28 gauge bismuth #5 patterning results

Due to a couple herniated discs in my neck that I fought for a couple months this spring it has been suggested by a doctor that I try a lighter recoiling gun than a 12 gauge. 28 gauge has become one of my favorite calibers over the last 5 or 6 years so I decided this year that is all I’m going to take out. Whether we are hunting ducks, geese, or cranes. I picked up 5 cases of Rio Bismuth #5’s a couple weeks ago and finally got out to pattern them through my Beretta A400 Xplor with a Briley Improved Modified choke. Usually patterning a gun isn’t something I would do but at $1.25 a pop for these shells I figured I’d at least try it. I still want to pattern a couple more chokes, mainly a little tighter one that I will most likely use when crane and goose hunting.

Here are the results::

Gun: Beretta A400 Xplor 28 gauge
Choke: Briley Improved Modiifed
Shell: Rio Bismuth, #5, 2.75”, 3/4 oz, 1250 FPS
Total pellets: 165 (best I could count)

20 Yards: 86.67% of shot inside a 17 inch circle. (143 pellets)

30 yards: 47.27% of shot inside a 17” circle. (78 pellets)

40 yards: 37.57% of shot inside a 17” circle. (62 pellets)

In the last year I started reloading less and less shot for my 12 gauge. I used to load 1 1/8 ounces of shot in my trap shooting and dove hunting loads. For some reason I tried ounce loads and liked them. Next I tried 7/8 ounces of shot. Now I mostly shoot 3/4 ounce loads.

Recoil has dropped tremendously.

Also my shooting expenses have dropped substantially as well.

I have not detected a great deal of lost targets due to using less shot. If I point the shotgun in the right place the target still breaks. Maybe once a day I shoot a target that gets away that I wonder how I missed.

Or you can buy the metrobarrel extension for your 12 gauge and have 50% lighter recoil compared to your 28 gauge and about 90% less than your 12 gauge. Plus another 85 % noise reduction
Noise reduction that low, you dont have to wear ear protection, plus you wont scare of that second wave of ducks.

I also have that same 28 gauge, and use it often with heavy steel nr 4, but prefer the 12 gauge with metrobarrel for reach over larger bodies of water

when shooting a tight choke through a 28, you won't notice as much difference as you would think when shooting ducks within a reasonable range. never shot geese or cranes with a little gun. you'll enjoy it. what made more of a difference for me was having to handle and swing a gun that weighs next to nothing

Curious why you tested with a 17 inch circle. Isn't 30 inches standard? Maybe you are a very good shot.
I have been intrigued by the 28 ever since reading Bob Brister's old book. Brister wrote so long ago he didn't have much to say about non-toxic shot. But, at least in those days of lead, he found the 28 gauge was a gun that killed better than it was supposed to.

Absolutely no bs john, try it for yourself, i have shot 50 plus cases through it in the last 6 years and its phenomenal.
but you need to shoot low recoil federals through it, or custom duckload from the metro dude himself.

I have shot a ton of ducks with a 28 gauge and even a few geese. They are absolutely deadly but in my opinion you almost have to have something heavier than steel. I've tried steel and was not impressed at all.

I had 18" freezer paper so I just drew as big of a circle as I possibly could pretty much. I didn't get too scientific about it.

Custom duckloads from metrodude that cost $2.50 per round? And come out of the end of the barrel at 950fps? Thanks but no thanks. I'm buying this 28 gauge bismuth for around half of that. I would put this bismuth load up against steel BB's at 950 fps any day of the week and I don't have to swing around a 6 foot long barrel.

I know you love your metro barrel but please save your breath. You couldn't pay me to use one of those things.

3 fused vertebrae in my neck 7 years ago.

If you want effective, but light recoiling duck loads get into loading your own.

1oz of HW13 #6 tungsten shot at a pedestrian 1250fps can harvest a duck farther than those 1450fps 1 1/4oz 2s people bang away with. They aren’t cheap, but then you won’t have to water swat many birds on the water either. Load them in a 12ga or a heavier 20ga and use the weight of the heavier weapon to help soak up some of the recoil.

Pellets passing through mallard sized ducks at 20-30 yards is not uncommon.

You don't need tungsten either. We consistently kill decoying mallards with steel thru our 28s. The problem we found is you cripple a lot of birds after the 1st shot when they flush, and you are trying to double or triple. We went to hevi-shot 6s that we reload, and it will kill a mallard with winter fat on it further than we should probably be shooting at them.

Not only do you get the reduced recoil with the 28s which I've found is great for quick 2nd and 3rd shots, but you also don't get the volume of sound you do from the 12s and 20s which we have noticed helps not educate the birds when hunting close to a big feed or resting spots on the rivers.

I also like the 28s because it makes us work harder to hide, better decoy sets, and overall just work harder to decoy the birds so we don't take marginal shots. Our hunts seem to go quicker with less crippled birds as well when we use the 28s.

About the only negative I've noticed, it when it's really windy. Having a smaller shot pay load and shot string really gets your shot blown out by the wind. Anything over 20-25mph winds, we take the 12s.

George Digweed is a firm believer in the double tap for long shots especially. I started doing that with dove and jackrabbit and my cripple rate plummeted. I am trying to put together some duck hunts for the fall and I"ll be sure to do double tapping then also. It costs a bit more in shells but you can also use the cheaper stuff so it sort of balances out.

I would use the A400 xplor 20. I loved mine and will get another in black, I just thought it too nice to take to the swamp

pattering a shotgun is not done by most, should be done more...

I only have to pay $1 a round plus shipping.
Try it out, that gun is so quiet. It has a huge advantage as far as the incoming ducks not hearing you shoot.
And 980 fps is plenty to kill em, just lead the bird 1 foot more.
To shoot silently over a pond has many benefits.
The barrel is super light, and you wont even see the end of it when you aim.
You only see the end of your gun, not the barrel.
Be a BeaverBelieber, try one instead of criticizing it.
Its also great for turkey hunting and shooting pigs out of a blind with slow slug ammo.
The metrodude also made me a case of mixed bismuth and tungsten.
1 load had a mix of it in nr 2,BB and BBB
It is deadly on ducks and especially geese.
I shot a songdog with that load last month at 37 yards stone cold steve austin

How much fun is it reloading a metro barrel in a pit or layout blind?

I personally do not fraternize with metro dudes

It is absolutely mind boggling how far you can kill a duck with hevi shot out of a 28 gauge. I’d throw some yardage’s out there but people would call me a liar.

They are a nightmare to try and shoot in high winds, where do you find your hevi shot for reloading and what is your cost per shell to reload hevi shot?

its relatively easy to find. it's listed and sold as hw or hv 13, something like that. after buying some to reload and being able to see it, I then cut open some shells from different boxes. And it is pretty odd ball, different sizes, oblong, etc. If you re worried about that kind of stuff.

Thanks, no worries here, we’ve cut some open before and seen how oddly shaped all the pellets are. Amazing it is still so effective even with the oddly shaped pellets.

How does the 28 work on ducks? I've been thinking about one for my son, mostly for jump shooting wood ducks at under 20 yards

Works great on ducks. I’d recommend something like bismuth or hevi shot instea of regular steel shot.

Or check out something like a Beretta A400 semi auto in 20 gauge with the recoil system. That would be extremely light recoil.