But Miller I don't shoot 1 oz in a 28 gauge. I shoot 3/4 of an ounce in my American 28ga guns and 5/8 of an ounce in my between-the-wars British 28 gauge. If I want to shoot 1 ounce I pick an American 16 gauge or a British 12 gauge out of the gun closet.
I get the mathematical argument you are making about the area of bore diameters.
If you go to Burrards second volume, page 208 and look up the standard loads for 2-1/2" cartridges you get:
28 9/16
20 3/4
16 7/8
12 1 1/16
10 1 5/16 (actually 2-5/8")
I believe these are the standard 2-3/4" American loads, again at about 1175fps:
28 3/4
20 7/8
16 1
12 1 1/8
Certainly you can find or have manufactured a 10 pound 28 gauge or a 5 pound 10 gauge. Wouldn't want to carry the 10 pounder on a Bobwhite hunt or shoot the 5 pound ten gauge with 1-5/16 at ducks.
I concede completely and without reservation that I cannot shoot 1-1/4 ounces out of my 1936 5 pound Birmy 28 gauge. I also concede that you can shoot 1-1/4 ounce out of those 5-3/4 pound Fausti 20 gauge SxSs that Cabelas is selling.
But, if you are shooting a game gun at Bobwhites at 25 or 30 yards with standard American loads (3/4 and 7/8oz at about 1175 fps) then there is very little difference.
My favorite Bobwhite load is 1 ounce of 7-1/2s. I find I don't spend as much time looking for wounded birds. I am usually shooting that load out of a Parker or Lefever sixteen. I do frequently venture out hunting with the 28 gauges as the variety makes my illogical pursuit more enjoyable.
If I could only have one gun it would probably be a Post WWII 12 gauge, boxlock, European, factory proofed for 2-3/4" loads, weighing 6-1/2 pounds, with sling swivels, double triggers, (SxS of course), and extractors. I could shoot everything from 3/4ounce blackpowder handloads at Bobwhites to 1-1/2 ounce factory cheekbruisers at pheasants.
And Gregsy I have seen that phenomenon. A less experienced companion will marvel that I can take game with those little bitty 28 gauge bullets. Of course he doesn't realize that about half of the space in his 12 gauge shell is air.
Best,
Mike
Last edited by AmarilloMike; 05/16/10 12:58 PM.
