28 ga Smootbore For Hunting

[Jerry]

Would like some feed back on hunting with a 28 gage smooth bore. Load suggestions welcome. Turkey, squirrel, and, grouse. Thanks, Jerry

[Nordnecker]

I hunted with one for while. Sold it and got another Bbl ordered right now. I miss having it. Mine wouldn't pattern with anything larger than #5 shot.
I'm looking forward to other's responses.

[Daryl]

28 bore = .54 approx. 60 to 65gr. 2F and 3/4 to 1oz #5 shot.
Pattern it with a variety of loads. Heavy over=powder felt or fiber wads might destroy patterns.
Try double over-shot wads over powder, then shot, then single over-shot wad.
Try post-it note paper rolled with shot inside, including wad or not. Your choice.
These should help with patterns. If so use them, if not, don't.
Some guys use bank-rolls (for coins) for the same thing - depends on sizing.
If you come across a load that patterns well, re-test a number of times to see if
you can trust it. If good- WRITE IT DOWN.
Moist long barreled .54 smoothies shoot well with patched round balls as well.

[Silky921]

I've got one with a 48" barrel made from Keb here on the forum. Haven't patterned it a ton with shot, but it has done well when I have. With a prb and 60 grains, it shoots better than me.

I absolutely love the darn thing.

[Jerry]

Thanks, I have enjoyed everyone's comments. Looking forward to more. Very interesting how powder, cards, shot, and over shot cards give better patterns. Thanks!

[Brokennock]

Great gauge for small and upland game, or larger game with round ball, be sure to try patched ball as well as bare ball sandwiched between wads. Also try the "Skychief load" with shot. Not to sure about turkey with a 28 gauge, unless you're really good at calling them in really close, and passing on shots even slightly outside your effective pattern range. And of course check your state regulations regarding minimum, if any, gauge for turkey hunting.

[Daryl]

Thanks, I have enjoyed everyone's comments. Looking forward to more. Very interesting how powder, cards, shot, and over shot cards give better patterns. Thanks!

Jerry- many guys find if using the old 'standard wads' for paper shotshells, that being , hard card over powder, then fiber cushion, the shot, then thin card, that the heavy fibre and card wad push through the shot cloud close to the muzzle and can actually shoot donuts shaped patterns, with a large hole in the middle.  This happens in non-choked gun barrels.  Guns with jug chokes and guns with more modern choked muzzles do not have this donutting problem.

WW Greener, long time gun makers in England actually photographed this phenomenon in the early 1900's or shot clouds leaving both cylinder and choked bores.  With the cylinder bore, the wads were pushing through the shot column, opening it up, while the 'shadow-graph' showed the choked barrel had actually held the wads back from the concentrated shot, which allowed the shot to remain concentrated together. This translated into good, even patterns.

These types of pictures along with a history of choking smoothbores, is all documented in "The Gun and it's Development" by W.W. Greener. I have the 9th edition. The 1st edition was written in 1858, by W. Greener, W.W. Greener's father, also a prominent, well known gun maker & experimenter at that time.

The book is 781 pages not counting the credits nor adds & extra pictures of the day.

Most of the book pertains to smoothbores and shot, while the last 150 or so pages (from 620 onward) pertain to rifles, history, etc.