16ga.com Forum Index
Author Message
<  16ga. General Discussion  ~  Outdoor Life article touts the 16 ga.
Carlos
PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2021 10:13 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 21 May 2010
Posts: 602
Location: Victoria BC Canada

https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/16-gauge-shotguns/?utm_medium=social&%3Futm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR2wAGtbUp2vv50Lx5yC1OILoBpAefVMOMR4EsjT2yPA3ktDcs6OB32kg0w
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
MaximumSmoke
PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2021 12:30 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 01 Dec 2005
Posts: 1550
Location: Minnesota and Florida

It's nice to have an article on the 16. Maybe it will help popularize the 16. Some of the article, however, including the title/subtitle is a bit of a chuckle. For instance:

1) But Why Didn’t It Take Off? -- It did "take off" -- long, long ago. It still flies, though it flies lower than the 12 and the 20, and always did. A better question is: Why Doesn't it Fly as High as the 12 and 20? Most of us here know, but the writer of this article doesn't. He's concerned about:

2) What Killed the 16? -- Certainly not skeet or the 870. The 16 never died, but is and always was a "tweener", and in-between compromise. That is its great advantage, and ultimately its great detraction. US hunters became sold on repeating arms even before WWI, and "magnum-itis" before WWII. Arms and ammo suppliers are partly responsible for that, but mostly it was just the way of the American people, possibly of people everywhere -- bigger, better, faster and more. Look at what the "wildcatting" bench rest shooting crowd did for rifles, etc. One can hardly blame sporting arms and ammo manufacturers for recognizing a market, throwing fuel on its fire and exploiting it -- that's business. Well, the 16 was always a bit out of step with the trend of the desires of an easily-sold majority, so manufacturers decided to make the 20 gauge do the job of the 16. Consequently, we got the 3" 20, so the manufacturers could pare down their offerings to 12 and 20 -- 12 for men and 20 for boys, girls and women, and also those odd-ball grouse hunters that carry their guns more than they shoot them. The 3" 20 was the hope of the manufacturers that they could put the 16 to bed more firmly. That didn't work, fortunately. Skeet killed the 16?? For Pete's sake! Skeet was a 12 gauge sport, and to make it more of a challenge the keepers of that game wanted shooters to use less shot. Scores with the 16 would not have been different from those of the 12. Hell, nowadays the 20 and 28 scores are hardly different than the 12. The 16 was not excluded; it could still be used with no disadvantage, it simply was impractical to have an event just for it, when a skeet tournament already was 400 birds and then 500 after doubles was invented. While a case can be made skeet "saved" the 28, it remained a "specialty" gauge, no more well served by the arms and ammo manufacturers than the 16. But skeet definitely did not "kill" the 16, any more than trap or sporting clays or live pigeon or any other game. The 870 killed the 16??!! Crazy talk. We should thank Remington for making the 870 in 16 gauge as well as other manufacturers also offering 16 gauge versions of their repeaters, while simultaneously going with the herd and reducing emphasis on the 16 gauge ammo. Even on a 12 gauge frame, the 870, for instance, is light and wieldy enough for most upland work.

Anyway, it's nice to have a positive article on the 16. I wish the writer would have availed himself of more insight on the issues and the history, however, before he put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard or mouth to microphone, or whatever they do nowadays. The old simple statement that a proper 16 carries like a 20 but hits like a 12 comes the closest to describing the situation. Such a gun/gauge is for the connoisseur, the aficionado, the specialist. It was never dead. It will never be what 12's and 20's are. That's a good thing, actually. The thing to do is to inform the unwashed masses; to let them know why the 16 is so good, and under what circumstances they might benefit by giving it a try.

It's very nice to see the market for the 16 growing and the manufacturers responding to make a profit. All will benefit. Folks that started this forum and those who are members can take a big chunk of credit for that.

Cheers!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2021 12:50 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

Max Smoke,

Good post I agree with your assessment and the 16 gauge gun is till the Grouse hunters gun of choice, even today. In reality many of us Grouse hunters have more than a few 16 gauge double guns in our gun safe and they are our most used guns, even in modern times.

To me and many other Grouse hunters, we use our 16 and 28 gauge guns quite a bit. Our 20 gauge guns are the guns that only get used at certain times. Because I like to hunt with all my different gauge guns from 12 to 28 they all get used for different bird hunting and clays shooting. In fact I just picked up another L.C. Smith 16 gauge gun, out of Texas this past week. This particular 16 gauge gun was choked for gunning Ducks and Pheasants in Texas. The old gentlemen who owned this 16 had the breech work Blued for his Duck hunting and they did a nice job on the gun, even though not original L.C. Smith workage. Still adding to my 16 gauge L.C. Smith guns in 2021, for me the 16's will never go out of style, or be put on the back shelf.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man


Latest 16 gauge purchase 1911 L.C. Smith.

_________________
"L.C. Smith America's Best" - John Houchins

Pine Creek Grouse Dog Trainers
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
AmericanMeet
PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2021 1:13 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 3172
Location: NCWa

My, I haven't read an Outdoor Life magazine since Jim Carmichael got Jack O'Connor's job, but it's nice to know that they can print something worthwhile once in a while. As for the obituary of the 16, I recall articles that alleged to show effective range of various shotshells and it was common to cee a bar graph showing the 3" 20 ga to have a 5 yard advantage over the 2 3/4" 16 ga. To a reader unfamiliar with the loads the reader would think the 20 ga 3" was a superior gun- but I wonder how would the author consider a 1 1/4 oz load from a 20 ga to be superior to a 1 1/4 oz load from a 16 ga, considering that the 16 ga will have a slight edge in velocity and a significant edge in shot column. Oh well, the influence of an advertiser.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
S.davis
PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2021 3:19 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 14 Sep 2016
Posts: 68
Location: KC,MO

MaximumSmoke wrote:
. Even on a 12 gauge frame, the 870, for instance, is light and wieldy enough for most upland work.
!



