Best Guns

[Incahoots]

Have a Ruger Red Label in 28 guage and it's just plain deadly. I've had more clean dead on the spot kills with it then I've ever had with the 12 ga, 16, and 20 ga. I bought a 28 guage for a "challenge" but there is no challenge it kills them dead. The power of a gauge is deceptive as there is no true power advantage. A 6 shot pellet out of a 28 guage is as deadly as a 6 shot out of a 12 ga. That's the fact. The 12 just holds more pellets and powder however with more pellets you get more string effect which takes away from pattern. Haveing 2 or 3 pellet pattern in the same spot is redundant.

The weight issue is more based on fit and frame. A 28 gauge on a 20 guage is fine but it's not a true 28 and never will. Many 28 guages built on a true 28 guage frame are very fast to swing onto target. From my use I'ds say the 28 is capable of doing just about a 20 can do.

[gwyoung]

Incahoots, let's take them one at a time. First off a shot pellet of any size can be driven at a higher velocity from a 12 ga. and therefore said pellet has more energy or power than the slower same sized pellet from a 28 ga. And something else you are not considering shotguns normally kill by multiple hits. a #6 pellet at 30 yards fired at high velocity from any guage has about 3 foot pounds of energy at 30 yards. when you consider that the standard 3/4 ounce load of the 28 guage has around 155 pellets total and a standard 1 1/4 ounce load of the 12 ga has about 280 pellets it is easier to see that at 3lbs of energy per pellet the 12 ga. has substantially more POWER. Multiply 3x155 and then multiply 3x280 and you will see that there is a big difference in power. When you talk about string effect What you are really discussing is " shot String" Can you tell me why a 2" inch column of shot out of a 12 ga, spreads out and strings more than an identical 2" column of shot from a 28 ga???? Furthermore, this stringing of shot which happens in all guages has absolutely nothing to do with placing 2 or 3 shot in the same place from any guage, it only affects time of impact on the target. If anyone really believes that a 28 guage can do what a 20 can do or that either can do near what a 12 can do . How about going to a trap and skeet club that hosts real experts and see if any are willing to bet any of the others any money against their 12 guages. Also, I have no doubt that you kill game better with your 28 than you do with the bigger guages . I have seen this happen time and time again. It is generally due to folks that can't handle the recoil of the bigger guages and therefore miss. The 28 guage is easier to handle and therefore you make better hits, the 28 doesn't kill any better you just think it does now because you are hitting them. The 28 will not kill better than the 12,16, or 20. they all have more power and you said yourself a #6 pellet is a #6 pellet.

[BCBeagles]

gw, it is a fact. 28 gauge has the most dense pattern from front to back. One of my good buddies is a gun customizing guru. The pattern depth, just for comparison, is a 12 gauge for example would be an estimated 12 ft from front to last pellet. The 28 is in the 4 ft range that is quite a difference. I am no gun expert, but they have shown this to be true.

A 12 gauge is a deadly deal, but I will take a 20 all day with 3 inch mags. I shoot a Benelli M2 black synthetic with a 24 inch barrel. It weighs about 5.5 lbs or there about unloaded. Like carrying around a stick. with a modified tube(benelli brand) and the cryo barrel i have killed several rabbits in the open at 45-50 yards. It does real well with the golden pheasant #6 shot in 3 inch. They have plenty of pop. My son also killed his first gobbler last year at 24 yds with it shooting the same 3 inch mags. He was six at the time and the recoil reduction system does just as it says. Good luck finding what fits you.

[19rabbit52]

I'm a 20ga. guy myself. But I got to agree with GW, nothing will out shoot a 12 unless you go to a 10ga. You can use reduced loads in a 12 and get performance of lighter ga. 3 inch 20 will not equal a 12 because of shot string. I like the 20 because of gun weight.

[JUDE]

12ga Winchester with a 20 inch barrel , It's also a good around the place gun too ... I like Winchester ammo !

[lebro]

the lighter the better. i like a 20 ga and am interested in a 410 pistol for the upcoming season.love the 10/22 but you have to really be careful and know where everybody and everything is. i woul probibly like a 28 but just cant see paying extra for the shells. franchi makes some light guns.

[Bellmorekennels]

I have a Franchi al20 semi auto, which is a light gun and deadly to shoot up to about 30yds with low brass#6, also have a stoger 28 s/s which I also like, really depends on my mood though. Last season I was able to get a used 410 snakecharmer from my son's bus driver, and I love it, I would say with 3" no6 I can cleanly make a kill at 20dys more or less. I carry it in a scabbard, and it is very nice being hands free most of the time.. Here a pic of it


www.bellmorekennels.com

[bigjohn]

I myself enjoy carrying a 20 guage and have 2.One is a Browning upland special with a 21 inch barrel that is a sweet swinging gun.The other is a 870 youth model with a 18 barrel.I find myself packing the 870 more than anything.That shorter stock is just the ticket when you have extra clothes on and that 18 inch barrel with an improved cylinder is greatin the brush.I use #6 shot in heavy field loads(2 3/4 inch) and in areas that require non-toxic shot,I use #6 steel and have never felt under gunned.If the range is too great,I just let them circle it again.

