The ammo issue is always brought up, and yes- it can be hard to find a box of 16 anything in Wally World, or much of a selection anywhere else. OP I think has been addressed, with lack of a specific skeet class, and many younger hunter/shooters wanting a "one and done" gun. In my younger days, I chased roosters with a 20 gauge Beretta BL4. I shot 1 1/4 oz magnums, and to a degree,
perceived recoil was mitigated by the excitement of the flush. As time went by, I learned of patterns, shot columns, and the optimum load for a particular bore. I still vividly recall the first time a 16- a sxs- was put in my hands. I had gone to the old Flatwater for the first time, and had brought a 20 ga Beretta Gold Pigeon, and my turkey/waterfowl gun (the only two smoothbores I owned). Guns were freely passed around at that gathering, and the instant I held that Grulla it was all over. Call me a big Goldilocks, at 6 ft. , 200 lbs, and no gloves on the planet big enough for my hands- the 20 is too small, the 12 too big, the 16 just right.
I have shot London best lightweight short 12's. Nothing feels like a sleek 16 in my hands. Gun sales indicate I am in a small minority. I don't care. I can't easily get the 3/4 oz loads that most often fill the chambers, so I roll my own.
A neighbor is awaiting delivery of a 20 ga that he is going to use to introduce his daughter to hunting/ shooting. The lightest readily available load is 7/8 oz. If he wants lighter loads, he will probably have to reload or pay a premium.
I am with KY Jon, in that where the 16 shines is the uplands, which comprises most of my hunting- carried more than shot. I also shoot targets with it, and find 3/4 oz sufficient to handle most realistic presentations, If of course I do my part.
So do please continue to tout the 12, and bemoan the lack of fare for the deposed queen of the uplands- less competition for her, especially those quirky French round actions with the inferior steel.
Mike
