Opening chokes for 28" 28 Ga Repro Barrel

[Billy Gross]

I read the previous string on a similar subject, and would like to solicit some additional opinions/advise. I just bought an extra 28" barrel for my 28 Ga Repro so not to adulterate the original 2 barrel (26" IC/M & 28" M/F) set. My intentions are to open the chokes primarily for skeet, and perhaps some bird shooting. I would rather shoot 28" barrels. Brian Dudley did a great job fitting the barrel - it just needed some work on the barrel lug/latch. Brian also checked with Briley, and the barrel did not have enough wall thickness for screw in chokes. So, my first question is what should I open the chokes to:
1. Skeet (.005) and Skeet (.005)
2. Q1 (.003) and Q2 (.005)
3. Skeet (I) In (.003) and Skeet (II) Out (.007)
I am thinking Q1 and Q2 might be best because that is a standard choking on some 26" barrels, and it should work well for skeet and birds. Is it standard to remark the barrel flats after they have been re-choked? Is Briley a good place to have this done, or would you recommend someone else?

Thank you,
Billy Gross

[Robin Lewis]

Billy

There is another method that works well. I had a 28ga that was extra full & extra full that I wanted to use to hunt upland game. I took it to a gunsmith that shot the gun at a patterning board until he got the pattern I wanted; with the ammunition I use. It has been yeas ago but I think I wanted the right barrel to pattern a 30 inch circle at 25 yards and the left a 30 inch circle at 30 yards, using a box of shot size & brand of shells that I provided. I based my distances used on my experience shooting at birds in the covers I hunt.

The shells you use will affect the pattern, so rather than using a standard .00X measurement, this method should give you more of what you want for where you shoot.... IMHO.

[Bob Jurewicz]

With a 28 Gauge for Skeet-Quail and Grouse I would think you would not want more than 003" and .005 0r 6". I love my Q1/Q2 at .003 and .006 in the Repro 16 Gauge. And, those constrictions should yield a tighter pattern in the smaller gauge.
Bob Jurewicz

[Jay Gardner]

I had mine opened to .008 and .018. Those are the chokes I prefer for grouse regardless of gauge. It patterned well and killed cleanly. Generally I think people tend to open the left barrel too much.

[Greg Baehman]

I would assume that your original 26" IC/M barrels mike out at ~ .006/.014 or so and of course your original 28" barrels are ~ .014/tighter than H---. Given that, it would be an easy choice, if this were my gun, to have this additional set of barrels choked .003/.006. IMHO, undoubtedly this choking would prove out to be the most useful for your intended purpose without destroying the usefulness of your original barrel sets.

[Sam Ogle]

I have a 28" 28Ga Repro: I asked my 'smith to open the barrels (TIGHT to the point of "Silly") to "Skeet/Skeet," which he determined to be about 5 1/2 thousands each.
I found them still too tight.....and he had said "if they aren't open enough, bring them back." I did, and he went to about 3/1000ths.........aaah. The scale I looked at said that "skeet" for the 28 is 2/1000ths. Targets are still smokeballs, but I don't miss as often.

In truth, I am not going to hunt big, distant birds with it; love skeet, and so this combo is right for me. (I have a 12 gauge or 2 for pheasants & geese.) The reason I did this is because it's MY gun, and because I dearly love the 28 gauge.

My point is; open them to where YOU like them.
God Bless the Parker Repro's.
Sam Ogle

[Bill Murphy]

Greg is right. As long as you have the IC and MOD barrels, go for the gold and bore your new barrels out to maybe .002 and .003. Anything more will inkball skeet birds.

[Billy Gross]

Thank you everybody for your inputs. The consensus seems to be: if you are going to open them up, really open them up. So, I will go with something like Bill's recommendation above.
I am not sure if I will do both barrels the same at or follow Bill's formula exactly. Billy Gross