Anyone using a 28ga on bunnys?

[Ron LaClair]

I've been hunting rabbits most of the winter with my 20ga flinter and it's been doing a good job providing plenty of meat for the table. This afternoon I decided to grab my .54 smooth rifle that I use mostly for squirrels. I loaded it with 65gr's 3FF, 2 felt wads, 1 1/4oz of #6 shot. When my beagle circled the rabbit to within 20yd's I dumped him. I think I'll cut back to 1oz of shot...this dang gun shoots tight. I'll bet I could use it on turkeys.

Anyone else use a 28ga?

 

[Mike Brooks]

Yep, 28's shoot REAL tight. Pretty much a full choke pattern. When I fist started shooting my 28ga I took it to the skeet range before I did any pattern work with it. I figured It shot an awfull pattern because I couldn't hit anything with it. Come to find out it's pattern is too tight for skeet!
For hunting I settled on 1 oz and an equal volume of 3fff. I used it mostly for early squirrel season when the leaves are still thick.

 

[RiverRat]

I shoot a Chamber's smooth rifle in 28ga and I can put 26 #4 pellets in a Goex can at 25 yds.
My load is 60grs 3f, 1/2 lubed fiber wad, equal amount of #4 shot, covered by another 1/2 of lubed fiber wad. I will be using this gun and load for turkeys.

 

[roundball]

I got a GM .54cal Flint smooth rifle barrel year before last...shot a couple bucks with it using PRBs that fall.

Then I set it up for small game shot loads and was very pleased to see that it shot a dense, even pattern at 25yds, but havn't shot any small game with it yet..the load I settled on is:

70grns Goex 3F
Two Oxyoke Wondewads
1+1/8oz #6 hard shot
Circle Fly OS card

 

[Ron LaClair]

After cleaning that rabbit last night I've definitely got to cut back on my shot charge...for rabbits at least. :shocked2:

I had this gun built last year by Jack Hubbard from Kentucky. I shot some round balls out of it and it grouped well but I never got around to getting it honed in so I didn't use it on deer last fall. I did use the gun on early season squirrels with the same load as mentioned above. It did very well knocking tree rats down from the high oak canopys.

Being a smooth rifle it has rear sights, a plus when I get around to sighting it for roundball. It has a 42" Colerain swamped octagon barrel and LH Queen Ann lock. I ask Jack to make it look old and he did. I call her "Old Cobb"

I think it's going to make a great meat gun and would be a good gun to take on a survival trek.

 

[Keppy]

Great pictures. Have you used either one on birds? I'm looking at getting a smoothbore to do some grouse hunting and deer. I have thought about a 56 cal. but have not heard good reports on that cal. Your thoughts please.

 

[BrownBear]

I don't have any experience with a ML 28, but use the dickens out of several in cartridge guns, including lots of bunny hunts. I agree that your shot charge is probably way over the top for bunnies. The standard cartridge shot charge is 5/8" ounce, and it has surprising reach even from skeet chokes. I wouldn't go smaller than #6 shot for bunnies, cuzz lots are left behind for the dinner table and dentist chair. OTOH, #6 and #5 give very good pattern densities while completely penetrating even the largest rabbits.

 

[Mike Brooks]

I always used #4 shot. Less pellets, more penetration. Of course I've always used #4's on everything no matter what gage I'm shooting. :shake: except for skeet! :haha:

 

[Ron LaClair]

Just got in from bunny chasin. I was only out an hour and a half but had three good runs. I never got a crack at one...I was always in the wrong place. That seems to happen a lot. :haha:

I had my shot charge down to 1 1/8th oz, (80gr's) I kept the powder charge at 65grs 3F. Hunting in thick cover that rabbits like to be in, I didn't want to go any less than that on the shot charge. Many times a lot of the shot doesn't make it through the brush.

 

[BillinOregon]

Longhunter: That is just a drop-dead gorgeous smooth rifle, even if the lock is on the wrong side. :winking:
If you can use 28 bore on turkeys in Michigan, go for it. Here in Oregon, minimum gauge is 20 for gobblers.

 

I can see that being just about the perfect all around gun for everything here in Michigan, from squirell to elk. The only thing I can see it not being used for is a smoothbore shoot because of the rear sight. It would be perfect for the guy who can have only one gun. Are you going to the K-zoo show. I'm shooting for Saturday. She's a beaut, you're a lucky guy.

Bill

I started with nothing, and still have most of it left!

 

[paulvallandigham]

Check out what V.M. Starr recommends for loads in the article in Bob Spenser's Black powder Notebook.
[url] http://members.aye.net/~bspen/starr.html[/url]

I think you will find light loads that will shoot well in that 28 gauge gun for rabbits. Bob Spenser also writes an article in the Notebook on using a shotgun for hunting. Its worth comparing the two views. :hmm: