Just got back from running 100 rounds through my little Rizzini 702 o/u. As most everyone knows, this was my first time shooting RST ammo. The recoil was very soft IMO, and report may of been just slightly less than shooting AA’s.

In comparing AA’s to RST, the quality of RST shells were of a much higher quality all around in terms of external appearance in constancy with shell crimp and length. Performance wise RST broke clays. On a couple of the double stations, I used AA / RST and noted a slight difference in recoil and report which made me double check the barrels

IMO, great shells! With lower pressures I am curious how RST 7/8 oz 28 gauge would perform in the grouse woods. Don’t get me wrong, I think anything over 3/4 oz in a 28 gauge you need to go up in caliber. However, it does put that thought in one’s head.

Rich

I shoot RST 28's in both 2 1/2" and 2 3/4" in Lites and Falcon Lites with 5/8 oz., 3/4 oz. and 7/8 oz. of #8 shot at muzzle velocities of 1175 fps, 1150 fps and 1100 fps and all perform splendidly on ruffed grouse out to 30-35 yards. The birds go down when I do my job, though not all are dead when they hit the ground, as is probably the case with most any other commercially available 28 gauge load.

RST shells perform at the same level as any shells at their same velocity and shot load, and their "claim to fame" is their low pressures at similar velocities and shot loads to allow them to be used in Damascus barrel and other antique guns. If you have a modern gun with thick barrels, shoot any shells you can buy at the store.

rst makes wonderful light loads that are easy on old guns and old shooters...however, rst shells are not necessarily safe in all damascus or twist steel barreled guns...to be safe, shoot black powder only in guns with non fluid steel barrels...

and 28 gauge guns with 3/4 oz. or lighter loads may not be the best choice for quick kills on ruffed grouse...i hunted grouse mostly in ny and pa in the seventies, eighties and nineties...never used a gun smaller than 20 gauge...a twenty sometimes would knock a bird down but not kill it out right...a 16 was always a quick, sure grouse killer...and a 12 bore sometime tore up the bird so much, as to leave it inedible...guns of choice had little or no choke...ammo of choice was factory winchester, remington and federal field loads...one ounce of 7 1/2 or 6's out of an opened choke 16 bore worked best for me...

So, tell us all, ed, exactly how does a gun know if the 8000 psi load discharged within it was black powder or smokeless, so it can know whether or not to be damaged.

And while you're at it, tell me how a grouse knows whether it was shot with a 12 ga., a 16 ga., or a 20 ga. one ounce load, so it can quickly decide whether to be shot to pieces or only winged.

SRH

It’s like COVID, it knows when it’s in a church vs a Walmart!

stan, you are acting like a jerk...again...

Ed, Stan may stop acting like a "jerk" in response to your posts when you stop spouting nonsense. Because that is what you are doing. Your post MAKES NO SENSE!

Stan is simply pointing out HOW it makes no sense.

the following is printed on every box of rst shells:

"WARNING:

Keep Out Of Reach Of Children (and guys like Stan)

1. To prevent injury to shooters or bystanders, use only in modern shotguns (not Damascus twist barrels, etc.) with proper gauge, load and chambers.

with regard to grouse guns and loads...perhaps i did not make it clear that the ammo used during my observations were factory field loads of the period...

7/8 oz. 20 ga.
1 oz. 16ga.
1 1/8 oz. 12 ga.

if further explanation is required, think about it for awhile...

Between 70s and 90s when grouse flushes were anywhere from 15 to 50, bird days, I used an AYA xxvbl, 12 gauge with 1 1/8 oz of 8s or 7 1/2 target loads for all my upload hunting.

In early 90s, I picked up a 28 gauge for grouse/woodcock, and enjoyed everything about the round. If I did my part, the birds hit the ground stone dead.

Now early woodcock hunting I tend to reach for a 410, over dogs. It’s very satisfying taking woodcock with a little pipsqueak sxs.

I have seen a complete turn around where most of the grouse hunters I hunt with who use to carry a 12 sxs are now touting 20s or 28 gauge sxs. A couple gentlemen carry a Ruger Red Label in 28 gauge. Which is a nice scaled to size 28 gauge.

It is interesting to me how trends in hunting have changed in respect to down gauge in upland hunting and the renewed interest in the 16 gauge as well.

Ps: Only 13 days till Dove season. But who’s counting?

Rich

yeah, same with barrel length...back in the seventies, short 25-26" barrels were all the rage...now, 28" is preferred by many bird hunters...

28, you must be a hellava shot to make clean kills on grouse, with only 3/4 oz. of shot...how are your 28 and 410 choked?

Ed,
I normally shot ic and mod in the 28 early season, then change out barrels with Improved modified and full. The 410 is choked m/f both are AYAs. The 410 is a #2 and the 28 is a #1, with two sets of barrels.

Thing is with that little 28, if your on the bird that little 28 smokes them dead every time. Heck a blind squirrel finds nuts. And trust me I have missed my share of birds. A lot of birds!

This is not the first time we have heard the singing of praises and accolades for the 28 bore gun. It has now reached magic wand status among many shooters...

Over a 100 years ago, Englishmen, after some experimentation and contemplation, determined the ideal shooting combination to be a 12 bore gun with the barrels jointed together side by side and throwing an ounce of shot. And of course, those across the channel determined otherwise; settling on the 16 bore as the ideal...Meantime, here in the former colonies, the big 10 bore gun was all the rage...

A lot has changed since then. Ammo, perhaps the most. The guns are pretty much the same idea, except now we have the barrels joined one on top of the other, with origins in some perverse Belgian inspired illusion to soft pornagraphy. We are pretty much the same, except there are more of us now. The birds are the same, except there are less of them now...Which is probably because there are more of us...

But what else? Why is the 28 gauge gun suddenly so far superior now, than say, 30 years ago?

The 28 ga. is good for relief from boredom and snob appeal, and nothing more, or maybe some misplaced notion of doing more with less. In the latter case, just go to a .410 and be legit. You do get to say to the shoe clerk, when he asks, "no, it's a 28 gauge".

The 20 ga. is, for all intents and purposes, a better choice for a small gauge gun. Not enough difference in frame size to matter, and ammo is outrageously more. No help with recoil either, with 3/4 oz. 20 ga. loads availability.
JR

Recoil reduction for older shooters who may have become recoil sensitive. A 28ga will kill, a .410 might kill if you're a good enough shot. A 20ga will kill better but will also recoil a lot more...Geo

dare i say, i have been recently shooting skeet with a beretta a400 20 ga with the kick off recoil reducing system...the lack of felt recoil is amazing...thinking about having the kick off system installed in the butt stock of my favorite 16 ga fox gun...

https://www.beretta.com/en/videos/semiautomatic-beretta-gun---a400-xplor---kick-off-/

I have 2 28's, a Beretta 686 Silver Pigeon and a Martin Ugarteburu sxs. Both guns are just plain fun to shoot. I have hunted doves often with my 686 and had a lot of success with it. Like I said, it's just plain fun to shoot!!

Try to keep up, George:
https://www.outdoorlimited.com/shotgun-a...ase-250-rounds/
JR

https://www.foundryoutdoors.com/products...=32222396121172

You can find cheap 28 loads. These come in shot sizes 6-9 same price per flat.

But this is a RST topic so shoot away!

Sure, you can get short load 20ga shells but they are not the standard load. Compare apples with apples...Geo

Lol, why? What's the importance of this "standard load"? 3/4 oz. is 3/4 oz.
JR

The standard load for a 20ga is 7/8th, oz. not 3/4 oz. Go buy some turkey decoys...Geo

Ok George, whatever you say...
JR