doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com popularity of 16 guage shotguns

At my age I'm not going to change my mind on 16s. Have wittled my flock down some by giving them to my daughjter and son both advid shooters as are several of my grandsons. Still have 5 self loaders, 2 slide actioons, 2 O/Us and 3 SxSs. A MEC Grabber for the 16s and abit of boughten ammo in 2.5 and 2.75 in. shells. I hunt all the birds with 16s, from woodcock to turkeys and geese and everything in between. What's not to like about the 16. Have picked up an Uggie Grade 3 in 16 that will probably get the most use this fall. I do think that I have enough and will not be looking for more unless it's a SxS or some other neat 16 ga. shotgun. Now have 16 ga. shooters in my family from 17 to 73. Obsolete, I don't think so.

Arguing with us 16 gauge devotees about the virtues of the 16 gauge is kind of like wrestling with a pig. All you are going to do is get dirty but the pig loves it.

LOL. So true. Oink oink.

I won't argue the virtues of the 16ga vs the 12ga, comparing guns. However, reloading . . . yeah, when I can go various local places and buy wads today if I need them, that's an advantage. If I want to reload a hull more than 5 times--and I certainly do that, both with 12ga and 20ga hulls--that also is an advantage. If I want to find recipes for low pressure loads, using a variety of components, I can look at either the Hodgdon or the Alliant websites. And yes, thanks, I know all about the 16ga forum and reloading group. I was part of it. Sent loads to Tom Armbrust for pressure testing. But what it comes down to is like cutting down 12ga hulls to reload 2 1/2", vs simply using readily-available, unaltered 2 3/4" hulls: more tinkering involved. I don't reload for fun. I reload to save a bit of money, and to work up loads that either aren't available commercially, or else are expensive. And since I'm not doing it for fun, I'd rather not make it any more problematic than necessary. So yeah, to me--and to all others who aren't tinkerers or who don't think of reloading as "fun"--the end result is that the 12 has significant advantages over the 16. And zero disadvantages that I can think of.

Larry, the disadvantage is, it isn't a 16.

Oink, oink.

I love my 16. I also love my 12. Both sxs, they are also very different guns in manifold respects. Reloading for the 12 is easier than for the 16, insofar as I don't have to deal with roll crimping. For the 16 (mine's got 65mm chambers), a roll crimping is the easier (for me) way to address the (solvable) problem of some reloaders not liking 65mm hulls.

But, other than that minor inconvenience, what's not to love?

I never have enjoyed reloading and frankly, I don't have the time. So, what Larry says makes a lot of sense to me. I do very much like a 16b but shells are a little limited for me. I can usually buy what I want, eg., RST, but have to plan ahead....but I do for a 12 too since I don't shoot high pressure in my English guns. I usually go with B and P or RST for a 12 or 20 b too.

I can think of one. 12 gauge shells are fat and ugly.

I can think of another: 16 ga shells are purple.

They're also--very commonly--red, black, and blue. Standardizing on one color for a gauge was a good idea. Seems ammo makers stick with it best in 20ga, not so well in the other gauges.