16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Tupelo, Texas

Was dove hunting in S. TX 2 weeks ago. Had a guy ask me why a 16?
Gave my stock answer,"carries like a 20 and hits like a 12"
He quickly told me he used a 12ga. light wght. gun(around 6.5 lbs.), and loaded 1 ounce of shot at 1200 fps, and said the recoil is no different than a comparable 16 load with a gun of comparable weight. In thinking about it I guess he is right, but I sure did not have the knowledge to get into a dabate over it. Can any of you guys shed some light on this for me?

Thanks in advance
TO16

Member Joined: 25 Jul 2006 Posts: 781

You can find a 12 ga gun that is as light as a nice 16, (but almost all of them are not)

You can find a 12 ga shell with the same amount of shot and velocity as a nice 16 ga load. (but almost all of them are not)

When you do the recoil and handling may be similar if the stock dimensions etc are the same.

BUT the very rare 12 ga's that are as light and svelt as a nice 16 are usually exceedingly expensive.

So you can skin this cat from either direction, it's just that one direction is harder than the other.

I like both, but given the choice I'd rather have a 16 ga gun with proper proportions than an anorexic 12 ga that a dedicated maker spent a lot of time and effort trying to get it to be like a 16.

Jeff

What Jeff said.
Recoil is COMPLETELY a function of velocity and weight of the shot charge, and the weight of the gun:12, 16, .410 shotgun, rifle, or pistol.
FELT recoil is much more complicated, is quite individual but not necessarily reproducible, is significantly impacted by gun fit and stock dimensions/style, fixed breech (SxS, O/U) vs gas autoloader (1100, 391) vs recoil action (A5s and Benellis), brl porting, and a host of other variables. Perceived recoil may be brutal while pattern testing but might not even be noticed when shooting a pheasant.
Bottom line: a 12 O/U weighing the same as a 16 O/U both shooting 1 oz loads at 1165 have the same recoil (but 16ers still have more fun Very Happy

)

Give him the other stock answer: 12 gauges look funny Laughing

!

Fin

So does Kat/dog

His light weight 12 may weigh the same and have the same amount of recoil with equal weight loads but it is still a 12 gauge. What I am getting at is the barrels are larger diameter which makes the dimensions of the gun in width and height greater both in the action and the barrels. It will also be deeper in height at the forearm. It just won't have that 16 gauge feel Exclamation

Kinda like the difference between swinging a baseball bat and a fence post Laughing

OK, it's really not that different but there is a difference.

Besides, there is the "cool" factor that comes with a 16ga. that a 12ga. just doesn't have. Cool

Dennis

Guest

Hey Rev you have been listening after all! Good going.

Now lets work of divorcing chamber pressure from recoil.

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

You listen to some clown shooting a 12 Embarassed

My money says he has never loaded a shell,actually fixed his own gun or done much hunting other than from a magazine Twisted Evil

Don't take yourself to his level.There is a formula for recoil on the Hodgdon site www.hodgdon.com if you are interested----Those that don't load for/shoot/understand the 16 are lost and rarely ever see the light Wink

You should have watched him shoot, then if you were better, just down your birds with more elan, and as you leave sniff, "12 ga? I don't need no 12 ga.... I don't need no stinking 12 Ga." Cool

Guest

Revdoc said, "Perceived recoil may be brutal while pattern testing but might not even be noticed when shooting a pheasant."

I've found that true. I've got a Beretta 686S Ultralight 12 ga. that I carried for several years for pheasants. Felt recoil, even with 1 1/4 oz Federal Premiums, has never bothered me in the field. Pheasant hunting, I rarely notice recoil. That said, shoot more than two boxes of even 1 oz loads through it on the skeet field, it's a pain in the shoulder and the cheek.

I think Square Load is right, too -- my 16 actually weighs more (no alloy receiver), but actually feels/handles sweeter.

I don't think I'll sell that ultralight 12, though, even though a couple guys have offered me what I have in it. It's been a good gun ... bobble free and shoots where I point it. I'll hold onto it if for no other reason than backup/loaner duty.

Joined: 13 Jun 2006 Posts: 145 Location: minnesota

mgf:
a 686s is one damn nice loaner gun Exclamation

you wouldn't have a 20ga citori xs skeet laying around for me to use, would you Cool

Guest