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Looking for a reasonably priced 28 gauge

16K views 54 replies 37 participants last post by  oldbirdhntr 
#1 ·
I use my 12 gauge Browning Crossover Target for Trap and Sporting Clays. When I want a lighter gun for two or three rounds of Sporting Clays, I use my Beretta A300. I like both guns and shoot them as well as I can, which is enjoyable for me. Now, just for ****s and giggles, I'm interested in pursuing an inexpensive 28 gauge gun. Will only use it three or four times a year. My goal is to keep it less than $1000 bucks. Thank's Guys!
 
#33 ·
A 28 gauge gun is for the moments when you want to put aside the rude, larger bores and enjoy the smallest gauge shotgun that retains the ability to be an effective shotgun at all casual clay target sports and upland game hunting. It should be a very nice gun, one you are proud of. A 28 gauge is a luxury item. It should be light, six pounds is ideal, and never a large gun with a small barrel cobbled on it. The 28 gauge gun should be on a 28 gauge sized action.

I own a Ruger Red Label 28 gauge and a Tristar Italian made 28 gauge side by side double. Neither are available as new guns. I like my RRL 28 gauge, but I just love my light, small, little Italian 28 gauge side by side.

Of the repeaters, only the Ithaca Model 37 28 gauge tempts me in the slightest.

Sheriff Jim Wilson and I share a common fondness for the 28 gauge.

http://www.shootingtimes.com/long-guns/ ... ge_073106/

Today, the best value in a true 28 gauge side by side are the CZ Huglu offerings.

I have a 20 gauge CZ Huglu side by side, and if I didn't already have that excellent Tristar 28 gauge side by side I'd sure be looking for a CZ 28 gauge side by side.

The guns are offered on gunbroker, and sometimes on the classifieds of this forum.

Buy the best one you can find, that has double triggers and preferably with a color case hardened action, and nice wood.

The 28 gauge is supposed to be a gentleman's gun.

Buy one you can be proud to own, is my advice.

The gun shops are full of powerful, efficient blasters designed to maximize the number of birds killed and targets broken.

The 28 gauge is a gift to yourself for having arrived at a point where the experience of shooting a nimble little 28 gauge is more important than scores or bag counts.
 
#34 ·
All this talk of 28 gauge options has prompted me to take my own advice...yep, just bought me a brand new Weatherby SA-08 Deluxe 28 gauge with the 28" barrel! Can't wait to shoot it, as I've had my eye on this gun for about 2 years now.

Got it from Buds for $687 shipped, including insurance. With my FFL, the total price out the door will be $707, which I consider to be pretty darn good for such a beautiful gun. About $100 less than if I'd purchased it from a local Texas retailer.

Now to figure out how to explain this to the wife...I think I'll just blame Slugo for starting this whole conversation and putting the idea back in my head!
 
#39 ·
My 28 gauge is a Browning BPS with a 28" barrel. I shoot it a couple of times a year for fun. At about $600 new, you'll be hard pressed to find a better fun:dollar option.
 
#41 ·
SuperXOne said:
Slugo said:
I use my 12 gauge Browning Crossover Target for Trap and Sporting Clays. When I want a lighter gun for two or three rounds of Sporting Clays, I use my Beretta A300. I like both guns and shoot them as well as I can, which is enjoyable for me. Now, just for ****s and giggles, I'm interested in pursuing an inexpensive 28 gauge gun. Will only use it three or four times a year. My goal is to keep it less than $1000 bucks. Thank's Guys!
A 28 gauge gun is for the moments when you want to put aside the rude, larger bores and enjoy the smallest gauge shotgun that retains the ability to be an effective shotgun at all casual clay target sports and upland game hunting. It should be a very nice gun, one you are proud of. A 28 gauge is a luxury item. It should be light, six pounds is ideal, and never a large gun with a small barrel cobbled on it. The 28 gauge gun should be on a 28 gauge sized action.

I own a Ruger Red Label 28 gauge and a Tristar Italian made 28 gauge side by side double. Neither are available as new guns. I like my RRL 28 gauge, but I just love my light, small, little Italian 28 gauge side by side.

Of the repeaters, only the Ithaca Model 37 28 gauge tempts me in the slightest.