[pilotknob]

I've hunted with alot of different guns over the years,I've used a 20ga.1100 with a mod.choke as my main gun for a while now.I don't care about killing alot of rabbits anymore.My wife likes them better than I do,if she has 10 or 12 in the freezer at the end of season she's happy.My favorite gun of all time is a old Stevens single shot 16 ga.It's lite I carry it broke open over my sholder most of the time.It's full choke though so you have choose your shots.To me a single shot seems more sporting.The 1100 is getting less and less field time.I tookout a old H&R .410 single shot this past season it was like carrying a BB gun.You had shure better be on them when you shoot though.The whole thing about aim a rifle and point a shotgun I don't know if it applies to a .410.It's a effective little gun though you just have to pick your shots.

[gwyoung]

bc beagles, First of all the length of a shot string has absolutely no bearing on how many shot reaches the target, they all get there before the target can move fast enough to get out of their way. I only mentioned it because someone brought it up and i just wanted to question them as to what they knew about shot string, I never got a reply. Do you know the factors that affect the length of a shot string, does your expert? I suspect that the shot strings cited by your expert, were not taken by your expert as high speed cameras are required for this task. Also I have the feeling that the shotstring from the 28 ga. was measured at a much shorter distance than was the shot string of the 12ga. this is common practice regarding the smaller short range shotshells such as the 410 and 28 ga. because their effective range is much shorter. Also the amount of choke greatly affects shotstring as does the volume of shot in the shotshell, seeing as how most 12 ga. loads have more shot and therefore more "power" and pellets on target, than do the smaller guages it is only reasonable that a 12 guage is going to have a longer shot string than a 410, you really don't believe that a 410 is a better performer than a 12 ga. at any distance do you? but there will also be more shot in the front of the 12 ga shot column than in the column of the smaller guages by virtue of having far more to begin with. All in all shot string has nothing to do with performance on rabbits , International skeet targets leave their houses at 90 mph and they cannot escape the shot string of the 12 ga. Now there is a fact! Can shot string length be manipulated yes, does it make any difference in this world no. I have always tried to be helpful and present facts not what Joe down at the Tavern told me. Some folks are hard to " help" on any matter, ( I'm not speaking of you here)

[jimb1069]

GW,
Have you ever considered the fact that not everyone wants or needs your expert opinion or help on every single topic brought to this board? Geez it must be awesome but ever so tiring to be you...oh and buy the way I use a 20g H&R single shot(just to stay on topic)...could careless bout shot string, performance or any of that...its light and it kills them just as dead. If I miss I can always blame the gun for not being a 12g...lol

[Mapel Valley Kennels LLC.]

I personally use a 1970 Daisey Red Rider Edition gold trigger BB gun. Great little unit thinking of sawing off the barrel and really getting the game.

[gwyoung]

jimb1069, First of all I stick to the facts you do not. Show where I post on every single topic. Seems like you can't post one sentence without being wrong! This is a message board and I come here for answers also. Jimb, Has it ever occurred to you that you don't have to read my posts, someone making you do it? How about just skipping my posts , I am sure I wont miss you. By the way I have already proved you wrong on your first statement, I have made a lot of statements want to prove me wrong! I may very well be mistaken on something but I don't think you will know it!

[jimb1069]

jimb1069, First of all I stick to the facts you do not. Show where I post on every single topic. Seems like you can't post one sentence without being wrong! This is a message board and I come here for answers also. Jimb, Has it ever occurred to you that you don't have to read my posts, someone making you do it? How about just skipping my posts , I am sure I wont miss you. By the way I have already proved you wrong on your first statement, I have made a lot of statements want to prove me wrong! I may very well be mistaken on something but I don't think you will know it!

First off the topic asked the question which guns does everyone like to hunt with..Correct? I think so! Your reply went straight to calling everyone out that doesn't carry a 12 g as being a lightweight..correct? I think so, then you continue to go on and on and on about 12g this and 12g that...correct? i think so...
If your patting yourself on the back for proving me wrong for saying EVERY SINGLE TOPIC...well well then I am so proud of you. I think everyone else understood the point I was making....

[gwyoung]

Jimb, No, you are not correct. I gave an opinion, and the facts to back it up. I did not call anyone a lightweight , want to show where I did that? When one gives an opinion he should be able to give relevant facts about that opinion, this proves very helpful to those who are honestly seeking answers, and helps one make an INFORMED decision, whether one chooses to go with my opinion will not affect me in any way, Will it? I am not patting myself on the back for the fact that you were wrong, actually I hope that you start getting your " Facts" straight, you could then be taken more seriously, as everyone deserves to be.