When i first stared shootin the 28ga, i had the same mindset, with a smaller payload, i'll need tighter chokes.
I took the o/u 28ga dove hunting, and put in a mod and a imp.mod choke, i couldn't hit squat opening morning,then i finally got a good crosser that was a little ways away, and finally hit one of the little buggers with the mod choke, and it just hammered it!!!!
That's when i realized, i've got too much choke.
I went back to the truck and switched to I.C./ Mod.
I then started hitting birds great, almost couldn't miss with the I.C. choke on the first bbl.
I've also noticed the same thing pheasant hunting, i have a 12ga SxS mod/full, and have a heck of a time hittin roosters with it, if i do hit em, it's usually on the edge of the pattern and wounds them, it's a rare occasion indeed, when you actually "center" a rooster in the pattern, unless you shootin preserve birds, and i'm no pathetic shot,i just started shootin NSCA early this year, i won my states NSCA D class this year,punching me into C class, and i still have a hard time centering wild roosters with any regularity with tight chokes, i do much better with more open chokes by far, it fills out the edge of the pattern where you need more density.
Wild roosters have an uncanny ability to take subtle little angles that are hard to discern, sometimes "slightly" up or down, or sideways,and makes really centering them perfectly a real challenge indeed.
I'd go with the open choked 28ga. you'll be surprised how well it'll work.
As for 1oz 28 loads, forget it, 3/4oz work just as good if not better.1oz loads usually don't have anything resembling a wad, and usually pattern much worse than the 3/4oz loads.
my .02
I took the o/u 28ga dove hunting, and put in a mod and a imp.mod choke, i couldn't hit squat opening morning,then i finally got a good crosser that was a little ways away, and finally hit one of the little buggers with the mod choke, and it just hammered it!!!!
That's when i realized, i've got too much choke.
I went back to the truck and switched to I.C./ Mod.
I then started hitting birds great, almost couldn't miss with the I.C. choke on the first bbl.
I've also noticed the same thing pheasant hunting, i have a 12ga SxS mod/full, and have a heck of a time hittin roosters with it, if i do hit em, it's usually on the edge of the pattern and wounds them, it's a rare occasion indeed, when you actually "center" a rooster in the pattern, unless you shootin preserve birds, and i'm no pathetic shot,i just started shootin NSCA early this year, i won my states NSCA D class this year,punching me into C class, and i still have a hard time centering wild roosters with any regularity with tight chokes, i do much better with more open chokes by far, it fills out the edge of the pattern where you need more density.
Wild roosters have an uncanny ability to take subtle little angles that are hard to discern, sometimes "slightly" up or down, or sideways,and makes really centering them perfectly a real challenge indeed.
I'd go with the open choked 28ga. you'll be surprised how well it'll work.
As for 1oz 28 loads, forget it, 3/4oz work just as good if not better.1oz loads usually don't have anything resembling a wad, and usually pattern much worse than the 3/4oz loads.
my .02
Good for ya, mate! Ol' Jacko was a right knowledgeable man where guns and hunting were concerned. Always need to keep in mind, though, that he was shooting scopes and ammo (both rifle and ******) that were at least very different from our modern stuff. Some would say the old stuff was inferior, but I do NOT want to stir up that hornet's nest!!! Keep us posted on the 28 and how it behaves for ya.