Sheriff Jim Wilson and I share a common fondness for the 28 gauge.

http://www.shootingtimes.com/long-guns/ ... ge_073106/

Today, the best value in a true 28 gauge side by side are the CZ Huglu offerings.

I have a 20 gauge CZ Huglu side by side, and if I didn't already have that excellent Tristar 28 gauge side by side I'd sure be looking for a CZ 28 gauge side by side.

The guns are offered on gunbroker, and sometimes on the classifieds of this forum.

Buy the best one you can find, that has double triggers and preferably with a color case hardened action, and nice wood.

The 28 gauge is supposed to be a gentleman's gun.

Buy one you can be proud to own, is my advice.

The gun shops are full of powerful, efficient blasters designed to maximize the number of birds killed and targets broken.

The 28 gauge is a gift to yourself for having arrived at a point where the experience of shooting a nimble little 28 gauge is more important than scores or bag counts.
Well said and true....Beretta A400 and Citori my fave 28ga
 
#42 ·
SuperXOne said:
Slugo said:
I use my 12 gauge Browning Crossover Target for Trap and Sporting Clays. When I want a lighter gun for two or three rounds of Sporting Clays, I use my Beretta A300. I like both guns and shoot them as well as I can, which is enjoyable for me. Now, just for ****s and giggles, I'm interested in pursuing an inexpensive 28 gauge gun. Will only use it three or four times a year. My goal is to keep it less than $1000 bucks. Thank's Guys!
A 28 gauge gun is for the moments when you want to put aside the rude, larger bores and enjoy the smallest gauge shotgun that retains the ability to be an effective shotgun at all casual clay target sports and upland game hunting. It should be a very nice gun, one you are proud of. A 28 gauge is a luxury item. It should be light, six pounds is ideal, and never a large gun with a small barrel cobbled on it. The 28 gauge gun should be on a 28 gauge sized action.

I own a Ruger Red Label 28 gauge and a Tristar Italian made 28 gauge side by side double. Neither are available as new guns. I like my RRL 28 gauge, but I just love my light, small, little Italian 28 gauge side by side.

Of the repeaters, only the Ithaca Model 37 28 gauge tempts me in the slightest.

Sheriff Jim Wilson and I share a common fondness for the 28 gauge.

http://www.shootingtimes.com/long-guns/ ... ge_073106/

Today, the best value in a true 28 gauge side by side are the CZ Huglu offerings.

I have a 20 gauge CZ Huglu side by side, and if I didn't already have that excellent Tristar 28 gauge side by side I'd sure be looking for a CZ 28 gauge side by side.

The guns are offered on gunbroker, and sometimes on the classifieds of this forum.

Buy the best one you can find, that has double triggers and preferably with a color case hardened action, and nice wood.

The 28 gauge is supposed to be a gentleman's gun.

Buy one you can be proud to own, is my advice.

The gun shops are full of powerful, efficient blasters designed to maximize the number of birds killed and targets broken.

The 28 gauge is a gift to yourself for having arrived at a point where the experience of shooting a nimble little 28 gauge is more important than scores or bag counts.
My sentiments mirror yours and those of the good Sheriff in a lot of ways. I have shotguns from .410 bore to 12 gauge and I don't own a single one that I don't like. I also own a Ruger Red Label 28 gauge, and I probably shoot it better than any gun I own. Mine is a "special edition" with nice engraving (likely rolled, possibly laser) and a couple of inlays of quail and dogs on the receiver, and 26 inch barrels. I love this gun in the pinewoods and wiregrass country chasing quail.

And I agree with you on repeaters. I have two older Ithacas - 12 and 20 gauge and grew up shooting these fine repeaters. The older guns are light and lively, eacj weighing less than 6-1/2 pounds. I don't have a 28 gauge Model 37, but wish I could find one to my liking. Last time I checked with Ithaca, the AAA grade gun was not available because their engraver had passed away. Since it should be a fine gun, I want something above and beyond the standard Ithaca roll engraved birds and dogs scene.

