16 Gauge Shoot

[popplecop]

Picked up 4 16s the last few months and for various reasons have not got out to shoot them. Tomorrow that comes to an end. Going to shoot an A 5 made in 32, 2.5"er, a late 50s Model 37 Ithaca, Rem. 870 Exp. and a Marlin Model 90 O/U. Doesn't get anymore fun than that. Also a new Huglu 28 with 30" bbls. choked IC & Full, I ordered it that way.

[dovehunter]

You and I may be in the (very) small minority, but I love those 16s. I've got three: a J.P. Sauer & Sohn SxS (a beautiful gun), a Lefauchaux (outside hammer) SxS, and one of those 870 pumps. If nothing else, it's nice that usually no one is able to bum shells off of you when they run out of 12s or 20s during a hot dove shoot.

[Joe Boleo]

I picked up a beautiful Model 12 16 gauge today that was made in 1929. Two weeks ago, I found an Ithaca Model 37 from the 1970s and have another Ithaca Model 37 on layaway. When it rains it pours; let it rain. Take care...
Joe

[Mr. 16 gauge]

You and I may be in the (very) small minority

SAY WHAT??????..............

The handle says it all....love my 16 gauges. I have three: a Remington Model 11, an Ithaca 37 w/ bird and slug barrel, and a Stoeger SxS.

......as a matter of fact, I took the Ithaca out today with the slug barrel; still shooting to where I sighted it in to several years ago. Now if I could just find a buck!

[skeet]

Well Mr 16 ga..It would be hard to do..but I'll give ya that buck for the 37 w/slug bbl..LOL and I have very little use for either the 37 or the 16 ga.. but I do have a fair quantity of the good ammo for 16's..even slugs. I found a container today that has almost 300 rounds of 'em in it.

[popplecop]

Wound up shooting 3 of the 4 new ones. Didn't take the 870 as the adult stock has not arrived yet. The old 32 A-5 shoots like a dream, never missed a beat, well so did the Marlin 90 and the Md. 37. Had forgotton how the older 37s have a bit of a recoil as they are nice and light. Just might have to find an Ithaca recoil pad for it. Long live the 16s, I started on one, my daughter and son have them so do their sons. My Dad would be proud.

[GoodOlBoy]

FYI check your local wally-world. Mine has 16 guage #6 shot winchesters for $7 a box.

GoodOlBoy

[T.R.]

I continue to hunt with Grandad's SAVAGE FOX shotgun in 16 gauge. It fits me perfect and swings/points exceptionally well. Ammo is a problem locally. But MIDWAY Shooting Supplies has a decent selection of 16 gauge shells.

16 is a KEEPER!!

TR

[multibeard]

Originally Posted by T.R.

I continue to hunt with Grandad's SAVAGE FOX shotgun in 16 gauge. It fits me perfect and swings/points exceptionally well. Ammo is a problem locally. But MIDWAY Shooting Supplies has a decent selection of 16 gauge shells.

16 is a KEEPER!!

TR

TR your not my unknown grandson are ya? LOL

I have the same gun except that it has a beavertail forearm but is also a single trigger. Have not used mine much lately as the body will not let me do any upland hunting.

I bought a flat of dove loads for it as it looked like we were going to get a dove season.
That is untill the HSUS put up 2 million $$$$ for a referndum that put an end to that. What realy ticked me off was tha a lot of the sportsmen of Michigan would NOT support a season. Oh well that are the ways of the Michigan sportsman.

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I continue to hunt with Grandad's SAVAGE FOX shotgun in 16 gauge. It fits me perfect and swings/points exceptionally well. Ammo is a problem locally. But MIDWAY Shooting Supplies has a decent selection of 16 gauge shells.

That is a gun that deserves to hunted with and used! As for shells, some places will order you a flat if you request it; also, some of the mail order places have a decent selection as well....or you can do what I do: go dumpster diving at the local trap & skeet range and grab the empties that everyone else tosses and reload 'em.

[Adam Helmer]

popplecop,

In 1958, my first hunting gun was a single barrel Winchester 16 gauge model 37 hammer gun. In 1965, I bought an 870 16 gauge from a GI shipping out to 'Nam. In 1985, I bought a new Browning Sweet 16 for $200 that was bought pre-WWII. I have all but the M37 in the vault. It is raining today, or else the Sweet 16 would be on the hardwood ridges looking for grouse.

Adam

[Larryjk]

The 16 is really nice because it is usually much lighter than a 12 and has almost the same effeciveness. The problem has become the lack of shells in what should be 16 gauge loads. Most of the available loads are top loads to compete with the 12 gauge and those shells in a 16 are not comfortable to shoot. If a 16 is loaded with 1 oz. loades, they are a honey. Try a 16 ga. Winchester model 21 if you want to know what a beautifully balanced is like to shoot. They cetainly don't give them away.

[Gil Martin]

I shoot several 16 gauge shotguns and never had a problem getting ammo. Wal-Mart off Fruitville Pike by Route 283 has 16 gauge ammo. I saw 16 gauge ammo at Kinsey's Outdoors in Mt. Joy and at Trop's in Elizabethtown. I reload so getting ammo in various loads is not a problem. All the best...
Gil

[T.R.]

Gil:

My Grandad died in 1973. So it goes.

Thanks for the list of local ammo suppliers. I live in Ephrata. Years ago, I was with USAF in Illinois and found a bonanza of 16 gauge ammo so I bought 10 boxes of high & low base #6. That part of Illinois had many 16 shooters (pheasant & rabbit country) and local stores stocked it.
TR

[popplecop]

Adam, you reminded me that I have a Sweet 16 from 62 that was given to me by a friend. Didn't use it for some years as it didn't handle the best for me. Had a 28" mod. VR barrel, then I found a 26" plain IC barrel, wow that changed the way it handled for me. Now I got to dig it out and take on a grouse hunt. Still have the original barrrel that works well for pheasants.