28 Gauge Bakail SxS

[junkbug]

Hello all.
I have a chance to buy a Bakail 28 Gauge Sxs. The price is OK, so that is not what I am asking about.

What I wonder is:
-What is the general utility of a 28 gauge? It appears that it really isn't enough gun for doves. Most other small game, and upland hunting, it should be fine. I have never had the opportunity to upland game bird hunt. Maybe some day. I already have a 12 gauge Rem. 870 Wingmaster (2.75" chamber, 30" full choke). Its not perfect, but realistically, it all the shotgun I'll ever really need.

-Has anyone tried to make some round ball loads for these? I know the choke is important in mold selection, but in general, would it use a .490" to .500" ball? I like the idea of a light weight fowling piece.

Any other thoughts, or advice?

Thanks

[Mescalero]

Are you serious?

[junkbug]

Yes I am. The round ball idea is just part of the whole. Breneke now make their slugs in that cartridge, so I would try them first.

But what is the overall utility of a 28 gauge? It would be a better gun to try to learn to wingshoot with than a .410, without the punishment of a 12 gauge. But in all reality, a light weight 20 gauge is probably a much more useful choice.

The specific gun is for sale. I'm just not sure I would really get the use out of it to justify the cost, even though the price is fair.

[Hobie]

Sean,

I have a 28 ga. and it is fine, but I really think you'd be better served with another barrel for your 870. If recoil is a concern one can always just use the light 1-1/8 oz loads in the 12 ga.

[junkbug]

Thanks Hobie. I have been giving that some serious thought also.

I have the original 30" full choke barrel, and a smooth bore rifle sighted slug barrel for the 870. I have been looking for a 26" vent rib barrel with screw in chokes, polished (Wingmaster, not Express), but all vendors I have looked at are out of stock. It is also possible to send the original barrel of to be shorteded and fitted with chokes. That is probably the most practical thing to do.

The Bakail became available to me unexpectedly. But it is kind of an odd duck (28gauge). Ammo is expensive, and reloading equipment has to be bought new. It really does seem like it is more hassle than its worth.

The smart money would go to buy a new Lee single stage press, and some light weight shot cups. And perhaps the rework of the original 30" barrel.

[Mescalero]

I am trying to be realistic here.
Have you considered the possibility you are asking the 28 guage to do more than it can?

[375hh1973]

I have a Beretta OU 28 ga. It has done everything I have ever required in an upland gun. Grouse, woodcock, rabbits, and yes doves. Took it to Indiana for the dove opener when I visited a friend who lived there (no dove season here in Michigan) and I had no problem limiting each day. I used Winchester supersport sporting clay loads in #7.5. Briley chokes were Light Modified and Modified. I have shot a lot of preserve pheasants as well using Fiocchi golden pheasant loads in #6. I would probably not choose it to go to N. Dakota and chase wild pheasants but that isnt really what it was made to do either. There is a small creek I have access to this coming duck season where shots are going to be very close and I am going to buy a box of Bismuth and kill greenheads in October.

[junkbug]

Yes Mescalero;
That is very possible. I have never even fired one(28 gauge). That is why I'm trying to find out if I really can make use of one, before I spend the money.
I have a soft spot for handy side by side shotguns. But this one may not be the one I should buy right now.

The more I talk it through with others, the less wise it seem.

I do have a friend who is a very good wingshot with a Mossberg .410 pump, that he shortened from 30" to 25" (the barrel)with a hacksaw, and crowned with a rat tail file. He just loves to beat the guys with $3000 guns with that hideous looking thing. He cut the rib between the pillars, I'm sure on purpose. But he is more of a rebel than I am. And he spent alot more time (and money) practicing with it than I have to devote, at least for now.

I did like the feel of that Bakail. But that alone is not enough reason to buy it.

Thanks.

[Mescalero]

Sounds like you really want it, maybe you should get it with the reality that it will not do ALL that you want it to.

[Mescalero]

Gunbroker has a real nice Nobel ( not a high quality shotgun ) but it looks real clean.
Last time I looked it was 130.00 dollars.
look in double shotguns.

[Mescalero]

20 guage

[jager3]

Junk - I own a 28 gauge Bakail and it is an excellent, inexpensive double. Its chokes are "fixed" I.C/Mod; it patterns well, locks up tight, and has little recoil. It is not an "all around" gauge, but far more effective than a .410 bore in my opinion. Matter of fact, its bore at .550 makes it a lot closer to the 20 gauge (.615) than the .410 bore. While 28 shot shells are more expensive than the 12 or 20, Fiocchi or Estate are not as expensive as .410 shells, especially if bought once a year by the case. Its "niche" is shooting smaller species of game requiring quick reflexes and fast acquisition such as quail, dove, and grouse where a bigger gun tends to "slow you down". It may not be as practical as a 20, it is just as effective on the game mentioned. It becomes "over matched" when you try to "stretch" it for ducks, deer, and late season Pheasant that flush too far out. Hey, but you have a 12 gauge that will handle the heavier end of that spectrum and and longer ranges (an extra barrel for your 870 is always an option). Good luck!

