16ga.com Forum Index
Author Message
<  16ga. Ammunition & Reloading  ~  Long range/late season load recommendations
Pathfinder41
PostPosted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 8:00 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 01 Jun 2021
Posts: 6

Hey everyone,

I’ve got a Remington 11-48 Sportsman in 16ga with a 28” full choke barrel. I’m intending to use this as my gun for longer ranges and late season birds (mainly thinking for pheasants and prairie grouse.) Looking for recommendations to find or develop a good load for this type of hunting. Also interested in recommendations for a turkey load. Most of what I’ve been able to find so far for ammo is a pretty standard 1oz lead load of #6, and one box of 1 1/8oz high brass #4 lead.

I’m new to 16ga and larger game birds in general and have my first reloading set up on the way as well. Most of my upland hunting so far has been ruffed grouse and huns with a 20ga 870 at shorter distances.

Any thoughts or recommendations appreciated!

Thanks!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
skeettx
PostPosted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 8:08 pm  Reply with quote
Member
Member


Joined: 15 Apr 2007
Posts: 9455
Location: Amarillo, Texas



https://www.wolverinesupplies.com/ProductDetail/FEDP1656_-Federal-Premium-Wing-Shok-16-Gauge--2-3-4--1-1-4-oz--6-Lead-Shot-

https://www.brownells.com/ammunition/shotgun-ammo/wing-shok-pheasants-forever-high-velocity-16-gauge-2-3-4-ammo-prod120257.aspx

_________________
,
USAF RET 1971-95
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
df
PostPosted: Fri Dec 31, 2021 8:50 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 01 Oct 2007
Posts: 962
Location: Minnesota

Those above are very good. I also like Fiocchi Golden Pheasant #5 shot, for late pheasants.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MSM2019
PostPosted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 10:01 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 04 Mar 2019
Posts: 1819
Location: Central ND

My experience with #4 in the 16 gauge are less than stellar. I have never gotten good patterns with #4 lead shot, even the nickle plated stuff or buffered loads.

I would use and have used 1 1/4 oz. of buffered #6's and 5's for those very windy, cold late season days for the follow up shot. For the first shot I stick with my first choice of 1 1/8 oz. of #6.

Buffered loads for the first shot, unless the distance is over 35 yards or so is very much overkill. At least that has been my experience.

A fair amount of late season roosters, have a tendency to hold really tight in the thick stuff, at least here in ND. Not every late season bird is a 50 yard shot. I have had sharptails hold better than I imagined when the weather turned cold also.

_________________
Mark...You are entitled to your own opinion. You aren't entitled to your own facts.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Dave in Maine
PostPosted: Sat Jan 01, 2022 11:03 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 12 Sep 2010
Posts: 1972
Location: Maine

I wouldn't go larger than #5 in a 16 ga. It seems to me the patterns tend to get irregular and unpredictable with shot sizes larger than that. I blame it on shot flow.

With magnum #5 loads, or magnum #6 like Skeettx posted, you should have no problem with late-season birds at reasonable ranges.

_________________
“A man’s rights rest in three boxes: the ballot box, the jury box, and the cartridge box.”
Frederick Douglass, November 15, 1867, speech in Williamsport, Pa.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
Pathfinder41
PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2022 3:29 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 01 Jun 2021
Posts: 6

Thank you all for the suggestions and thoughts!

I’ll keep an eye out for these loads and keep the shot sizes in mind as well. Looking forward to getting out and trying some of these for myself.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
nj gsp
PostPosted: Mon Jan 03, 2022 9:39 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 09 Aug 2007
Posts: 437
Location: WI

For pheasants, I always liked to use a #6 load for the first shot, and #5 for the next two in my Sportsman 48. Maybe even a #4 for the 3rd shot when I lived out west. My theory has always been that as the larger shot size retains more energy farther downrange, you're more likely to drop a bird rather than just make it go faster.

For late season birds, I almost always load up with the next larger shot size for 2nd (and 3rd) shots. Almost always, depends of the cover and what they are doing on that day.

Fortunately, in these days of ammo shortages, the larger shot sizes tend to be slow movers and haven't been as hard to find.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
MaximumSmoke
PostPosted: Tue Jan 04, 2022 10:22 am  Reply with quote
Member
Member


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

So maybe, according to you fellows who have not had good patterns with #4 lead, and think it is a flow issue, there might be a physical phenomenon involved, like the ratio of shot size to bore, or maybe muzzle diameter of the barrel (choked). In the case of the 16, the limit of #5 (0.12" diameter) would mean a shot diameter to bore diameter ratio of about 0.181 for cylinder choke and 0.189 for full choke (.028" constriction), assuming standard nominal 16 bore of 0.662". Of course according to this theory, a larger bore would make shot flow better, i.e. with less disturbance of one sort or another, making better patterns possible.

The extremes of this idea can be investigated by shooting very large shot, such as #2 or the various sizes of buckshot. I believe, however, Bob Brister found larger shot generally held tighter patterns. I believe shorter shot columns (lighter loads) and lower muzzle velocities (again, lighter loads) and probably lower peak firing pressures result in tighter patterns for reasons of shot set-back damage. Maybe the reason #4's are not patterning so well is that they are mostly shot in these hot "pheasant magnums" -- long shot columns made longer by long thick shot cups, high velocities and high peak pressures. Hmmm . . . Idea Question

Cheers!
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message
MSM2019
PostPosted: Tue Jan 04, 2022 11:07 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 04 Mar 2019
Posts: 1819
Location: Central ND

Tony,

This is the issue, for proper pattern density with 4's you really need 1 1/4 oz. of shot. At least in my shotguns.

So that kinda precludes using light shot charges with low setback forces. So I went to buffered loads to get around the setback issue.

I am not using a lot of choke (.015"). Buffered loads of #6 or #5 shot beat the percentages of #4 shot at 40 yards in my shotgun. Are the #4 loads terrible? No, but they aren't as good as the 6's and 5's.

The tighter the choke the larger the gap between #4's and the other two.

The shotgun I am using shoots most loads very well. It is definitely a shot size issue.

To take this a bit further. Even 5's get sensitive when you start adding choke. I found, with my shotguns that .020-.025 was about as much as #5's could stand

_________________
Mark...You are entitled to your own opinion. You aren't entitled to your own facts.
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. Ammunition & Reloading

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