Poll....who is hunting with small gauge for up-land birds?

[Hixie]

I've been on a 20 gauge kick for years. I will add a 28 gauge when the right one comes along at the right time. I break out one of the 12 gauges, usually an open-choked one, when I get into a rut and can't hit anything to try and get some confident back.

[mobirdhunter]

I've killed more wild birds -- especially Bobs, grouse and woodcock -- with a 28 gauge which I used almost exclusively for almost 20 years. Now, I use small gauges almost exclusively for upland birds, but alternate among 28s, 20s, and 16s. When I went out west for prairie grouse and Huns, I used a 16. When I really want to shoot a pheasant, I'll take a heavier 16 or a light 12. I don't take long shots, but wild pheasants are tough birds.

[6pt-Sika]

Hmmm recently it’s been the 28 for quail and soon dove I hope . Last couple years preserve pheasents have been 16 and 20 . I’m booked for three driven Pheasent deals at Christmas Hill and plan on using a VH 16 30” F&F in December , a VHE 20 28” M&F for January and my little VH 28 26” F&F for February . Have somewhere between 2 and 4 quail deals booked for Rasawek Preserve this season and don’t see myself using anything other than the VH 28 or my Superposed 28 28” S&S . FWIW I have used a 10 gauge 2 7/8” a few times in the late December dove season . I have a semi recent acquisition I wouldn’t mind plunking a couple dove with a PH 10 3 frame 32” that’s something along the lines of IC&M . Gun has very good dimensions and does amazingly well on the skeet field if I’m in A game mode . I think I’ve loaded close to 7,500 12 gauge rounds in the last two weeks but to be honest I shoot a 12 not that much , might have to change that . Well atleast at the sporting clays places and maybe later in the early dove season .

[Phil C]

I do most of my wild quail hunting with a 20
Gauge over dogs.

[Heff]

A GH 16 and a VHE 20 for Most of my grouse and woodcock hunting. On occasion I will shoot a 16 VHE skeet gun on a nice day and a 28 gauge H&R double hammer gun at least once a year in woodcock cover.

[Brett Hoop]

I’m a dummy, I shoot 7/8 oz in both 20 and 16 gauge. I decide what gun I want to hunt depending on chokes and weight, sometimes barrel length. For the grouse and woodcock hunting over a Setter, 90% of the time it’s a 26 3/4” cut barrel open choked 20. In part because I can handle it with my right hand and move cover out of the way with my left. Inevitably the places we find grouse are thick and a deer trail is a luxury.

Pheasant with a flushing Springer Spaniel a 16ga with full and improved mod barrels 28”.
Or a 20ga full/mod.

For me it’s sort of a 308 vs 30/06 thing and more than likely comes down to what gun I feel like using that day. Sometimes the weather plays a part also.
Or I can get real scientific and see my choice made by how many and what gauge are still in the vest.

[Harold Pickens]

I used to hunt exclusively with 16's. My first 2 SXSs were my VH 16 1 frame and a Fox SW 16. Lately, I've gone over to the 20 ga for grouse, and will take 3 20's with me to the UP. I will take 16's for wild pheasant, bit will use both gages at home for pheasant. I've just never been bitten by the 28 ga bug, and rarely shoot my little Ugartechea 28.

[ED J, MORGAN]

I do like John Davis. 12, 16 or 16 , 20

[Dean Romig]

For me it’s 16, 20, and 28 but mostly 28 these last 10 or so years. My first 28 was a straight stocked Repro, IC/Mod with double triggers. The big deal came along when I bought one for Kathy with Q1/Q2 chokes and a beavertail. What a great combo that was.... then I graduated to original 28 gauge Parkers and haven’t looked back.
I have several 16’s both hammer guns as well as hammerless and I have 1 20 gauge DH with 28” Damascus barrels.

They’re all fun!





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[GH-16]

I split my time in the uplands between the 16 & 20ga. I've said it many times that if I had to be limited to one gun for upland work it would be a 16ga.

Occasionally I'll carry a one framed DH-12 that I bought from a member here. It's one of those Damascus barreled light weight beauties that only Parker could produce, coming in a 6lb 8oz for a 12ga. Other than it feeling a little wider in the hand when carrying it, I can hardly tell I'm not carrying a 20ga.