28 gauge Wingmaster

M

Melos

New member
Dave McC:
....a 28 gauge WM is a neat thing to have.
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Indeed! :)

I have just assembled my new one. Thanks to all who provided the wise counsel that has led to this acquistion.

No experience with chokes. Please recommend choke and load for squirrels. They had only 4s and 9s at the gun shop . I got a box of each and will put in an order with cheaperthandirt when I have received advice from you fellows re loads.

Again, many thanks to all who have responded to my questions.
 
Congrats and Mazeltov!!

My old squirrel loads were 6s,usually, through a choke ranging from tight to tighter. Try a Modified for starters.

Little load selection is the curse of the 28. I strongly suggest you learn to reload and make your own. Save all your empties.

Do me a favor when you can, please. Weight your 28 and let me know. I bet it's about 6 lbs....
 
Do me a favor when you can, please. Weight your 28 and let me know. I bet it's about 6 lbs....
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Yep. My scales indicate exactly 6 lbs.

The modified choke is the one already in the barrel. I'll order 6s.

Me, become a reloader? :) Hmmm...
 
Got a bud who regulary does the dove hunt with his 28 (OU SKB, if I recall correcly) ... an ex-Pan Am skeet-guy. Makes me a bit sick sometimes ... ;) Gives nothing up there. RH at the Sidney, Cabela store, if you've the time .....

As with the 20, those that can, do & pretty darn good enough all told.

But, as with the 20, there's just that givin' it up thing regards loadings - starts to get a bit skimpy here 'n there with some factories & for some game. You can alleviate by reloading.

As with most anything else, I'd recommend a starting mod choke, pattern & take it from there ....
 
From my experience with the 28, choke seems less important than with other gauges.

I would start with the standard IC, Mod and Full chokes, add a skeet choke, and do some patterning.

The only rabbits I shoot are the clay kind:D, and I find using the skeet choke within 20 yds and the mod choke over 20 yds usually works. But that has absolutely no bearing on shooting real bunnies.

One of my favorite loads in the federal 8.5 load.

And definitely consider reloading, in fact if you shoot a lot you will have to reload.


Save the hulls!:D


AH! another convert!:D
 
AH! another convert!
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A very happy one :) .

Is there anything on the market that would enable an amateur to install a target launcher on his own property - something not too expensive that could be left out in the weather?

This 28 gauge Wingmaster insists on being used, so I am imagining ways to arrange to do so often, that involves challenging fun at minimal expense.

I'll save the hulls. But I need information about what's involved with reloading. What's the break even point re investment in reloading equiptment and supplies compared to cost of store-bought ammo?
 
The little hand launchers are very inexpensive, adaptable to a variety of presentations, take up as much room as a tennis racket, and give us hours of fun. All you need is two people, one to hurl and one to shoot.

All I reload is 12 gauge, and I bought used equipment. My total outlay of cash was about $100 and was paid back in a couple of months. Right now, I load a 1 oz trap quality load for $2.80 a box. The AA 1 oz trap load can be bought near here at "Dick's" the aptly named sports chain, for $4.99. And, I can tailor a number of loads, like the 1 1/8 oz pheasant whackers I used on a preserve shoot last winter.Or Son's 3/4 oz trainer loads.

Savings on 28 gauge should be exceptional. IIRC, that same chain store carries 28 gauge skeet AAs for $5.99 a box. Best guess, using same primer, a wad costing the same as what I use for 12 gauge, less powder and lead, a box of 28 gauge reloads will set you back about $2.25-50. It wouldn't take too many rounds to pay back the cost of the press, scale, manual, etc.And,you can do some patterning and adjust your load to do what you want it to.

I can knock out 100 rounds an hour with my MEC 600s JR, the most common reloader extant. List is about $84, and oft less on sale. This is cheap enough that most multi gauge reloaders buy a new press for each gauge rather than get a set of dies and so on and switch back and forth.

If a MEC 600 Jr and a new 870 were purchased at the same time, they'd both last about the same time,measured in generations,not years.
 
Thanks for the info, Dave.

Re target launchers, I need something that does not require the assistance of another person. Wife is gun-shy. Grandchildren are interested in sharing guns, but they live too far away to be here often. Do you know of something that can be used solo?
 
There are several flavors of clay pideon throwers that mount on the ground. I have a Outers that I purchased many years ago. Very durable. IIRC, most of the sprting goods stores around here have them.
 
Thanks, Giz.

A question about reloading:

I have 9s and 4s, both made by Fiocchi. The 9s have the familiar star-shaped crimp in the plastic end of the shell. The 4s are quite different: they have yellow dime-shaped paper/cardboard looking material stuck in the end of the shell.

Question: Does that make any difference re reloading? Is the shell with the cardboard "dime" in the end a reloadable hull?
 
The star crimp is easily reloadable, 28 ga uses a six point crimp. Most reloaders for 28 ga are set up to do this. The hulls with a paper wad (called a roll crimp) can be reloaded but it takes special dies. I am not sure whether you can buy the dies for a MEC reloader.

Fiocchi hulls may be difficult to find recipes for. I do not recall any of the powder manufacturers listing Fiocchi hulls in their recipes. (But then I have not looked too hard, I usually use Remington Winchester or Federal hulls)

I was given a bunch of Fiocchi hulls by another shooter who claimed he could not reload them on his equipment. They are still in a bucket somewhere.

Be very careful to follow manufacturers recipes when reloading. Do not substitute primers, powder,wads or hulls. Could lead to overpressures, not good!

Anybody got a good recipe for Fiocchi 28 ga hulls?
 
Fiocchi 28 ga hulls

I only got 2 boxes total (1 of 4s, 1 of 9s). I'll just not buy any more Fiocchi shells...
 
Recommend Book

Is there a book you can recommend that explains all a newcomer to shotgun games may need to know about them?

I have plenty of land, but the ratio of cleared space to tall trees may not be what is needed to accommodate the games...
 
Jerry Meyer's book,The Clay Target Handbook, gives a good overview on each game and some tips.

Chances are your local library has some on individual games under Dewey Decimal System #799.

HTH....
 
Re the recoil pad

I think a longer LOP on my 28 Wingmaster would be an improvement for me.

Also, having not yet mastered good form, the hard plastic recoil pad on the Wingmaster gave me quite a whacking this morning.

Would a Pachmayr slip-on recoil pad be a good idea? Or can you suggest a better one?

Or should I just let the hard plastic stock pad motivate me to master good form (which of course I hope to do in any case)?
 
If you need a longer length of pull, and if you are getting whacked by the hard buttplate, it would seem that you are an ideal candidate for a recoil pad. I would suggest that you have your gunsmith install one if you don't feel comfortable doing the job yourself. The grinding can be a little bit tricky. You will lose about 1/4 inch when you remove the plastic buttplate. New recoil pads come 1/2, 3/4, 1, or 1 1/4 inch thick or thereabouts. Choose a thickness that gives you the additional length that you want.
 
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