doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com 16 bore shotguns

I recently purchased a 16 bore S x S shotgun. I have always been a 20 or 12 bore man, but I really like this gun. It weighs in right at 6 lbs. What do you guys think the pros and cons are of the 16 gauge ?

The only negative with the 16 gauge is the price and sometimes the avaliability of ammo. It is the perfect gauge for the upland hunting enthusiast. In my opinion, a 16 is equal to a 12 gauge, but typically weighs 1 to 2 lbs less.
Steve

I just came back from shooting skeet with my 16 gauge Parker Trojan. The gun is a lot of fun, but you'll have to reload if you shoot a lot, as Rockdoc said the ammunition can be pricey, if you can find any at all.

I have had a hard time locating empty hulls to reload until just about two weeks ago. I gave the Cheddite pre-primed hulls (from Precision reloading)a try, they load great and I'm on my fourth reload of the first 100 hulls, they still look great and I think I'll get another four reloads from them at least.
Pete

I hunt almost exclusively with 16ga guns. I have not found that 16ga ammo is "hard to come by". You may not find it in a rural store but WalMart, Dick's, Sportsman's, Cabela's, etc all carry 16ga ammo. You may not find as many ammo options as 12ga or 20ga but you will find good shells to suit your game.
I reload most of my ammo since I enjoy doing it along with saving some money. I also like loading paper hulls for my vintage guns. I don't think 16ga is "better" than any other but I do enjoy the 16ga guns I have.

What is your new acquisition?

Well, duckxdog, you may find it where you are "on the fruited plains" but where I am it is "hard to come by". Sometimes you may find that Walmart or Dicks has it but not very often and a lot of the time it is loaded in 6,5,or 4 size shot.

Pete

I get my 16-ga shells for my Merkel 1620 from:

www.bandpusa.com/

Completely satisfied.

Go over to www.16ga.com and ask the question. You'll find plenty of like-minded 16 gauge folks over there. 16's are usually less expensive than 20s, lighter than 12s, but more expensive, and close the weight of a 20. Some are built on 20 gauge frames. I enoy shooting 3/4 to 7/8 oz loads, usually handloaded by me. Gil

My go to guns are 16's and 28's. I have always thought the 16 was the classic gauge and perfect for grouse. There is just something right about the loads. I do agree about ammo - finding exactly what you want when you need it is almost impossible but there are a number of companies producing ammo virtually any combination is available. I just order by the flat and I always throw an extra couple of boxes in when I head to the grouse woods. Below is a 16 ga Parker DH, circa 1892, shooting 2-1/2" RST 7-1/2's loaded in paper hulls. (Gotta love the sound of paper hulls rattling around in the back of the vest).

Gnomon...they have some interesting stuff!

Thanks for the link.

Buzz, you will find that if you don't reload, the factory 1 oz stuff you buy at WalMart etc will probably have more recoil than you like. Reloading, as suggested above, is the way to go if you're going to shoot targets regularly with a 16. The problem there is that components are more expensive and harder to come by, and reloading down to 7/8 oz--which is a piece of cake with a 12 and readily-available components--often requires tinkering with some sort of filler, etc.

That being said, they are indeed great upland guns.