I am picking up my 1st 16 gauge tomorrow morning in preparation for my hunt in SD the second week of November. Actually, it is my second 16. The first was an Ithaca Model 37 pump that I traded for this NID with 28 inch barrels and a beautiful orange starburst pad on it. It is a non ejector, double trigger model that was previously owned by the gun/outdoor writer Stephen Bodio from Magdalena, NM. Not sure how it is choked but I am thinking it is maybe Mod/Full. If it is I may have the chokes opened a bit after SD.
Ithaca marked the chokes on the barrel flats, making it easy to tell how the gun was choked when it left the factory. 0--cylinder; 1--improved cylinder; 2--modified; 3--improved modified; 4-full. You should be able to find a gunsmith who can measure chokes for you because they may have been opened since your gun was made.
I've been shooting 16s since 1973, and ammo isn't as much of a problem as you may think. Once you figure out what you want, try to order it in bulk (a flat at a time--20 boxes.) Cabelas usually has 16ga Herters shells in stock. The hulls reload quite well. 16ga.com will provide guidance on components etc. The 1 oz Remington Game Loads also reload well when you can find them. Finding specific reloading components can be a PITA. But again, 16ga.com will help you out. And there is a 16ga reloaders group. The problem lately has been shortages of a lot of components for various gauges. Certainly worse for 16 than for 12 or 20. But not a show stopper. I usually shoot about half a dozen rounds of skeet with a 16 every week. That does keep me busy reloading and making sure that I have the components I need on hand. Hasn't slowed me down, but I do have to make sure that I don't run out of components. Big box stores that handle hunting and fishing stuff will usually have 16ga shells on hand. Mostly either 1 oz target/light game loads or 1 1/8 oz pheasant loads.
