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<  16ga. Guns  ~  One 16 ga. For all upland hunting?
double trigger
PostPosted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:28 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Nov 2015
Posts: 36
Location: Colorado

Dave Erickson wrote:
Not to say my others won't get used! Cool


Understand - that Iside sxs sounds sweet!
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Lewis295
PostPosted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 9:31 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 04 Nov 2019
Posts: 74
Location: Wyoming

I picked up a superlight feather recently. Absolutely love it so far. With 26" barrels it comes in at 5lb 14oz. It, the 525, and last year's gran lightning are fairly easy to find still and you get a modern gun with chokes that will shoot anything that says 16 on the shell.

https://www.cdnnsports.com/browning-citori-gran-lightning-16-gauge-26-inch.html#.XeiIEh5lA0M
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Cold Iron
PostPosted: Wed Dec 04, 2019 10:35 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 09 Mar 2016
Posts: 746
Location: Mn.

old colonel wrote:
Concur with the sentiment I could never live with just one 16, and I have not. I think I am currently at 10 or 11 16ga Guns. Though I use two of them 95% of the time (both 6 lb guns)

At minimum I believe in a battery set of one light 16 (5 1/2 - 5 3/4) two medium weight (6lbs) A primary and back-up (back up is both an extra in case the primary medium weight breaks and possibly a rainy day gone for bad weather. Although the two medium weight could also be a matched pair. Finally. Heavyweight 16 (6 3/4 to 7 lbs) for duck loads and clay target shooting.

All that said if I had to have only one gun it would be a 6-6 1/2 lbs gun with choke tubes. A Citori or Rizzini if O/U, a fox if American boxlock, or a Brit BLE/SLE. I note that if you are really stuck on one gun it is better to buy a more modern gun that will tolerate the heavier modern pressures. Note if going to a single gun a multi barrel set can help expand the base capabilities, I.e. a set of 27in and 30 inch

The only truly Heavyweight Pressure vintage gun I would recommend is a Winchester M21. I have a 21 with straight grip and splinter forend that weighs in under 7lbs though once balance out with some stock drilling it feels lighter than that. Unfortunately it is one of the only 2 12ga guns I own, but in 16 a 6 1/2 to 7 pound 16 capable of handling any modern shell could be found

Ultimately having a primary or single gun battery is possible, but one gun is a compromise at one extreme or the other.


Pretty much nailed it, great post. Brownings for me in general do not fit me or feel right. At all, with the exception of the new A5 Sweet 16.

Shot skeet with a gentleman this Spring that had picked up a Win M21 in 16 choked WSM1 and WSM2 with 30" bbls. With modern dimensions, it fit me well.

I could live with that gun and he got it for $6K. The prices are coming down by a lot. But need to come down a bit more for me to consider it viable. Those asking $8-$12K for that configuration are dreaming. Maybe I am too...

And it would be too heavy for the grouse woods. I can carry and shoot a CZ Sharptail for $800 and harvest as many grouse as I could with that M21 at the same weight. Maybe even shoot more grouse with the CZ.. And break more clays with it.

Back when I used to go to the Delta Force compound at Pope AF base next to Fort Bragg for Chiefs initiation for the SEAL team members assigned there we and they would call it Real World Chit. That is black and white. Exercises like this are gray scale. And a compromise. And mileage may vary.
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double vision
PostPosted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 5:01 am  Reply with quote
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double trigger wrote:
Dave Erickson wrote:
Not to say my others won't get used! Cool


Understand - that Iside sxs sounds sweet!


The Iside is not a "fine" gun, but is is certainly a sweet 16, it has the "it" factor for my shooting. Maybe I should call it the "hit factor."

Hitting trumps all the other theoretical BS we love to toss around.

[URL=https://imageshack.com/i/po9de4NUj] [/URL]

The Iside (left) fits with my typical November hunting layers on when I take off the slip-on pad. With the slip-on the length is good for T-shirt weather. The Cyl/iC/Mod choke tubes cover the upland gamut for me.

The AyA need an up-bend to have the same fit as the Iside. It's also longer stocked and I'll keep it long and not use the slip-on. It's going to get hunted, but it won't see the worst weather. I'm curious to see if I can get it dialed-in like the Iside.

The Rem. 11 rounds out my 16's. It's been a solid hunter, and it's fun at the range. I could write a book on the places it's been in the span of four of my hunting dogs.

I still have a couple useful 12's, but lately I've been entertaining the idea of just running with the three above.
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double trigger
PostPosted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 11:57 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Nov 2015
Posts: 36
Location: Colorado

Tukudu wrote:
I own the Franchi SL in 16 guage and it is nice to carry in the field, nothing fancy but a great hunting gun that handles well. Add a couple of truelock skeet 1 & 2 and it has served me well on prairie grouse and pheasants and quail.


Thanks and good to hear - this is what I hope to discover for myself if I go with an SL 16. I have a local gun shop that can order one for me if/when I'm ready.
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double trigger
PostPosted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:07 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Nov 2015
Posts: 36
Location: Colorado

UncleDanFan wrote:
You own an Husqvarna 310 16ga and you don't use it? Blasphemy. Those are great guns.

Man, instead of spending $1500 on a new gun, I would send that off to Briley and have chokes put in it, or open it to ic/full, and use that for everything that flies. Done.


Hi - good point, and I have definitely thought about your suggestion. My wife would definitely concur about NOT buying another gun Smile . In all seriousness, I am of Swedish descent and the Husky means alot to me. I tend to think of it as more fragile and not an every day carry, but it is in great shape and I doubt very seriously it is fragile - if the right ammo is used.

