16 Gauge Blues

[Larryjk]

I read through the Cabela's Fall Shooting catalog and got bummed out. Very few loads for a 16 gauge fan and only 2 loads for the 6mm Remington. Hornady and Remington are the only manufacturers who had 6mm loads, 95 and 100 grain; no varmint loads. I guess people don't know what a great cartridge the 6mm Rem really is; better than the .243 Win. if you know what is going on.
The 16 gauge is such a fine light and finely balanced shotgun that most people haven't had a chance to shoot. You have to hunt with one to really appreciate them. I guess it is time to buy a 16 gauge loader and load up on 16 gauge wads.

[Joe Boleo]

I can usually find various loads at the local gun shop or Wal-Mart. After shooting 12 gauge and 20 gauge shotguns, I finally came around to the 16. Since then, I snatch up every decent 16 gauge I find on the used gun racks at a reasonable price. Take care...
Joe

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I think that by reloading for the 16 gauge, you will find that you can increase the versatility of the gun by 150%! You are right.....very limited offerings by the factories, and it's getting more and more difficult to find even the promo loads (duck & pheasant, dove & quail, ect) at the local Wally world or Kmart. Heck, I was in a Gander Mountain store the other day and they had little in the way of 16 gauge shells, and those that they did have were outrageously priced!

While there are fewer offerings in 16 gauge loaded ammo, there has been an increase in the number of different wad offerings in the past few years. One company (I think it's downrange) is suppose to come out with a WAA16 clone (great wad, IMHO) and there are a few from Ballistic products for 1 oz loadings. For a while, the only wad available was the SP16....great for field loads, but left something to be desired for target shooting.

DOn't know much about the 6mm, other than the outfitter I hunted with several years ago (in MT) had bought one for his sons, and had taken several mule deer and antelope with that gun!

[dovehunter]

Originally Posted by Larryjk

I read through the Cabela's Fall Shooting catalog and got bummed out. Very few loads for a 16 gauge fan and only 2 loads for the 6mm Remington. Hornady and Remington are the only manufacturers who had 6mm loads, 95 and 100 grain; no varmint loads. I guess people don't know what a great cartridge the 6mm Rem really is; better than the .243 Win. if you know what is going on.
The 16 gauge is such a fine light and finely balanced shotgun that most people haven't had a chance to shoot. You have to hunt with one to really appreciate them. I guess it is time to buy a 16 gauge loader and load up on 16 gauge wads.

As someone else said, when you can find 16 ga. shells - even field loads - they are usually priced much higher than their identical 12 & 20 ga. counterparts. Do take up reloading 16 ga. shells. You won't regret it. I was fortunate enough several years back to get a case of W-W field loads really cheap from a store that was going out of business and have been using those hulls for reloading ever since. The W-W's seem to hold up very well. I too use the Rem. SP16 wads as they are the only thing I can find around here.

As far as the 16 ga. itself is concerned I love my three guns - two SxS doubles and Rem. 870 pump. I bought the pump a few years back to give the two doubles a break from the constant hammering of early fall dove shoots. Whenever I hear anyone knocking a 16 ga. the first thing that tells me is that they have never tried one! To me, at least for upland bird hunting, a 16 ga. hits like a 12 ga. and carries like a 20 ga. I frimly believe if more people had the opportunity to try a 16 they would become more popular.

[skeet]

I tried the 16 ga guns years ago. Never impressed me much. Most 16's were made on 12 ga frames except some of the older doubles. Early 1100 and 870 guns used the 12 ga frame for 12 16 and 20. They did lighten the bbls though. After a couple hundred thousand 20 ga shells I figure I can do anything with it that the 16 will do and ammo and cases are much easier to find. Used to use it to shoot duckies with too. till the steel shot thingie(what a crock). Now withthe hevi shot etc etc out there I'm going back to the 20. I must admit though you guys are right with the lack of ammo for the 16. Last 16 I had was a Valmet O/U I got at a yard sale. Got 8 boxes of SuperXX 16 ga 2s with it. Sold the gun and still have the shells. Shot a couple of Pheasants with it.. Those XX Win shells sure let ya know in that little Valmet. I'll take those ol shells to another gun show one day and trade 'em fer something useable.
Now as to the 6mm.. I have just purchased a really nice 700 BDL Varmint gun in 6mm. Got it for 400 bucks and it's like new(kinda yard sale find). Guy has a matching gun in 22-250. Might even buy it. Has a Ruger #3 in 22 Hornet for sale too. Also has a Ruger 44 mag semi auto carbine. Price is a little high but may have to buy it. I happen to like the 6mm Rem as it shoots a bit faster than the 243 and seems to be a little more versatile..Have many once fired cases in 6mm as well as a few boxes of ammo.. Y'all can have yer 16s. Make mine a 20. 1 oz 16 or 1 oz 20...what's the diff....except I can find 20 ga ammo MUCH MUCH easier. And most guns in 20 ga ARE built on a lighter smaller frame now days.

