16ga.com ~ View topic - Article - Rise of Sub-Gauges

https://www.outdoorlife.com/story/guns/the-rise-of-sub-gauge-shotguns-16-20-28-gauge/

Joined: 21 May 2010 Posts: 603 Location: Victoria BC Canada

But the 20 got the most mention.

16 got more photos

The girl shoots an old 1953 Browning A5 Sweet

Purple Federals were highlights

"The fan-favorite loads have been available in 12 and 20 for years, but Federal Premium introduced the additional sub-gauge loads (16ga) in 2020. It’s an introduction, they note, that’s directly resulted from
customer demand."

Joined: 04 Jun 2009 Posts: 827 Location: N. Shore, mn

Did you catch the "Older, fatter, and weaker" comment? Embarassed

Joined: 12 Sep 2010 Posts: 1973 Location: Maine

Nice article. That old Browning has some stories to tell.

If the places requiring subgauges for noise purposes really want to cut noise, they oughta switch to fiber wads. I shot a round of trap with my French 16 and some Gamebore "Traditional Game" shells. They were so quiet the umpire and other shooters were reminding me I had to have had a blooper rounds and should check for barrel blockage. Then they thought I was shooting subsonic rounds. A fiber wad does not have the sharp cutoff as it leaves the muzzle, reducing the "crack", at least as compared to the normal plastic wad column. Those shells are perfectly capable of stoning pheasants, if I do my part.

Joined: 04 Apr 2018 Posts: 40 Location: ESKY

Gotta love a woman carrying an Auto 5 Sweet Sixteen, when my friends think the Auto 5 is to heavy to carry all day. They call my Auto 5’s a boat anchor.

I am genuinely glad to see the article, if for nothing more than to stimulate sport shooting interest and thereby generate sales.

I myself am not a big 20 GA fan, but I'm glad to see resurgence in 16 - even though they shoot pretty much the same loads, I think the 16 shoots them better.

I've got 4 16 GA guns, but my focus are my two Sweet Sixteens - a vintage & a new. Both are very good guns (that comment should get a few of you fired up - as how dare I compare the two !) but, all things considered, its nothing short of a marketing miracle that the new Sweet Sixteen exists, and new 16 GA loads are being produced.

(the new A5 Sweet Sixteen is not to be looked down upon, that gun has got some great features and is an absolute winner in the 21st century)

And this boils down to inspirational articles like this being written.

The wonderfulness of it all is we have the luxury of being able to have an opinion on subjects other than politics (yuck) and societal gyrations (double yuck), and can debate gauges, and loads, and shot sizes, all in the arena of exhilarating experiences and superb memories.

Bill K,

I agree great to see articles like this, I own Classic American double guns in all the sub-gauges and have used them to hunt with sense I was a boy.

The 20 gauge double gun is a great bird gun, however like you I believe the 16 gauge is the better Grouse gun.

I have numerous Classic double gun in most all the different gauges, I use them each and every bird season here in Pa and do a lot of traveling with them each year also.
Lately I have developed a big interest in 28 gauge double guns, in fact I just purchased two more of them this month. Although in my case this interest had little to due with the articles now appearing in the magazines or on line.

Good to see these kinds article.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

Great sub-gauge guns Like this 16 gauge #5 L.C. Smith are very hard to beat.

Member Joined: 16 Dec 2007 Posts: 592 Location: Minnesota

Aside from the click bait angle, which is unfortunately common with most of these online social media articles, it's nice to see a younger hunter exploring sub-gauges including the 16. Not sure about some of the perspectives shared in terms of waterfowl but if that is what it takes to inspire hunters to try something other than a black plastic 12 autoloader it is fine.

Joined: 12 Sep 2010 Posts: 1973 Location: Maine

The 16 ga thing is spreading - now there are purple trout flies.