[guntar]

I have some experience with the 28, but in an O/U. The 3/4 oz. payload is very efficient, and standard loads are faster than standard loads for other calibers. If you use it with appropriate shot sizes, it will handle doves, quail, and the like out to 35 yds. Trying to make it into anything else, like a duck gun, is probably a job for your 12 ga. Most people find 28's are quicker to handle, and easier to hit with. The 410 has a maximum payload of 1/2 oz. vs. the 3/4 oz. load of the 28, a 50% differential. The standard load of the 20 ga. is 7/8 oz., which is only a differential of about 17%. Clearly you want to compare the 28 to the 20 when you are comparing performance.

[gamekeeper]

I've had two 28GA shotguns and I was impressed by how effective they were on Rabbits and Wood Pigeons, my son now has my Remington Express 28GA and loves it, my G/F has my Rossi single shot 28GA and won't give it back
I have two .410s a 16GA and a 12GA but if I had only one shotgun I would not feel under gunned with a 28GA unless I was after Ducks and Geese.
I too was going to try a round ball load as the 28GA is close to a .54 muzzle loader.

Before GK Jr. got his hands on my Remington.

[86er]

I use a 28b for all upland game beside sage grouse and I have never had a problem killing them dead when they are flushed in front of a dog. For dove, I shoot right along with the other bore sizes out to 40 yds and do as good or better. After all, you can put a full ounce (and in some specialty cartridges - more) in a 28b if you want to. I tend to stick to 3/4 ounce loads. Some of the effectiveness comes from the shot column diameter as it leaves the barrel. It results in more uniform patterns and less shot stringing. The Baikal is a heavy gun for a 28 and does not come particularly well balanced. Some of these attributes can be improved with a little time, money and ingenuity. As far as "bullets", I know one guy that loads .54 cal muzzleloader sabotted bullets in a shot wad with the load being equivalent to a little less than 3/4 ounce bullets. His shotgun hits a 8.5X11" paper 2 times at 25 yards, although the point of impact on the paper is anyones guess from round to round. He uses it for shooting hogs that are bayed or trapped by dogs. The range is very close and he can see what it going on while peering down the rib past the bead. He can also shoot twice if necessary without any mechanical noise from the gun that might distract the dogs or aggitate the hog that is mad enough at this point. There are ball loads out there too, usually 190 grain - less than a 1/2 ounce. I have no experience with the ball loads.

[Rusty]

Junk, just a thought you might want to try looking harder for a shorter barrel for your 870 and try not to cut your full choke barrel. In some circles where they shoot turkey shoot matches those Remington barrels are hard to come by. A smith I talked to several years ago in Va. said 870's made the best guns for his sport. I'd save that barrel and order direct from Remington it you need to.

[Nath]

Never used one! Would like one myself!

I have seen them at driven pheasant shoots with regularity over here and from what I have observed lack in nothing really. The Fiocchi loads seam in particular strong!

Nath.

[rjohns94]

I have had one 28 bore and my records show that I shot it better on dove and pigeons in California than any other shotgun I have owned except one 12 bore citori. The 28 is a great shotgun. I traded into mine, a SKB o/u in 28 was received and I gave a PSE compound. I never considered shooting ball ammo or slugs out of it. It was a great upland bird and game gun though

[Marlin32]

People using 28ga shotguns to hunt are just dumb. I use my 24ga, much more effective. Twenty eight, geesh.

[6pt-sika]

The 28 gauge was my preferred gauge shooting competitive skeet . It was also the first gauge I ever went 100 straight with and I typically carreid my highest average with the 28 followed by the 20 and then the 12 and lastly the 410 . I read somewhere a number of years ago that the two most ballistically efficient shotgun loads at 1200 FPS were the 16 gauge with an ounce of shot and the 28 gauge with a 3/4 ounce load of shot . And from years of shooting both I tend to believe it .

The 28 gauge was the only one I ever came close to having a 99% average in at the end of the year when I shot minnimums . So to say I'm a bit biased would be an understatement .

The 28 has taken game farm pheasents on many occasions for me . But I'm not sure I'd wanna use it for deer with roundball loads . For me a 20 gauge is about as small as I wanna go when deer may be the objective or atleast thats what I "assume" you wanna shoot roundballs with .

[Lastmohecken]

I had a 28ga CZ Bobwhite side by side for a while. The CZ was sized right for the gage, and was a super light death ray on Pheasant and Chuker out to 35yds or so over dogs.

I found that the 28 seemed to shoot as hard and effective as a twenty gage, and is a heck of a lot more gun the a .410. It's a shame that it is not more common, but ammo is not hard to come by, some of the stores used to carry it around here, and you can order on line by the case, so that is really no problem.

Also, a side benifit for the 28 for hunting is a couple of boxes of shells in your hunting vest are a lot lighter then the larger gages, and couple that with a 5lb well porportioned 28 and you can walk a lot more without getting tired and still be lightening fast on a sudden rise of an unannounced bird which will often make up for the slightly less range compared to a heavier 20 or 12ga, also the recoil is very mild for the killing power the 28 does have.

The one down side, I found was backing up someone else who has missed a bird, because the 28 didn't do too good past 35yds for me, but boy inside 35yds it was a death ray.

If I ever find a good deal on a Merkel side by side baby frame 28ga I may just have to spend the money on it.

[junkbug]

Thanks for all the replies guys. Now I really do have a lot to think about.


Sean