# 28 gauge reloading



## gino (May 14, 2008)

Hey guys I'm in Canada I have a fourteen year old so be been takeing him to the clay target range to get a good feel of shooting before he actually start hunting but the cost of 28 gauge shells are just ridiculous here a box of target loads is 18 bucks I do have him shooting a 12 gauge and he's doing well with it but I have pointing dogs so generally were getting close shots is it very hard to get gun powder in the USA because of all this Bulls.. **** that's going on with the cowards we all know of thanks guys any input would be much appreciated


----------



## bruce (Feb 10, 2007)

He will out grow a 28 so fast. Better off going 20ga and light loads.


----------



## HamiltonKdog (Oct 15, 2014)

I'm 58 years old and still hunt quail with a 28 gauge. Rabbit and pheasant are the 20 gauge, Thanksgiving day is always dads sweet 16 (nostalgia) and duck and goose bring out the 12 gauge.

Powder and shot are in my area readily available as are most reloading components. Preloaded shells are getting out of sight pricewise. But shotgun items are not hit as hard as rimfire and centerfire ammo. I guess shotguns are not the weapon of choice for criminals.


----------



## PapawSmith (Feb 13, 2007)

bruce said:


> He will out grow a 28 so fast. Better off going 20ga and light loads.


Shooters never outgrow a 28ga. While I have bird guns of all gauges, and enjoy shooting them all, I hunt upland game 90% of the time with a .410 or .28 gauge. Unless it is wild pheasant out west both these bores are more than adequate. I'm not knocking your choice of a .20, just saying that the smaller bores are effective, enjoyable to shoot, and add a bit of a challenge to your skills. 
The costs have gotten crazy but I find that if I buy both target and hunting loads by the case it runs about the same as the larger bore loads. Cabelas often has some really good sales on cases of shotgun ammo.


----------



## bruce (Feb 10, 2007)

We are talking about a new shooter. As a seasoned shooter I to shoot small bore, k gun 4 barrel set. His complant was cost, How much to start reloading a 28ga.


PapawSmith said:


> Shooters never outgrow a 28ga. While I have bird guns of all gauges, and enjoy shooting them all, I hunt upland game 90% of the time with a .410 or .28 gauge. Unless it is wild pheasant out west both these bores are more than adequate. I'm not knocking your choice of a .20, just saying that the smaller bores are effective, enjoyable to shoot, and add a bit of a challenge to your skills.
> The costs have gotten crazy but I find that if I buy both target and hunting loads by the case it runs about the same as the larger bore loads. Cabelas often has some really good sales on cases of shotgun ammo.


----------



## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

bruce said:


> We are talking about a new shooter. As a seasoned shooter I to shoot small bore, k gun 4 barrel set. His complant was cost, How much to start reloading a 28ga.


Hi Bruce, being a reloader from way back I'd say today if you find the deals on the target loads your almost better off buying them instead of the layout for the equipment and components to load. Shot is out of hand, good powder is high, primers used to be a penny apiece, wads are still reasonable. I'd say buy and not reload. I'd say your really not going to save anything that amounts to anything reloading right now.

Pops


----------



## bruce (Feb 10, 2007)

Pops


Popspastime said:


> Hi Bruce, being a reloader from way back I'd say today if you find the deals on the target loads your almost better off buying them instead of the layout for the equipment and components to load. Shot is out of hand, good powder is high, primers used to be a penny apiece, wads are still reasonable. I'd say buy and not reload. I'd say your really not going to save anything that amounts to anything reloading right now.
> 
> Pops


you are spot on. I too reload, 12/20/28/410 plus pistol and rifle. I said 20 ga because off cost.


----------



## gino (May 14, 2008)

Thank you guys I was just throwing around the thought of reloading 28 gauge shells I use the 28 myself for Hungarian partridge as well as pheasant and grouse I do have my son shooting a 12 gauge browning iver under its weight along with shooting light loads has been adequate just the cost of 28 g shells are through the roof here in canada


----------



## bruce (Feb 10, 2007)

A cheep loader in 28 and every thing else start up cost is about 300 to 350. How much do you shoot?


----------



## gino (May 14, 2008)

Hi Bruce I hunt quite a bit I now have my son hunting but I don't think it war rents reloading I've thought about it I do have a reloader but I don't have the time anyway I run my own business and I'd rather be out hunting than reloading


----------



## HamiltonKdog (Oct 15, 2014)

gino said:


> Hi Bruce I hunt quite a bit I now have my son hunting but I don't think it war rents reloading I've thought about it I do have a reloader but I don't have the time anyway I run my own business and I'd rather be out hunting than reloading


I reload everything from centerfire pistol/rifle ammo and shotgun 410 thru 10guage. Havent done a lot is the last few years simply because I have a good stockpile in the safe and no longer shoot every weekend. Having said that, I still remember learning to reload with my father who has been gone 25 years now. 

The time spent during our reloading sessions for me was priceless and as I've gotten older, wish he were here reminding me about safety, asking about that cute redheaded girl, or teasing me about needing 5 shots to hit a rabbit. Some things at the time may not seem important but as time goes on, become things that you wish you had spent more time doing.

My son still comes by to reload a couple times a year but is in the "busy chasing the dollar mode" so hunting, fishing and related activities are special times for him, last summer he made the comment that he wished he could get a few more days in and hopes he can get his son interested as well. 