[270man]

I've never even fired a 16-ga shotgun but remember lots of hunters using them when I was a kid. It seems to me that the 16-ga has survived only because of nostalgia -- not for performance. This isn't inherent to the gauge. It's just that the ammo makers have put all their research dollars into 12 and 20 gauge. Shooter demand probably had a lot to do with it.

I'm a big 6mm fan but it may have the same problem. On paper one can get a bit more performance than from the 243 but the difference is probably small. I don't believe either deer or varmints would be able to tell the difference. Practically speaking, I should have gone with the 243 because it has thoroughly beaten the 6mm in popularity. I'm not sure where I could buy a factory 6mm. Remington has dropped them from their standard sporter line (i.e. BDL, ADL, etc.) and Ruger no longer offers their Model 77/Hawkeye rifles in 6mm. If you are sold on the 6mm, as I am, the answer is to reload. Since buying my first 6mm, a Remington 700 BDL, over 35 years ago I have never shot anything except paper targets with factory loads.

I hope the caliber makes a comeback one of these days -- and I'll wish the same for all of you 16-gauge fans.

270man

[popplecop]

I love the 16 not ashamed to say it. First of all to address scaled frames, I have four semi autos built on 16 ga. frames: Belgian Browning Sweet 16, 11-48, and two 48 Sportsmans. My SxSs are all 16 ga. frames two Ithacas, a Lefever and even an East German SxS marked SUHL. My son shoots a Browning BPS Uplander(?) that appears to be a scaled frame. I gave my daughter Two Rem. 31s, one LW and a standard on 16 frames. They are out there, just have to look. Ammo is very seldom on sale, have picked up sone on close outs at the end of the season, gun shows sometimes have deals. And if think 16 is expensive, another passion I have is 28s and a 24 ga.

[Larryjk]

The 16 I have that is on a 20 gauge frame is a Winchester Model 12. Too bad that isn't available now. Balanced really well and hits birds just dine. I like the 1 oz. loads, just as I like the 7/8 oz. loads in a 20 gauge.
As for the 6mm. When I shot a .243 it was necessary to trim every 2 to 3 firings. They grow too much. The 6mm doesn't do that, usually about 5 loadings before they get long. Since I only neck size, I can beat those numbers of loadings before it is trim time.

[buckhunter]

I have a 16ga Mod 12 Winchester. What a piece of machinery. Awesome SG. Buying shells is a problem and getting worse.

[popplecop]

Just bought another one. A Reminton 870 Skeet made in 1952, Serial no. on barrels matches receiver, so all original. Don't see many 16 skeet guns. Hopefully will be here in a week. Got my first 870 in 52 so I couldn't pass this one up.

[Larryjk]

buckhunter, Your Model 12 16 gauge is one of the best balanced hunting guns. What choke is yours? Mine is a modified with a 28 inch barrel. Picked up a couple boxes of #6 hunting loads today at WallyWorld. $5.97 a box. I should have bought a case.

[M.T. Pockets]

My dad gave my son his Ithica 16 guage model 37 a couple years ago. He's 14 and loves the gun, he only uses it upland birds and deer (no steel shot). We live in a slug zone so it's his "go to" deer gun. Nice gun.

Ammo isn't easy to find, but when we locate some we snap it up.

[skeet]

I have been cleaning up around all this shooting stuff I have Actually found 90 16 ga slugs and a few 16 buckshot. And a bag of old Winchester and Remington 16 ga paper shells as well as a couple of boxes of old 16 ga shells of all kinds. I didn't realize I had that much 16 ammo. Even fpund one of those case guard shell boxes that you can put 100 shells in on a couple of trays..yep...16 ga trays. Don't even know where I got this stuff. Even found a couple of boxes of old obsolete 25 Remington rifle ammo. Some 351 Win auto and 30 Rem also. I thought I got rid of most of that old ammo. And speaking of ammo. Have one i don't know anything about..Black powder days. Will start another thread on it..Maybe someone can tell me what it is..

[buckhunter]

Larry
Mine was a full choke. Wasn't a very good wookcock and grouse gun. I did the unthinkable and had it opend up to a ic/modified. Works better now. I don't use it much but love it. This one will be with me until they put me in the box or furnace.

According Winchester it was made in "27".

[rainydays]

I really don't know much about the 16 ga. All of my upland hunting is with a 20 ga. But really do love the 6MM. Shot one for 25 years. It put down alot of whitetails, mulies, and antelope. My son finally talked me out of it. Really missed it, so built one a couple of years agoe on an old P17 action. Felt good to be shooting one again. They are just a terrific small caliber rifle.