16ga.com ~ View topic - Choice Between Remington RGLs or Estate Upland Loads?

Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 55 Location: Northern Nevada

I can purchase Remington RGLs or Estate Upland Game Loads at roughly the same price locally. Which would you buy based on the better hull to reload and hunting/shooting clays performance? I would use the 6-shots for chukar and Hungarian Partridge hunting, and the 8-shots for dove & quail. Thanks!

Member Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 1522 Location: NH

RGLs.

Member Joined: 16 Aug 2004 Posts: 317

Both will work well for reloading depending on your prefer recipes. Heavier loads are easily done in the Federal. Lighter loads in the Rem. Take your pic. A lot will also depend on your wad selection.

RGL hulls will reload better, or so I am told by my friends who reload. Both shells will work fine for clays games and "up close" work on pen-reared preserve birds.

BUT if you are hunting wild birds...something like chuckar in northern Nevada, both shell brands are "promo" loads with soft shot and will let you down on any 35 yard or greater shots. Do yourself and the birds a favor and use harder shot in such cases so you can ensure clean kills. Why spend all the money to go hunting and ruin your hunt with cheap ammo that results in crippled lost birds? A few dollars more spent on ammo will increase your number of clean kills and add more satisfaction to your hunt.

I'd have to agree with the Old Lawyer. When it comes to pheasants, I always used 1 1/8 oz load and I think he is right about the harder shot. Fiocchi makes their hunting loads with 3.2% antimoni alloy. Other companies just say "hard shot". They don't tell you how much alloy is in it. Many years ago Remington used to make Sure Shot shells for the 16 and I always had good luck with them but they are no longer made for the 16 ga.
As far as the Estate or the RGL, I'd say they are about the same since they are both Promo loads. I can't get the Estate or Federal around here so I shoot a lot of RGL. I do like the purple color better. And as far as reloading goes, I noticed most people on this site say the RGL is better but a friend of mine loves those "little purple hulls". They do have a little more capacity and probably load better if you are reloading 1 1/8oz.

I've shot both. Both promo loads are sold at my trap club. Never hunted with either. The ONE major difference I see is that the Remingtons shoot cleaner. The Estates seem to use a powder that leaves a "LOT OF DIRT ".

For hunting I hand load hard shot and clean burning powder.

Good Luck.... Rabbitdog