BTW, several years ago when I acquired it I did have the chokes opened up a bit so it is ready for hunting!
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fn16ga
PostPosted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:16 pm  Reply with quote
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Location: Florida

As much as I like my SXS's and O/U's , if I was looking for one gun to do it all , it would be the New A5 . Simply because it's lite , and it can handle lite weight 1oz load up to heavy 1 1/4oz with very manageable recoil .

The only down fall is the target style pistol grip .
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double trigger
PostPosted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:18 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Nov 2015
Posts: 36
Location: Colorado

Cold Iron wrote:
double trigger wrote:
I’m open to other suggestions, understanding there are not a lot of choices for 16 o/u’s Sad

At this point in my life I think I’d like to find one go-to 16 for all my upland hunting, as noted in the great article below.

https://shootingsportsman.com/sweet-over-unders


The FAIR guns in the article you linked would be my choice. FAIR first came in the US through NEA and I have a 16 ga. with 28" and 30" bbls.



I use the 30" for clays and if I used a 16 for pheasants would also use it for that. But I use the 28" for grouse from time to time.



IFG is the importer and can set you up with a dealer. Or ship to your FFL holder.
http://www.italianfirearmsgroup.com/

I would take the FAIR over the Franchi, personal preference. I use my Ithaca 37's a lot for grouse hunting also.

But if heaven forbid I was limited to one 16 ga. it would be my A5 Sweet 16, hands down. Mine is heavily modified for grouse. But a factory unmolested new 26" A5 Sweet 16 would handle all upland duties plus clays the best. For me.


CI - thanks for your post and I think the FAIR's would be a great o/u choice. I think the Ithaca 37 16's are really cool guns and I'm going to hold on to mine (Ithaca did a special one for me in 16 ga. several years ago when they did a special run of 12 gauges for Pheasants Forever). In fact I had it our yesterday - I grew up shooting pumps but don't get along with them as well these days since I have shot stack barrels almost exclusively for the last 12 years.
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double trigger
PostPosted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 12:24 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Nov 2015
Posts: 36
Location: Colorado

Just wanted to thank everyone for their great posts and wealth of information. Since I'm nearing the end of this hunting season I'm going to finish out with the guns I have. I will definitely 'marinate' on my options and move forward in the off-season, if not before....

By all means do not hesitate to post further to this thread!
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double vision
PostPosted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 3:51 pm  Reply with quote
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These are the fun threads, talking about 16 gauge guns and how we use them.
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16'er
PostPosted: Thu Dec 05, 2019 4:56 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 08 Oct 2006
Posts: 1393
Location: Tappahannock, Virginia

I’ve got an Ugartechea boxlock, 6 lbs 4oz, that is quite nice. 25.5” barrels choked ic/mod. DT, straight stock and it’s murder on pen raised birds... over pointing dogs I think it would be a fine all around upland gun..
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double vision
PostPosted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 6:03 am  Reply with quote
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16'er wrote:
I’ve got an Ugartechea boxlock, 6 lbs 4oz, that is quite nice. 25.5” barrels choked ic/mod. DT, straight stock and it’s murder on pen raised birds... over pointing dogs I think it would be a fine all around upland gun..


Those are nice SxS's. Well built!
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UncleDanFan
PostPosted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 7:27 am  Reply with quote
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double trigger wrote:
UncleDanFan wrote:
You own an Husqvarna 310 16ga and you don't use it? Blasphemy. Those are great guns.

Man, instead of spending $1500 on a new gun, I would send that off to Briley and have chokes put in it, or open it to ic/full, and use that for everything that flies. Done.


Hi - good point, and I have definitely thought about your suggestion. My wife would definitely concur about NOT buying another gun Smile . In all seriousness, I am of Swedish descent and the Husky means alot to me. I tend to think of it as more fragile and not an every day carry, but it is in great shape and I doubt very seriously it is fragile - if the right ammo is used.

BTW, several years ago when I acquired it I did have the chokes opened up a bit so it is ready for hunting!


FWIW, I'm of Swedish descent too, and I've owned a LOT of Husky's, everything from 1880's damascus hammer guns to newer 310's blne's. I'm bidding on a bunch of hammer guns right now actually. If there's one word I would never use to describe Husky's, it would be fragile. They are stout, solid, working man's guns, many based on German Sauer designs. They are definitely meant to be used.

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Riflemeister
PostPosted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 8:53 am  Reply with quote
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I've got a couple of Parker Hale Ugartechea boxlocks, one in 16 ga and the other in 20 ga. Both are 26" barrels in the 640 American configuration of single trigger, pistol grip and a semi-beavertail forend. Weight on the guns is decent, with the 16 ga weighing 6# 9 oz and the 20 ga weighing 5# 15.5 oz. They are nicely balanced and handle well. They are also available on the used market as the model 645 with the traditional English setup of straight stock, double triggers and sliver forend for those preferring a more traditional SXS and lighter weight. The Uggies are well built, reliable guns.

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An elderly gentleman, his faithful dogs, and a 16 ga SXS. All is right with the world.
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16'er
PostPosted: Fri Dec 06, 2019 9:22 am  Reply with quote
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Riflemeister wrote:
I've got a couple of Parker Hale Ugartechea boxlocks, one in 16 ga and the other in 20 ga. Both are 26" barrels in the 640 American configuration of single trigger, pistol grip and a semi-beavertail forend. Weight on the guns is decent, with the 16 ga weighing 6# 9 oz and the 20 ga weighing 5# 15.5 oz. They are nicely balanced and handle well. They are also available on the used market as the model 645 with the traditional English setup of straight stock, double triggers and sliver forend for those preferring a more traditional SXS and lighter weight. The Uggies are well built, reliable guns.


Yep, mine is a Parker Hale Model too.
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