May 17, 2012

On the Wing
September 2007

Make Your Own 28-Gauge
by Steve Smith

here is a sad fact of life, and that is that the hunting population in this country, like the population in general, is getting older. There’s an even sadder fact of life, and that’s that you and I are getting older.

Aging has its advantages, of course, and as soon as I run across some, I’ll let you know. For us woodcock hunters, though, I suppose I can conjure up a few. For one, we aren’t as intense as once we were, giving us more of an appreciation of the birds, the dog work, the weather, the fall colors. And maybe we move a little slower, but that just gives us more time to appreciate those things.

But there are a couple of downsides for us, too, and the ones I’m addressing here have to do with the shooting, the reason we’re out there, after all; otherwise, we’d be carrying a camera or a picnic basket. One is, the gun is heavier that it used to be, and the other is it kicks more. Time to start thinking about those things and, if they bother you and you haven’t done it already, make a change. To a 28-gauge.

Since I don’t think anyone can find the statistics to prove me wrong, I’ll bet more 28-gauge shotguns are sold to woodcock and quail hunters than anyone else except maybe skeet shooters. The guns are light, but not too light, most weighing right around 5½ pounds give or take. The recoil is light if you shoot the standard ¾-ounce shot load and don’t try to turn it into a 16 by shooting an ounce of shot through it, which not only kicks, but it strings the shot. (I know some may not agree with me and swear by the one-ounce load. To each his own; but if recoil is a problem for you, stay away from the one-ounce load.)

Now, buying a nice 28-gauge is a big investment. A lot of us shoot doubles, either side-by-side or over-under configuration, and you don’t exactly get one by clipping coupons from the newspaper. Guns have to handle, of  course, but they also have to perform, and they have to perform in the field. On birds. In the conditions we’re going to hunt in. You can test-drive the handling:

We can handle them and swing them in the gun shop, and maybe borrow a friend’s for a day at the sporting clays range to see how it behaves in your hands. But to see if the gauge is going to be adequate for your needs, you really should try the load out in the field, even if you can’t try out the gun.

How? With chamber inserts. They are made by a variety of companies, and Cabela’s carries a couple styles, but basically the inserts go into the chamber of a break-action gun and reduce the gauge so a smaller shell can be fired. You can turn your 12 or your 20 into a 28 for a lot less than a new gun. Now, you have a gun with which you’re familiar that fits you, shooting a load with which you want to experiment. All of this before trading one of your other guns or writing a sizeable check for a new 28.

That’s what I’m doing this year, turning one of my 16-gauges into a 28 for the woodcock season (I did that very thing at a quail plantation last winter and it worked fine on the liberated – not planted – bobwhites, birds about as fragile as woodcock). If it works out, I’ll take my time and find a 28 I like. Or not. It’s possible that my six-pound 16 just might become a permanent 28 with the inserts in place.

I’ve had good luck with the GaugeMate Golds, www.gaugemate.com inserts that stay in the gun and allow the ejectors to work, but there are others. Browning www.browning.com, click on “Miscellaneous”) makes some called “Little Skeeters”, and Jess Briley www.briley.com has some that are both fancier and pricier. An outfit called Chamber Mates make them as well, and I’m sure there are others.

Interestingly, until you’ve tried them and shot at some paper with them, the first impression is that they just can’t pattern as well as the real thing, the gasses should blow by the load and all that. But they do. Here’s an interesting side-benefit: It appears that the inserts also increase the velocity of the load. Shooting quail, it was actually noticeable to me. For a great load, try Winchester’s sporting Clays HS (high speed – 1300 fps) in No. 8½ shot.

At woodcock-shooting ranges, measured in feet rather than yards, a 28 is all you need. If you’re thinking about one – age and all that – try some chamber inserts first before laying down your hard-earned cash.

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