My other love is my 28 gauge Dickinson SxS - beautiful wood, real case hardened receiver as opposed to chemically colored offering so common today, and perfect balance with 28 inch barrels, double triggers, English straight stock, and splinter forend. It weighs 5 lbs 4 ounces and is a joy to carry all day. I have it's twin in 20 gauge and sometimes it's hard to pick between the two.

And that is where I depart from your sentiments. I think the Dickinsons are the best value in a SxS these days. I owned a 28 gauge CZ Ringneck and shot it pretty well, but it just didn't come close to comparing to the Dickinson. It was half a pound heavier, sported black chrome barrels instead of nice polished bluing, dull chemical case coloring rather than the beautiful bone charcoal color case hardening, and dull dark finish on the wood that sometimes obscures nice grain underneath. Admittedly, the Dickinson cost a couple hundred more, but the difference in quality and finish makes that irrelevant to me.

Taking that one step further, CZ-USA now only offers one SxS - the Sharptail. It is available in 28 gauge for sure, but with a full pistol grip, the same chemical case coloring, weighs the same as the Ringneck. It just doesn't do it for me as a SxS for very nearly the same money as the higher quality Dickinson.

There's nothing wrong with the CZ offerings - they are good guns for the money but just don't compare with the Dickinsons. I sometimes wish I had kept the Ringneck - it was a fun little gun, but with the much nicer Dickinson in my safe, I just wouldn't shoot it that much.

With the right combination of choke and ammunition, the 28 gauge will do the job on anything smaller than waterfowl, and even that is debatable. No matter - I do love my 28 gauge guns and shoot them more than any other gun I own.
 
#43 ·
DallasCMT said:
Slidertom said:
Where do you find these SA-08 in 28ga?
They are not as plentiful since the recall. Looks like Bud's has one:

https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/mob ... _28ga_28in
Thank you. I did in fact start seeing them recently.
There is also a new player. Mossberg International SA-28. This looks very nice. I believe I saw this at slickguns.com. Also on Mossberg's site.
Think I'll be looking at one of these instead of another guitar. Already have two Telecaster's; not a 28ga. Yet. :)
 
#45 ·
Have you had any issues with your Ithaca?
 
#46 ·
oneounceload said:
Have you had any issues with your Ithaca?
It has been very reliable, I did have a few failure to feed from the magazine with reloads but no issues at all with factory loads, I figured out that some of the reloads have the rim grow several thousandths and that was enough for the shell to hang up on the shell stop.

I've let a few friends shoot it and they also love the way it handles and breaks birds.
 
#47 ·
I have been doing almost all my hunting for about 10 years with a 28 ga Ugartechea GRII, 27 in barrels and just a bit over 5 pounds. I think they are getting a little hard to come by now, but I also saw a SHOT show video about an FAIR double 28 with choke tubes and double triggers that has an MSRP pf $1450. It looks like it would make a nice hunting gun as well, the Italian guns are normally stocked a little straighter also, which I like. I've shot plenty of SD pheasants, quail, etc. with mine.
 
#48 ·
I have three Yildiz SPZ ME 28 gauge shotguns in my household. My son's was the first, and I had to have one after shooting his. My daughter's has the hard to find 26" barrels, the other two have 28" tubes.

These have given us reliable, trouble-free service. The barrels are properly regulated, the guns all pattern well with AA Super Sporting fodder that we commonly shoot... I like the mechanical trigger that doesn't require inertia to reset for the second shot. Chrome lined bores and chambers make clean up a breeze. I like the satin-black chrome exterior barrel finish on these. Very nice lumber on these guns, especially at their price point. Not much about them we don't like.
 
#49 ·
You beat me to the same comment, but I only have one Yildiz SPZ ME 28ga. I bought it so I could have a 28 to play with, but knew I wouldn't shoot it much because of the price of 28 gauge shells. It's been reliable, no issues there. It's not made as well as a Browning or Beretta but I've had no problem with it after a couple of flats of shells. Nice wood, not a bad OU for $449. Problem is, you can only buy them new at Academy Sports.
 
#50 ·
My son bought a new CZ 28 gauge O/U 2 years ago. It is a field style gun with 28 inch barrels.

He hunts grouse with it and shoots 2-3 sub gauge sporting events a year with it and loves the gun.

They have probably gone up some but he paid about $650 for it.
 
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