I'm tossing around the idea of molesting my 28" 28ga Repro barrels. They're .034/.012 now. The only use I could imagine for them is some high pass shooting dove and maybe some South Dakota blocking of roosters.

I'm thinking maybe .020/.006 would make it an ok quail gun and still be able to block some roosters in SD and just make it a better all around gun.

Whaddya think?

Are those Repro barrels plated like some say they are? I don't like to cut through plating so I bought a two barrel set. You can get a fortune for a 28" single barrel set. Sell it and buy a 26" gun with Q1 and Q2 barrels. My 28 gauge Arrizabalaga left barrel is choked .039, so the Repro barrels are not so bad in comparison. I don't know how the shot gets out.

CHuck,
If Wild Pheasants are on the menu I wouldn't alter it. My best luck has always been tight chokes for those wild birds.

I installed brileys in my very nice (but retored) 12 ga 28" specialty grade just so I could use it more effectively on wild birds in SD.

I shoot several 28 ga alot at clay targets and with clays, the open chokes are okay, but for hunting I feel the tighter chokes are more effective.

just my opinion of course.

Jerry

Chuck,

Could you get ahold of some spreaders for it? I don't know of anyone who loads them for a 28 right off, but if not some reloads would open it up some.

I opened the chokes on my MX-8, which has chromed bores, and there has been no problems in several years but, like Bill, I am still skeptical of it.

SRH

Chuck my 28ga Repro is choked .040" and .020"

I concluded after patterning 28 gauges with three guns (SKB SxS with screw-ins, Franchi AL48 with screws, another Parker Repro Q1/Q1) was that chokes tighter than 15/1000th don't tighten the pattern. So I would leave your left choke alone and open the right to anywhere from cylinder to 10/1000th. Then you can hit close and far.

When I first started coming here someone posted that the Repros were regulated at the factory by adjusting the chokes. I don't remember who it was and I don't know if it is true. By regulated I mean making both barrels shoot to the same point. But if it is true and you run a piloted reamer up through the breech and open a choke you might change the regulation.

I shot decoyed doves with mine this Fall and it was a blast. Have taken it to hunt wild Bobs a few times and managed to hit some with it. Mine is straight grip, double trigger, with splinter forend and 28" barrels and it weighs 5lbs-5oz. I like it a lot.

If you open the chokes I would like to hear the results. I would like to open the right barrel of mine.

Best,

Mike

Thanks guys. More to think about. If I found some extra barrels, I'd open them to .015/.000 for quail.

Right now, I gotta get going. Leaving for a put-n-take in half an hour. The owner is overstocked and he likes us. 2-fers today. We should have like 100 birds out for us. My two dogs and a good rental GSP for our 5 man group.

Wish I was going with y'all.

I'm having my 28" Repro 28ga barrels opened now. Did it once before, had them opened to 005/010. Main use for mine will be grouse and woodcock. However, I took that previous Repro on a preserve pheasant hunt, loaded up some 3/4 oz 7's just to see how they'd work. After missing the first bird, I ran 27 straight over the next 2 days. A couple required a 2nd barrel, but there were also a couple true doubles. That being said, I'd be very hesitant about using a 28ga on wild roosters unless I were willing to be very selective about my shots. Or maybe unless patterning showed me that 1 oz loads would work better than I think they do in a 28ga.

Chokes on both the 12ga and 20ga Repros seem pretty typical for what they're marked. Not sure why the Japanese choked the 28's like they were 12's.

The day I got the flyer about the $1999 close out I called all three dealers before I found one with 28" barrels, straight grip and double triggers. Had it restocked by a friend in Mobile, al with a longer piece of French walnut. I then sent the barrels to Mike Orlen and had them opened to improved cylinder and improved mod and had the forcing cones extended. I had it set that way for doves but it also does well on quail. I have been well pleased with my decisions. I still have the original stock and fore end if my children decide to sell it but I hope to be long gone if and when that happens.

Chuck, why don't you decide what you want in the way of a pattern, test what you have, and then start adjusting a bit at a time. I'd also recommend the use of Dr. Jones's "Insights" program as by far the best way to analyze patterns. BTW, it does take ten patterns averaged to properly understand your barrel-load. There is just too much variability in shotgun patterns to do with fewer than ten.

DDA

I'd leave the Repro alone and just buy another 28 to mess with. I typically shoot doves with a Miroku 28ga with 30" barrels and M/F tubes in it. Works quite well, but I have not mic'd the tubes. As nice as my Repro is, it stays home because the Miroku works so well.

I'd suggest leaving the .012 as is, but open the .034 to around .016 or so.

My favorite 28 has 28" barrels choked .016/.016. If I'm doing my part, it works well w/ 5/8 or 3/4 oz RST loads on both dove & quail.