16ga.com ~ View topic - 16 gauge only #4 - #5

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1837 Location: Central ND

I have an 1100- 16 ga. 28" barrel with 2 1/4" forcing cone, Briley Thin Wall chokes and the barrel is ported to reduce muzzle region pressures. This shotgun has never thrown a bad pattern, with any load or shot size #9 thru #5 ever until now.

I never have used the full choke tube with this shotgun. Mostly either a .010", .015" and .019" choke and I have always gotten good patterns.

I am experimenting with a 1 1/4 oz. buffered lead load for turkey hunting and #5's. Used the full choke which is .032", and ended up with a 62% pattern @ 40 yards. Yuck. I went back inside and loaded up a load with #6's, same load, same choke, gun and distance.....82%.....more like it.

The #5's I am using are old stock Lawrence Magnum from the 1990's when I just knew #5's were the secret. The #6's are from a brand new bag of West Coast Magnum. I have to assume, since I have no great way to check that they have a similar antimony content.

I have never had problems with #5's patterning well before.

Even though I didn't shoot a proper sample size, 20% difference is too large a spread to over come with a larger sample.

Once I get the load tested I will experiment further.

Anyone else had an issue with #5's patterning well....in their 16 gauge guns? I am guessing it doesn't like the .032", but that really isn't all that tight. If it was velocity/setback related the #6's would have been just as disappointing. I am guessing the velocity to be around 1200 FPS. The load is based off a known tested Bismuth load using similar components.

(FWIW, I have never had #4's pattern worth spit in any 16 gauge gun I have. I have the good #4 nickle plated stuff from Italy. It patterns well in my 12's but even that isn't worth much in my 16's.)

Joined: 07 Jun 2020 Posts: 224

Like you I have not had great success with #4 patterns.

I have had some with nickel silver #5 at low velocities (around 1100 to 1150 FPS)

Your post stopped at #6, so I need to note, I have had my best patterns with 1 oz nickel silver #7 shot from RMC brass with Fibre wads at low velocities (again around 1150 to 1175)

Joined: 16 Jul 2015 Posts: 2124 Location: Hudson,Wy

As you may recall, the left barrel of my Fox 16 didn't do well with 5's util I opened it up a bit. Chuck up your full choke tube in a lathe and remove .006"-.008" then see what that does for you. You can always buy another full choke tube for small shot.

Over choking and overloading both take patterns in the wrong direction. That gun has given some amazing results at 50 and 60 yards with 1 1/8oz. and 1 1/8 oz. buffered loads. I doubt I can gain anything beyond what has been accomplished at this point.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1837 Location: Central ND

WyoChukar,

My first thought was .032" was too much choke. Unfortunately I do not have access to a lathe. I should probably get an I/M from Briley. Never had a use for that much choke but......

The shotgun that I actually use for turkey hunting, an 870, has a fixed choke of .018"....probably a bit too open, but I am hoping that the buffered load will overcome some of that.

We shall see.

I also don't HAVE to use #5's. I am using #5's because I don't have any other use for them and have had about 30 lbs. of the stuff sitting around for about 25 years.

Honestly I am pretty excited about that 1 1/4 oz. load of buffered 6's.

If I could get my hands on some Blue Dot, Longshot or W572, I would also build a 1 1/8 oz. buffered load and send that in to be tested also.

Guest

The longest shots I've ever made with a 16 which were as long as my longest 12 gauge shots came from .018" choke. It wasn't really by design, just that a couple of my doubles happened to have .018" constriction in the tight barrel. After those experiences and more general usage I've never wanted more. I used high quality loads with Hard 5's.

Joined: 04 Mar 2019 Posts: 1837 Location: Central ND

Dave Erickson,

I am a believer in .015" of choke and 1 1/8 oz. of #6's. Killed a lot of birds including 3 fall turkeys with that combination.

I guess if I shot a gun with two barrels it would have a .010" and a .020", or thereabouts.

Longest shots on wild pheasants were 50 - 55 yards. We used to pass shoot prairie grouse sometimes, they were probably longer shots but grouse are a bit easier to kill than pheasants.

When I first came to the mid-west to hunt I went with a guy and his son from Iowa. They were both tremendous shots and used I/C chokes in their Benelli SBE's and 1 1/4 oz. of #6's. After I watched that show for 2 years, I opened up my modified choke a bit, tossed the #4's and #5's, and haven't had a good excuse for not killing a bird since.