I do not want to take his son, my grandson on his first fishing trip but it looks like grandpa will probably get that honor. He is 3-1/2 now and talks about wanting to fish. I figure this spring is the right time and maybe for his birthday in May, he gonna get a zebco 202 outfit from grandpa!

Pursuit of career, money etc is important, but time spent together is more important. Trust me on that one! Good luck and best of wishes.


----------



## Chris_H (Aug 27, 2013)

I too use a 28 gauge for pheasants and shoot almost all skeet targets with it as well. I fell into a deal but a single stage reloader can be found for $100-175 which is more than adequate if only shooting a few thousand rounds or less a year. If shooting 100+ rounds a week it may get very tedious.


----------



## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

Simple math.. A bag of shot 25# @ $40.00 will render around 130 rounds of 1 1/8 oz. of shot if I remember correctly. Add hull, primer, powder, and wad, your pushing $4.00 a box and that's without the outlay for your equipment and time on the reloader. So if your going to shoot 5 or 6 hundred a year (that's a lot for most) its not worth the time and money to reload when you can buy new for $6.00.
JMO


----------



## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

Simple math.. A bag of shot 25# @ $40.00 will render around 130 rounds of 1 1/8 oz. of shot if I remember correctly. Add hull, primer, powder, and wad, your pushing $4.00 a box and that's without the outlay for your equipment and time on the reloader. So if your going to shoot 5 or 6 hundred a year (that's a lot for most) its not worth the time and money to reload when you can buy new for $6.00.
JMO


----------



## bruce (Feb 10, 2007)

I tried your math for days and 25lb still= 400 oz. Sorry I cant help my self.


Popspastime said:


> Simple math.. A bag of shot 25# @ $40.00 will render around 130 rounds of 1 1/8 oz. of shot if I remember correctly. Add hull, primer, powder, and wad, your pushing $4.00 a box and that's without the outlay for your equipment and time on the reloader. So if your going to shoot 5 or 6 hundred a year (that's a lot for most) its not worth the time and money to reload when you can buy new for $6.00.
> JMO


----------



## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

bruce said:


> I tried your math for days and 25lb still= 400 oz. Sorry I cant help my self.


This is a more accurate assessment now that you tried the numbers.
16 oz in a pound, 25 lbs in a bag.. 1 oz load = 400 loads. or .10 per round, now if you shoot a 1 1/8th oz load you get around 310 to 320 loads out of a 25 lb bag. Add around $30 a pound for powder, 7000 grains per pound divided by 15 to 19 grains depending on powder and your at around 450, or .07 per round per pound. Add .10 each for a primer and .05 for a wad, .10 more each for a hull and there you are. So, being your so good with figuring, how much is a completed box [25] of loads cost. ?

Now after all that you still have powder, wads, and possibly some primers you haven't used that you paid for, what do you do with them, your out of shot? I've been doing this way to long.


----------



## papaperch (Apr 12, 2004)

Lots of good info but also some bad. The MAIN reason to reload was missed. That is being able to produce a load that performs well in your particular gun. A 410 bore produces absolutely worse patterns compared to the other sizes of shot guns. Shorter shot columns produce better patterns. This was proved to me many years ago.. The absolute best pattern I ever saw was a 10 GA 1 oz load.

While loads in shotguns are not as critical performance wise as in rifle or pistol reloading. Good loading techniques will produce superior ammo. Even different size shot can make a difference in quality of pattern. Quality of pattern is best determined by drawing a 30 inch circle on paper. create a center dot. We used to use meat packing paper. If you really want to get technical. You can apprx number of shot in load and compare to number inside circle. Which is tedious work but some consider necessary. Most people use 30 yds for this testing. I always used a range that would most likely encountered in the field. In other words grouse hunting and duck hunting have different requirements. For my duck loads 45 -50 yds was my test range. Grouse 20-30 yds would do.

The 28 gauge is a wonderful performer. I have loaded from 1/2 oz to 1oz in the 28. For skeet or trap I preferred a 3/4 oz. For hunting purposes I preferred the 7/8 oz load. My 28 ga 1148 Remington shot # 6 shot very well, My O/U Ruger 28 Ga shot best with # 5 shot.

When I was reloading the 28 it was absolutely necessary. The average cost of a box of 20 or 12 gauge ran between 1.99 and 2.99. A box of 28s at the time was 8.00 and over. That was if you could find them.

In summation reloading anything can be fun in its own right. Working out the best load for your particular firearm. Gives one a lot of satisfaction. Just like catching a fish on a lure you made.


----------



## Popspastime (Apr 1, 2014)

I thought this was about cost, unless I read it wrong?
Papaperch.. that was a long time ago when you loaded for less then $3.00


----------



## papaperch (Apr 12, 2004)

Yes ole shep was just a pup back then. I know it was about cost but no one mentioned the other benefits of reloading. Even back then late 60's early seventies. The money saved was not great.
I loved the handiness of being able to load whatever I needed.

I bought my first Mec 600 junior press for the princely sum of 39.99. Later on got tired of always switching dies. Whenever I run across a used or clearance sale Mec . I bought it until I had a 12, 16 20 28 and 410. Also two brass reloader one for rifle and one for pistol. Wife donated a small room to me and it became a gathering place for all my shooting compadres. Any money saved by reloading was spent in coffee. Those guys were as big as coffee hounds as I was. LOL

Actually they all chipped in on coffee fund, their idea not mine. Ahhh those were good days.


----------

