head!
The other guy is Norm Saske of Nevada. Norm was the waterfowl man for Nevada's Fish and Game for years. I ran into him in Sask. and we became friends. He is big on 28s and loads special shells. His favorite shot for his shells is number 7 steel. One year I went down to Nevada to hunt swans with him. I took my 10 bore. He used his 28, for swans! But at his urging I also took a 28. It was a Parker DHE 16 bore with Briley 28 bore tubes. We both got our swans, over decoys, and it was very, very good. And again, he used his 28. On the last day, with our swan tags filled, we went for ducks, hopefully canvasbacks. I took the 28 and he gave me a box of his special loads. I recall thinking it wasn't the best of ideas, especially since I had high hopes for cans. The day turned out to be a slow one duck wise. No canvasbacks and not much of anything else either. But about mid morning a lone mallard drake flew my way. It crossed in front, out at 40 or more yards. So I decided to shoot. Was totally amazed when it folded stone dead. A little while later I dropped a scaup at about the same distance. I was left with the opinion that his special loads had a lot to do with it?
Hope you have a good upcoming season and are still using that Labrador decoy I gave you. And playing at least one Bo song each time your group performs. Best, Worth
 
Hi Tim!

Glad to hear from you!

I love stories about hunters using the little 28 bore. As one old expert shooter told me, ?They?re as lethal as a 12 bore?. True that!
 
Hello Worth!

It?s great to hear from you!

As you may recall, I had mentioned that I was a purchaser of Gray?s Sporting Journal from its first year in publication. I was immediately struck by a story you had written for the Magazine in that first year. I anxiously awaited every issue, scanning for your next installment. To say the least, I am a lifelong fan. On a higher level, I cherish the times we spent together in the 2 man Layout boat, 13 miles from the boat ramp at Long Point.

Not surprised that you have a history with the 28 bore. They certainly stand on their own, in the realm of fowling pieces. Tom Reder, Greg Bires and I drove out to Connecticut several years back to hunt with an old friend Jim Bucko, and a new friend and famous Skeet shooter, Stewart Fairbank. Tom and I loaded up a whack of 3/4oz. ITX loads with the express intent of taking our Eiders from BBSBs, employed as layout craft, in Cape Cod. The Eider flicks were strong, and we had plenty of opportunities to take the birds, which we did indeed. One particular toll I will never forget, was a fully mature Drake that crossed 15 yards off the stern. He was barely moving when I sat up, mounted my SxS CZ Ringneck, and touched off the left barrel. To my amazement, the bird did not drop. Didn?t even flinch. I immediately led the bird sufficiently, and touched off the right barrel. By this time, maybe 23 yards distant. Same results. I sat up, thoroughly astonished that I?d missed. I watched that bird make a strong, steady retreat. He banked off to the left, full throttle. At or near 300 yards, he arced upwards noticeably, then plummeted to the water?s surface, stone dead. I radioed the Tender, which summarily gathered up the prize.

Even more astonishing, Jim Bucko is a Master Chef. For dinner one evening, he served up more than enough Eider breasts for four hungry men. I had never before tasted Eider, let alone, made a meal of them. They were absolutely delicious!

I have retired the Labrador decoy to somewhat of a shrine of important decoys. This one holds a special place.

And a word about Bo! I became friends with the guitarist that he came up from down South with. They were best of friends! Blues Hall of Famer, (The Late) Jody Williams. He shared many a story about his and Bo?s exploits, along with those of Howlin Wolf, Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, and the entire Cast of the early Electric Blues Men and Women.

Lastly, Tom has fallen in love with an absolutely charming, wonderful woman that he went to High School with. It just so happens that she owns a Farm of 600+ acres that border one of the largest Rivers in Southern Michigan. Both Widowers, I told Tom ?She? an amazing woman. You better Marry her. I?ll kick in the first $20.00 towards an engagement ring?.

If you get a chance, please email me your current address. I would be honored to send you a box of the non toxic ITX #5 loads in 28 gauge that I hand loaded.
 
Mark, Thanks for your offer of a box of 28s. I will take you up on that, but in trade. I have a new book out. The title is Hunting Log, 1979-2018. I have kept a daily log since 1979 and for the book selected six to ten days from each year. I only had 200 copies printed. Is your street address still the same in Hobart? If so, I will get a copy in the mail. Best, Worth
 
Worth,

Thank you! That?s an incredible offer! I love a good horse trade, and I think I am getting the better half of the horse. I look forward to reading the new Book!

Yes on the address. May I assume that your Sandbox Press address in Amity, OR is still good?

It?s great to be back in touch with you!
 
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