Description
BP Upland Game 28ga 7.5 Shot is the fast one in this family. Three quarters of an ounce of nickel plated shot leaving the muzzle at 1300 fps is considerably brisker than the 1125 fps the .410 loads run, and in the 28 gauge that extra speed is genuinely useful rather than just loud.
Why the 28 Gauge Works So Well
The 28 gauge has a reputation among upland shooters that is out of proportion to its payload, and the reason is bore geometry. Its shot column is short and wide relative to the bore diameter, which means fewer pellets are crushed against the barrel wall on the way out. The result is a pattern that behaves better than the ounce count suggests it should.
A 28 gauge upland hunting load at three quarters of an ounce carries the same weight of shot as a 3 inch .410, but it delivers it through a bore that treats the pellets more kindly. Put the two side by side on a pattern board and the 28 gauge is visibly more even. That is the whole case for the gauge.
Guns that shoot BP Upland Game 28ga 7.5 Shot are light, usually somewhere between five and six and a half pounds, and they carry beautifully over a long day in cover. Recoil at 1300 fps is present but modest. This is a gauge that rewards a shooter who walks a lot and shoots a little.
BP Upland Game 28ga 7.5 Shot Specifications
BP Upland Game 28ga 7.5 Shot is a 1300 fps 3/4 oz shell in a 2-3/4 inch 28 gauge hull loaded with nickel plated 7.5 shot, 25 rounds to the box. That velocity is at the upper end of what is common in the gauge, and it shortens your lead noticeably on a bird crossing at 30 yards.
Made by Baschieri and Pellagri in Italy, this is one of a family of Italian made hunting shotshells rather than a repurposed target load. The distinction shows up in the plating and the powder choice, both of which favor pattern quality and clean burning over the lowest possible cost per round.
The nickel plated 7.5 shot in BP Upland Game 28ga 7.5 Shot resists deformation in the forcing cone and choke. In a small gauge that is not a marginal gain. Every pellet that stays round is a pellet that stays in the pattern, and with a payload this size you do not have any to spare.
- Gauge: 28 gauge
- Shell length: 2-3/4 inch
- Shot size: 7.5
- Shot weight: 3/4 oz
- Shot material: nickel plated lead
- Muzzle velocity: 1300 fps
- Primary use: quail, dove, grouse and woodcock
- Rounds per box: 25
- Manufacturer: Baschieri and Pellagri
- Country of origin: Italy
Cost, Availability and Practical Limits
The honest drawback of the 28 gauge is not performance, it is supply. Shells cost more than 20 gauge and a good deal more than 12, and the selection on any given shelf is thinner. If you hunt somewhere remote, buy your season ahead rather than expecting to find this at a small town hardware store in October.
Velocity on BP Upland Game 28ga 7.5 Shot is a genuine advantage but it is not free. A fast small gauge load produces more recoil than a slow one, and in a five pound gun that is noticeable by the end of a long day. If you are shooting a hundred rounds at dove, a slower load will treat your shoulder better. For a walk-up hunt where you fire a dozen shells, the speed is worth having.
Range discipline still applies with BP Upland Game 28ga 7.5 Shot. Three quarters of an ounce is three quarters of an ounce regardless of how well the bore treats it. Past about 35 yards the pattern thins to the point where clean kills become unreliable on anything larger than a quail. Get close, shoot well, and the gauge does the rest.
Upland hunters who want BP Upland Game 28ga 7.5 Shot, carrying a 28 gauge for quail, dove, grouse or woodcock who want a fast, hard-patterning Italian field load and accept the higher cost per shell.
If you want a full ounce and a coarser pellet for rabbit or late season birds, the Upland Game 28ga 1oz 6 Shot is the heavier option in the same gauge, and dropping to the Upland Game 410 3 Inch 7.5 Shot gives you the same pellet size in a smaller, lighter gun.
Store BP Upland Game 28ga 7.5 Shot indoors and dry. Buy by the case when you find it, because 28 gauge supply is the least predictable part of owning one of these guns and consistent lot numbers keep your patterns stable from one season to the next.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.