28 gauge sxs shotguns

[jimmy milnes]

So I'm in the market for a lightweight sxs fir shooting over the pointers.
I was looking at 20g however having seen a few videos on YouTube I'm considering a 28g now.
Does anyone have real experience of walked up pheasants ect with the calibre please.
Cheers
Jimmy

 

[deerstalker.308]

So I'm in the market for a lightweight sxs fir shooting over the pointers.
I was looking at 20g however having seen a few videos on YouTube I'm considering a 28g now.
Does anyone have real experience of walked up pheasants ect with the calibre please.
Cheers
Jimmy

Yes, and woodcock, snipe and duck. Bloody brilliant gun. Fantastic sport and decisive if you’re on your mark
Non toxic is a bit eye watering but unless you’re shooting lots that’s really not a massive issue

 

[User00053]

No, but have loaded for one or two who use them and marvelled at others on very testing birds now on hunt for a 28 pump gun.
Interestingly zero or little choke was the common factor including a pair of purdey o/u made to order and used exclusively on game world wide.
Said since having them made his two pair of bespoke purdey 20 bores only got used on ducks.

 

[Greenmist]

I have a leech 28b sxs, very lightweight, points beautifully, never used it on pheasants although I have shot grouse with it, both walked up and driven

 

[Tugmanade]

I use an over/under 28g for the first few weeks on our little walked up shoot, cracking little gun & just the job, using 23/24g 5’s, so light to carry around & more than capable for the job.

Ade

 

[Jamouk]

Got a little aya cracking little gun !

 

[Dodder]

I have a leech 28b sxs, very lightweight, points beautifully, never used it on pheasants although I have shot grouse with it, both walked up and driven

Nearly 50yrs a schoolfriend had a 20b Leech sxs when I was using a Baikal 12b sxs. OMG how I fell in love with that little gun - it handled like a magic wand compared to my Baikal! I have always kept an eye out for one ever since but never come across one in 20b, let alone 28b. I currently have a nice Webley 20b sxs, but would love a Leech - do let me know if you should ever consider parting with it please!

 

[EssBee]

I have used my Beretta O/U 28g for a number of years now for walked-up partridge shooting over dogs and some syndicate pheasant it's a nice gun to use.
I wisely bought a 2nd hand reloading press from the USA and reloaded both lead and steel shot ( given the outrageous cost of 28g cartridges) and the lack of affordable non-toxic alternatives to lead.
I can fully understand your desire to buy a 28g sxs. Good luck.

 

[sir-lamp-alot]

Cant really comment on a 28bore as to be fair Ive only ever fired 1 shot through one which I was invited to have a go with by the shoot captain when I was a boy on the end of the day duck drive, he had borrowed the gun for the day and was telling me how bad it was ect ect and as the 1st duck came over my I folded it up a treat to which he got in a pi55er about having a 14 year old lad wiping his eye and proptly took it back. But what I will say is though as good and capable as the 28 bore is personally if I was looking for the romance and personal test of taking game with a small bore shotgun I would go the whole hog (well almost if you discount the 9mm garden gun) and look for a .410 but thats not to knock or discredit the 28

 

[enfieldspares]

Well, now, I too had that 28 bore itch.

Then did some research and actually looked at auction websites where the weight of these is given against the maker's 20 bore of the same time type. So in reality you are comparing, say, Ugartechea with AYA or such. Subject to the length of stock and density of the wood a SBS 20 bore in 70mm will wight from 5lbs 8ozs to 5lbs 14ozs. A SBS 28 bore in 70mm about a mere five ounces less like for like.

Truth is there's little real weight saving and a lot more utility for that loss of any supposed benefit or a "lighter" gun. IMHO a light loaded 20 bore with the old classic 2 1/2" loading of 13/16 ounce will outperform a souped up 2 3/4" 28 bore with today's 23 gram load even though 13/16 ounce and 23 grams are the same payload. And if and when non-toxic becomes mandatory that 20 bore be far less costly to feed.

I am of the LAMPALOT school and, yes, acquired an AYA No4 in .410" which I will use with 2 1/2" cartridges such as the excellent Eley Trap for practice and, maybe Eley 3" Subsonic for live quarry.

 

[Stalker-of-the-deer]

I've shot lots of walked up with my 28 bore, they are brilliant little guns.

18 or 21 gram of 6 seems to do the business!

Pocket full of cartridges weighs nothing

 

[Heym SR20]

I was just doing some 28 Bore research, and this little video popped - 28 bore bar in wood hammer gun by Purdey with a superb history

 

[Lloyd90]

Yes, and woodcock, snipe and duck. Bloody brilliant gun. Fantastic sport and decisive if you’re on your mark
Non toxic is a bit eye watering but unless you’re shooting lots that’s really not a massive issue

Is that an AYA?

 

[deerstalker.308]

Is that an AYA?

Yes #4

 

[Bo Diddley]

Nearly 50yrs a schoolfriend had a 20b Leech sxs when I was using a Baikal 12b sxs. OMG how I fell in love with that little gun - it handled like a magic wand compared to my Baikal! I have always kept an eye out for one ever since but never come across one in 20b, let alone 28b. I currently have a nice Webley 20b sxs, but would love a Leech - do let me know if you should ever consider parting with it please!

There is one for sale in the classifieds, £1400, a William Leech 28g.

 

[Smellydog]

Friend of mine shot one for years, it lacked nothing!

 

[Ratel]

I had one for a few years but got persuaded by a friend to sell it to him. A bad move, he rarely misses with it. A great little gun, killed a lot of high birds with it but I returned to my old English sidelock as I now only shoot occasionally and mostly non game birds or rabbits.

 

[Lloyd90]

Yes #4

Are they on a scaled action or a 20 bore action?

Looking for one for my nephew / daughter to use in future but not looking for anything big money.

 

[enfieldspares]

Are they on a scaled action or a 20 bore action?

Looking for one for my nephew / daughter to use in future but not looking for anything big money.

AYA side by side guns are on correct scaled actions for each gauge 12, 16, 20, 28 and .410". However some other makes of gun are not. I once had a Spanish side by side with twenty-six inch barrels .410" that weighed 6lbs 4oz!

 

[deerstalker.308]

Are they on a scaled action or a 20 bore action?

Looking for one for my nephew / daughter to use in future but not looking for anything big money.

No, true to caliber, joy to shoot, lightweight and pointy