That’s in part because 12 ga 870s are built on a 16 ga frame.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Swampy16
PostPosted: Sun Oct 10, 2021 5:01 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Oct 2019
Posts: 453
Location: New Jersey

Let them bash the 16 gauge all they want. It makes them that much more obtainable for those of us who appreciate its superior ballistics. I hunt with a 20 quite a bit because I shoot the gun particularly well but do wish it was a 16. The only 16 I currently have is a Trojan and with a lot of drop and no cast I don’t shoot it as well. I’d love to get that changed if I could. The stock was broken and professionally repaired so I’m not sure a bend is doable.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Mon Oct 11, 2021 11:19 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

Swampy16,

When you come to Grouse hunt, I will let you use one of my good L.C. Smith 16 gauge guns. Once you hunt with one of these L.C. Smith 16 gauge double guns, you will be looking to purchase one.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

_________________
"L.C. Smith America's Best" - John Houchins

Pine Creek Grouse Dog Trainers
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
dawei
PostPosted: Wed Dec 29, 2021 8:44 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 11 Sep 2004
Posts: 27
Location: Olympia, WA

Carlos wrote:
https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/16-gauge-shotguns/?utm_medium=social&%3Futm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR2wAGtbUp2vv50Lx5yC1OILoBpAefVMOMR4EsjT2yPA3ktDcs6OB32kg0w
An excellent read about my favorite gauge, Thank You!

_________________
DAVID

Only two defining forces have ever died for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The American Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & Marine
One died for your soul, the other for your freedom.

1Cross+3Nails=4Given
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Jagdhund
PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 3:17 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 29 Jan 2010
Posts: 687
Location: McPherson, KS

Hey! Lets not get carried away with touting the 16. This is an exclusive group. We don't want just every Tom, Dick, Harry and their dog into our midst! Laughing

_________________
Illegimati Non Carborundum Est
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Hammer bill
PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 4:10 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 09 Feb 2015
Posts: 815

I go up against the 12 gauge twice a week with my citori 16. That 16 puts many a 12 out of the game constantly. And with 1oz regular line load. I started out years back using 1-1/8 and realized I didn't need it. Same load on shootoffs 20 yardage behind the 27 yard line.

As far as the 20 ga goes it's way over exaggerated. I used to shoot one for skeet but that was just to use it.

I never felt handicaped using the 16.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Thu Jan 20, 2022 4:27 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 06 Apr 2007
Posts: 3370
Location: The Great Northwet

Hammer bill wrote:
I go up against the 12 gauge twice a week with my citori 16. That 16 puts many a 12 out of the game constantly. And with 1oz regular line load. I started out years back using 1-1/8 and realized I didn't need it. Same load on shootoffs 20 yardage behind the 27 yard line.

As far as the 20 ga goes it's way over exaggerated. I used to shoot one for skeet but that was just to use it.

I never felt handicaped using the 16.


Hammer bill, are you saying you were shooting at [what would be] the 47 yd line? Wow, that's a poke, especially with 1oz loads. But, if the gun is choked right, I can see where it would work.

_________________
Gun art: www.marklarsongunart.com
Gallery art: www.marklarsonart.com

The man's prayer from the Red Green Show: "I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to. I guess."
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
3drahthaars
PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2022 6:49 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 21 May 2015
Posts: 127

I too rather the 16 remain on the sidelines. It makes nice guns available to those of us who are willing to do the extra work to shoot them.

I got into this gauge because I couldn't afford a nice 20 gauge O/U that I wanted. I got a 16 for a fraction of the cost. It was off face, but I did the research, it was a simple fix, and I got it repaired when some told me to just return it. So, I have a great little gun for about half the price of the Italian.

Now, after 20 years I've returned to reloading, because I'd like to keep the gun original by shooting spreader loads. It's not like buying off the shelf, and that makes it special.

The 16 is not, should not be the gage of convenience. It should be reserved for those who appreciate the versatile gage and are willing to put in the extra effort.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Pine Creek/Dave
PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2022 2:56 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2787
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa

3d,

What do you mean by being on the side lines? As a Grouse and Woodcock hunter my main guns are 16 gauge, and I want them to be available at a reasonable cost in the future. Granted most of my guns are over 100 years old now, and I would like the Gun Companies to supply more 16 gauge guns in the future.

Sportsman purchase different gauge guns for different reasons, If you mean on the side lines, by not being used in the line shooting games that is just fine with me. I no longer have a 16 gauge O/U, however I have been looking at one for a while, my problem is I seldom use an O/U guns in the Grouse woods, so the justification for spending the money is weak.

Please explain the side lines comment to me, I know I am not your average gun owner however, I never look at my 16 gauge guns as being on the side lines. The Grouse hunters I know, all own one or more 16 gauge double guns, I have many.

all the best,

Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man

1880's J.P. Sauer Best 16 gauge Grouse Gun. I do not consider this gun to be on any kind of side line, especially among sportsman in the Grouse hunting world.

_________________
"L.C. Smith America's Best" - John Houchins

Pine Creek Grouse Dog Trainers
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Display posts from previous:   
All times are GMT - 7 Hours

View next topic
View previous topic
Page 1 of 1
16ga.com Forum Index  ~  16ga. General Discussion

Post new topic   Reply to topic


 
Jump to:  

You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum




Powered by phpBB and NoseBleed v1.09