28 gauge or 410 pros and con?

[Cumbrian 1]

Have you looked at the beretta A400 lite in 20 bore, shim system for comb height and adjustable length.

 

[Crowstalker]

Have you looked at the beretta A400 lite in 20 bore, shim system for comb height and adjustable length.

No but I will now thank you.

 

[Rhodesianjess]

I watch a lot of people shoot during a season, we're private here so a lot of guests not just the same syndicate faces with two guests per day.
A 410 is a difficult gun to use effectively, by which I mean not just selected shot but every bird offered ie not just the ones over your peg but pricked ones behind a neighbour that need dropping if safe to do so.
28 bore better for most people but still needs good marksmanship for effective all round use. Even stepping up the shot load doesn't help, I've picked up cases around pegs that are equivalent to 16 bore loads. Why bother, just use correct size gun for the load?
12 loads of 21 grams are effective, using smaller shot to up pattern density. May well suit your memsahib with negligible recoil. Giving her a light 28 and putting large loads through it won't help with recoil unless it's a heavy gun. Sort of defeats the issue.
20 bore can be found of light weight and using reasonable ie 21gram or thereabouts loads may well be the answer. I've picked up 32 gram 5's cases,bet they're fun in a light gun, firing a slab a day
Personally I would find a gun that fits her, adjust the load used towards the lighter end,try on clays and see how things go. Best of luck in your search.

 

[Scapegoat]

.410 is great with the right loads. 18g no 6 shot on lowland arable partridge.

 

[Bowland blades]

There's a joy in shooting 28 bore. Don't go over 24gr. Enjoy one now, and live in hope that the future will not be as bleak as some forecast.
I think you can get a 28b semi auto, which,if action specific, should be a very fleet and low recoiling thing, Armsan maybe ?

you touch on an important point here nearly all modern 28 bores are actually 20 bores with 28 bore barrels , pointles in my opinion especially when 21-24 gram loads work pretty good in the 20 bore

 

[Smellydog]

It may help with some coaching on mounting a gun with a dedicated fit for the person.
Many time I've seen women trying to handle a to large a gun for them.
They look like they just want to get it over with and invariably get some recoil slam into them.
Get a short stock if the lady is smallish and she will tuck into the gun better and then there is no recoil slam. She and the gun become one and both absorb recoil in a controlled manner.

 

[Essexsussex]

This is why I like asking stuff on here so many different and equally valid points, its making me think one moment a 20b will be the right choice then someone comes along and says XYZ and I'm thinking ah 28g would be better

I think maybe just bring the Mrs along and see what actually fits her regardless of bore. That will probably be a far greater point over what bore.

That’s your answer there - get a gun she likes the fit of and match the load to the bore.

 

[VSS]

.410 is a fantastic little gun in it's place - I wouldn't be without one - but a 20b would be most appropriate for the usage that you've described.

 

[Stalker-of-the-deer]

The whole point of a 28 bore is not the practicality of it, its the enjoyment you get out of it. Yes I can shoot 21 gram out of a 20 but what's the point, they kill the exact same and I get mor enjoyment out my 28! nothing beats a pocket full of cartridges and a game bag over the shoulder and a wander about.

What I don't see the point in is having a 28 bore and stoking it up with 28 gram or having a 20 bore and throwing 32 grams through it in which case use a 12 bore.

 

[JTO]

What I don't see the point in is having a 28 bore and stoking it up with 28 gram or having a 20 bore and throwing 32 grams through it in which case use a 12 bore.

Just about sums it up.

 

[A Guy Out West]

28g with light loads is great to shoot, and far more forgiving than a .410. As above, perfectly adequate for all but the extreme birds (with appropriate game loads, 21g and up).

This.

 

[6pt-sika]

I’ve shot both quite a lot at skeet and sporting . And killed a fair number of quail and dove with both . Even gone so far as shooting pheasants and partridge with the 28 . FWIW in my skeet shooting hey day I was AA/AAA across the board but for years my highest average gauge wise was always the 28 . The 12-20 and 28 I always carried a year end average of over 98% and the 28 was always a tenth better .

 

[deerstalker.308]

A 28 bore bag……. Quite good I’d say! Walked miles and didn’t have a sore arm from lugging a heavy gun.

 

[Leupsak]

Been there done that!!
My wife and daughters loved the light weight of the little 410 but their scores were disappointing, tried a 28b and loved it and their scores went up, I then had them try a 20b with light loads which was the same weight and dimensions as the 28b and there was no difference in their mind so bought the 20b as 20b cartridges were so much cheaper with more choice.
Been a few years and don't regret the decision at all as I didn't realise how much they would enjoy visiting the clay ground on a summer afternoon in the years to come, a 28b would have been more costly to feed with a wife and 3 daughters using the gun!!!!!

However, having said that if there wasn't a 20b that they liked I would have bought the 28b as £25 a slab more is worth it if you find the right gun, take your wife shopping and see what's available, "happy wife = happy life"

 

[sir-lamp-alot]

Try and get her on a 20 the .410 and 28 will both kill without a doubt but your asking a novice to kill birds that experienced people find challenging buy your asking her to do it with a teaspoon of shot and a tiny pattern.

 

[Crowstalker]

Some very legitimate points for 20 bore and 28 coming out, if I got a 20 bore I would probably be loading it with 18-21ish gram loads anyway but then again I can load it with heavier loads and there is a great choice of loads for it. I would never need to go mad with heavy loads as others have stated that's what a 12bore is for!

It's like being stuck between a rock and a hard place!

 

[Malxwal]

Some very legitimate points for 20 bore and 28 coming out, if I got a 20 bore I would probably be loading it with 18-21ish gram loads anyway but then again I can load it with heavier loads and there is a great choice of loads for it. I would never need to go mad with heavy loads as others have stated that's what a 12bore is for!

It's like being stuck between a rock and a hard place!

The annoying thing about 20bore, is that I cannot, as yet, find cartridges lighter than 21g. An 18g load for clays would be great.

 

[JTO]

I was brought up never to have a 20 bore and a 12 bore in the same house.
I know of one person who blew his thumb off and another who would have if he hadn't spotted his mistake in time.
I used to think that 20 bore cartridges were deliberately coloured to avoid it.

 

[Smellydog]

I was brought up never to have a 20 bore and a 12 bore in the same house.
I know of one person who blew his thumb off and another who would have if he hadn't spotted his mistake in time.
I used to think that 20 bore cartridges were deliberately coloured to avoid it.

I was pigeon shooting as a lad once and had a rogue 20g in amongst my pocket of 12g. I went and loaded it and got confused when nothing happened on a bird....so I opened the gun and loaded a 12g on top of the unknown at the time 20g.... fortunately a bird didn't arrive before the cogs moved in my thick head and I took a look in the breech! Oh I felt the blood drain to my feet!!

 

[Crowstalker]

I was pigeon shooting as a lad once and had a rogue 20g in amongst my pocket of 12g. I went and loaded it and got confused when nothing happened on a bird....so I opened the gun and loaded a 12g on top of the unknown at the time 20g.... fortunately a bird didn't arrive before the cogs moved in my thick head and I took a look in the breech! Oh I felt the blood drain to my feet!!

I think this had ruled out a 20 bore for me, I would rather completely eliminate that possibility than take even the slightest chance.

I for one have a habit of putting cartridges in my pocket when shooting and I am sure others are the same when the birds are coming in thick and fast you don't think about what cartridges you pull out you just get one and get it in the gun and shoot.