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

Not counting ducks and turkeys what is your favorite gauge? I have settled on the 16 for most wild bird hunting and enjoy 28gauge for woodcock. When you hunt long and hard to find wild birds you don't want a gun that will not do the job at hand...Guns must be light and pleasing to the eye, don't need a 12 gauge either. No contraptions or cross eyed stack barrels, SXS guns for me!!! Like the men who hunted at the turn of the century. See the bird and shoot it down.....take pics, pet the dog, smile and be happy...(-: Pictures of my 16-s and Gordon setter dog, grouse in the cast iron. Life is good...Ask any real upland hunter! SXS ohio

I hunt Pheasant with a 16, grouse and quail with a 20 or 28. I have been known to use a 410 on all from time to time with careful shot selection.
Bob Jurewicz

I've been a 16ga guy since I was a kid; my dad's gun was a 16 and I didn't know there was anything else :)!

16, 20 and 28 for upland birds.

Bird work is about evenly split between the 20 and the 28. It all depends on my mood. Doesn't matter whether the bird is a pheasant, quail, woodcock, grouse or dove.

I will admit that I have shot and killed wild roosters at 40 yards with a 20 but that is not the norm, a 16 with field loads is a better performer for me. Its as good as it gets. A centered shot will work from most 28 gauge and up but any marginal off center and you need more bullets and fuller patterns. 16 has 1 1/8 oz of shot, fuller patterns and gets the job done better with less cripples and still light and light to carry. Six and 1/2 lbs is about all I want to tote and 6lbs is even is better....(-:

I use all gauges (well......... .410, 28, 20, 16 and 12) for upland birds .............. from .410s in the early dove and quail season to 12s (only occasionally) at the very end of dove season for very high flying, migratory birds. I could probably do everything I do with the 1 oz. 12s with my 16s, but I just like to use them all.

SRH

For the most part nothing but 20's for me. The only exception is I occasionally use my 1 frame twist 12 ga. It is as light as my 20's and I only shoot 7/8 oz loads so it is essentially a 20.

I went exclusively to 16 gauge side by sides, I have 2 fox and a parker, I still have a nice 20 gauge over/under with screw in chokes, but hardly use it. I just like hunting with an older side by side like I did when I was a kid.

If you are talking wild birds, 12 and 16. If you are talking pen raised, 16 or 20.