To all the hunters here. 28 gauge for quail? Couldn't you just ...

[TomInTib]

throw rocks?

Probably a real shotgun (12 or 16, hell even 20) would stop his heart (if he really has one).

No effing way I am carrying a 28 out for quail unless it is a canned shoot (which is not hunting- it is shooting).

[Kagemusha]

1. Um, I heard it *was* a canned shoot.

So there you go...

[Stephanie]

2. I don't understand - it's too much? it's overkill?

and if it is a canned shoot why would you use more?

[TahitiNut]

4. The larger the gauge number, the smaller the barrel.

Thus, the barrel (and shell) of a 12 gauge is larger than a 20-gauge, and a 20-gauge is larger than a 28-gauge. A larger shell typically means a larger load (gunpowder and pellets). It also usually means a larger spread when unchoked.

[TomInTib]

5. Not "overkill" Stephanie....

Gauges are kinda upside down-

28 is the next smallest (barrel diameter), the smallest being 410.

You are right, a 28 would be fine for a canned shoot.
But I doubt a canned release would happen behind the "money shooter" if another gun was walking behind.

I have done a lot of bird hunting in a lot of varying situations (and I know the Armstrong family) and something about this smells really bad.

I'm saying alcohol and a very large coverup.

By the way, I just love your posts and always look forward to them.

[Stephanie]

6. Well Dick has 3 or 4 DUI's already

And he's never claimed to have given it up like the Chimp - so it's entirely possible. He flunked out of Yale due to partying to much, or so they claim. It's possible he just wasn't smart enough.

And thanks! :hi:

[TomInTib]

7. Evil and Lucky trumps "Smart" every time.

And you are welcome and I meant what I said.

Aren't you up pretty late?

[The Traveler]

3. At the very least

using so light a weapon is a bold statement of confidence in one's marksmanship. Given how often Cheney goes out to kill flying creatures of various sorts, this confidence may well be warranted.

What I find curious is that the owner of the property estimated the range at 30 yards ... which I suspect is well beyond the effective range of this weapon. A 28 gauge packs a fairly small load, and at that range the shot pattern would have been fairly dispersed. Yet this man was wounded in the face, neck, and chest.

I think he was probably a bit closer than 30 yards ...

Cheney is a skilled hunter, by all accounts ... unlikely to commit such a blunder while sober.

Or perhaps the question we should be asking is "When, oh when, Dick, will you learn to look before you shoot?"

[TahitiNut]

8. The rule of thumb on shot spread is 1" per foot of travel, as I recall.

That means it'd be a spread of 90" ... over 7 feet in diameter. I just can't imagine a guy getting 50-60 shot in him from a 28-gauge with that large a spread, even with birdshot. Now, if he was only 30 feet away, the spread would be about 2.5 feet ... but I doubt he'd survive. There's something definitely fishy. I gotta believe he was only about 15-20 yards away. At that distance, how the hell could ANY shooter not see him??

[ManiacJoe]

11. 1 inch per yard, at least in the large shot sizes. (n/t)

[TahitiNut]

16. (Oops) Yep.. In the spirit of fire, ready, aim, I googled and you're right

The approximate spread rate is about 1" per yard after about 10 yds and it depends on the choke for the initial spread. Still, I can't see the off-target human being more than about 20 yards away for him to get 50-80 pellets out of 350, assuming 1 oz of #7 1/2 birdshot. I sure hope some forensic investigation is done on this.

[RubyDuby in GA]

15. Well you know...it is quite difficult to see a neon orange vest

right in front of you...

:sarcasm:

[TahitiNut]

18. Yeah... especially at the great distance of 20-30 yards in Texas daylight.

:sarcasm: And he WAS wearing an orange vest. Cheney had to be blind drunk ... or a madman ... or both.

[BOHICA06]

9. 28 gauge for quail ... is quite a statement of expertise.

Now count the shells fired, versus the birds bagged for the real deal, but if you drawing the bead on a traversing bird, I can see where your swing might get errant!

There for the grace of God ... and all that.

[JohnnyRingo]

10. Cheney always does canned hunts

That's what he was doing with Scalia as I recall a couple years ago.

It's not about the hunt...It's the killing that counts.

[rucky]

12. Scalia trip was with assault rifles, too.

there's some sport for ya.

[Miz Milquetoast]

13. I know nothing about hunting....

Wouldn't birdshot just absolutely SHRED those quail? There wouldn't be anything left!

[MadHound]

14. No, not at all, especially with such a small gun and load

This is why birdshot is used, so you don't shred the bird. Bird shot is smaller the BBs.

[GumboYaYa]

17. Apparently, they need to give him a .410 next time.

That's what I learned to hunt with, WHEN I WAS 10 YEARS OLD.

No offense intended, but hunters consider the 28 gauge a "lady" gun. It doesn't kick like a 12 gauge. It also has a tigher shot pattern, which means Cheney pointed pretty much straight at the guy he shot.

[RebelOne]

19. A quote from the Jan. issue of Texas Sportsman.

"The real dyed-in-the-wool quail hunter was the guy who hunted quail with a high-grade side-by-side 16 gauge, maybe a Parker, an Ithaca, or even an top English grade like a Purdy."