28-bore shotguns for partridge shooting

Small-bore guns have seen a surge in popularity in recent years, with 20-bores in particular becoming an object of desire for sportsmen up and down the country, no matter what the quarry.

The fashion now seems to be moving towards even smaller bores, with 28-bore shotguns becoming very popular for partridge shooting.

There is even a small but militant band of .410 aficionados who mostly shoot brilliantly, but I would urge extreme caution before following in their footsteps.

It’s almost a case of ‘don’t try this at home’.

I have heard it said that a 28-bore shotgun with the right load and the right chokes is the perfect gun.

Of course, whether or not this is true is down to your individual needs and fitting, but most sportsmen will tell you how pleasurable it is to shoot smaller-bore guns.

They tend to be a lot lighter and therefore faster and easier to mount and move, and also produce far less recoil on standard loads.

And there is an aesthetic appeal, with smaller bore guns having smaller actions, lending the guns a certain elegance.

LONGER BARRELS ESSENTIAL
Visual appeal is important on the peg, but some have argued that smaller bore guns are less effective on high driven birds due to their light weight, encouraging an overly aggressive swing.

To counter this you will often see longer barrel on these guns, with 28″ and 30″ being the most popular.

This gives a slightly weightier feel and pushes the balance of the gun more towards the muzzle end, making them very pointable and stopping you swinging through too hard or stopping and attempting to ambush the bird.

As well as making your swing smoother, longer barrels will help those who use maintained lead (as many do for partridge shooting) keep the momentum of the gun up.

CARTRIDGE SELECTION
As with any gun, cartridge selection is important, but getting it right is essential on small-bore guns.

I would recommend picking the best cartridges you can afford with 28-bores.

What load you choose is, of course, a personal preference but for partridge many make the mistake of going for a heavy load of 24gram.

I would stick with 21gram, and early in the season I would even go as low as 16gram.

I would use No.7 shot, which when used with the right choke (my preference would be cylinder and improved) would provide a shot pattern and density good enough to kill driven partridges consistently

AYA Number Two shotgun

£5,485
If you?re after a small bore side-by-side shotgun then Spanish made guns from Arrieta or AYA are your best bet.