28 gauge is a relatively popular gauge used in American skeet competition and to some extent in the hunting field. Although I do not shoot American skeet, I have hunted a good deal with 28 gauge guns, including a Winchester 101 O/U, and more recently with a pair of Briley tubes in my Merkel 201E 12 gauge O/U. The tubes add weight to the barrels of the Merkel, which were otherwise too light.

I use the gauge primarily for dove hunting, a popular sport in my area, with a daily bag limit of 15. I have no difficulty obtaining my limit and enjoy the challange of shooting with a gun which patterns identically with its larger relatives in 20 and 12 gauge, but uses a smaller weight of shot. Performance is not much different from that of a 20 gauge.