After watching a friend take his share of South Dakota pheasants with a 20 ga O/U, I decided to start shooting one after years with 12's. The 20 was a little more challenging, of course, and it made me shoot better. I really enjoyed it and now shoot 20's on everything except waterfowl. The next year the same fella went out with a 28 and did well on pheasants--he's a good shot.
I wondered if I should try a 28, so I started looking. I found the Beretta Silver Pigeon S Combo O/U, a light weight gun with both 20 and 28 ga barrels and each with its own forearm (Sportsman's Warehouse). My wife "gave" it to me for Christmas three years ago. She only paid $400 for it! (I paid the rest :-) ).
I have enjoyed shooting both guages, but clean kills are important to me. I shoot the 28 at sporting clays enough to know it is definitely more difficult to hit with and has a shorter range because of a less dense pattern. On something as large and fast as a grouse--especially a sage grouse here in Utah--I would use no less than a 20.
But I would definitely buy a 28. It will make you a better shot with whatever else you choose to shoot and is adequate for small birds like dove, quail, etc.
CB3 in Utah
