All-time favorite Sub Gauge Upland Bird hunting Gun?

ianpadron

WKR
Joined
Feb 3, 2016
Messages
1,960
Location
Montana
Boy there isn't a 28 gauge SxS that I haven't liked, but the Fausti DEA is damn near perfect in terms of being classy, beautiful, and still rugged enough you'll actually hunt with it.

I've been rocking a TriStar Bristol 28 the past few seasons and it's a lotta gun for the money. I strap it on my pack while scouting and hunt blues up top with my dogs during September...FUN

I usually grab it over my AL-48 and Benelli Ultralights, both in 20... that says a lot.
 

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Macintosh

WKR
Joined
Feb 17, 2018
Messages
2,760
For more than a decade my go-to has been a 1960’s beretta BL4, custom stocked and checkered by me, which I have 2 barrel sets for—26” skeet/IC and 28” lite mod/mod. It’s under 6lb with a 15” stock, and even the short barrels balance in front of the hinge. That took some doing. It handles too fast to objectively shoot as well as some of my other guns, but when things are close and fast I sure like it.
 

Dos XX

WKR
Joined
Dec 29, 2018
Messages
882
Boy there isn't a 28 gauge SxS that I haven't liked, but the Fausti DEA is damn near perfect in terms of being classy, beautiful, and still rugged enough you'll actually hunt with it.

I've been rocking a TriStar Bristol 28 the past few seasons and it's a lotta gun for the money. I strap it on my pack while scouting and hunt blues up top with my dogs during September...FUN

I usually grab it over my AL-48 and Benelli Ultralights, both in 20... that says a lot.
How much does that gun weigh? If I decide to upgrade my current 28, that one is on the radar.

I bought a CZ Bobwhite 28 to play around with and see if I liked or could even shoot a double trigger. The trigger guard kind of ate my index finger up, but I think I now know how to correct that when setting up. I am going to hunt it again some this year and see what happens.
 

Hamburger

FNG
Joined
Aug 14, 2023
Messages
6
Remington Wingmaster in 20ga. Skeet choke. Light enough to carry in the chukar hills and nimble enough for dove. You don’t cry either when you take a digger and give it a battle scar like a fancy double.

I made the mistake of letting my 12 year old daughter shoot clays with it and gave it to her after she hit 25 in a row. What is a father to do.
 

samc

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Messages
104
For a buy once, cry once gun...I'd go with a beretta 686/687 in 20 gauge. For something a little more affordable that still will get the job done every day of the week and twice on Sunday, get a Franchi instinct.
 

Archerichards

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Aug 25, 2019
Messages
139
My little Greener 20ga SXS. Made in 1908. Sweet, light, fits me, and has dropped oh so many quail. It's the only firearm called out in my Will and it will go to my son who loves to shoot too.
 
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
421
Location
Arkansas
Browning Citori Feather Lightning 20 ga and a LC Smith 16 ga are two of my favorites. I also have a soft spot for the A5 Sweet 16 and Magnum 20 if I'm in the mood for an autoloader. If I had to pick just one it would probably be the Citori 20.
 
Joined
Jun 27, 2022
Messages
1,264
Between Benelli ultralight’s in 20 and 28 and Beretta 686’s in 20 and 28 I don’t think I could pick a favorite. I’d probably lean to the 686 because O/U’s are just classy.
 
Joined
Oct 2, 2021
Messages
331
Location
Central Virginia
My all time favorite sub-gauge is my Beretta 687 Silver Pigeon II. in 20 gauge. It has 28" barrels. I bought it new in 2006 when I was in graduate school. I could not even remotely afford it at the time. It has been my companion on many hunts and has dropped many a bird. Beretta has not offered a Silver Pigeon II in a while. I'd like to see them bring it back.

This year, I added a 687 Silver Pigeon III in 28 gauge. So far, it is shooting great and fits just like my 20. In terms of wood and engraving, I think my older SP2 is actually nicer. Of course it has a few minor dings at this point from honest wear.
 
Joined
Aug 21, 2021
Messages
439
Location
Colorado
American Arms Gentry SxS 20 gauge made in Spain by Zabala Hermanos and imported by American Arms Inc., had the grip removed and the stock adjusted to fit my body by a gunsmith eons ago. It's my point and shoot thick cover grouse gun...also chokes opened up a tad for thick cover shooting (dedicated MN grouse gun back in the day).
That model used to be known as the poor man's bespoke side by side informally.
 
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