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<  16ga. Guns  ~  New to Remington sportsman 48, and 58,load pressure question
Stx4wheeler
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:12 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 06 Jan 2021
Posts: 89
Location: Florida

Hey all new to the forum and glad to be here. I inherited two 16 gauge semi auto’s a couple years back and got them both cleaned and up and running right.
One is a sportsman 48 with poly choke and the other is a sportsman 58 choked in IC with the adjustable load dial at the top of the magazine tube. From research I have done they seem to be late 40-50’s era guns and I really really enjoy shooting them.

I hunt doves, rabbits, squirrels with the 16 mainly and every once in a while attempt to kill clay birds. While researching reloading loads for both skeet and hunting I see a lot of talk of certain older guns to avoid higher pressure loads in but usually not a description of what time period that is or year break is and at times it seems even what that pressure threshold to avoid is with older pressure sensitive guns.

Right now I will be shooting RGL factory rounds that are 1200ft/s loads with 1 oz of #7.5’s, and Nobelsport 1 1/16 oz factory loads with 7.5’s I believe they are 1300 ft/s but it doesn’t clarify on the box. I also have a couple boxes of new old stock federal’s with the paper base wad.

As I move forward with reloading what pressures should I be worried about exceeding with the two above guns, or should they be fine shooting loads up to the SAAMI pressure max of 11,500 psi.

I plan to reload the RGL’s first and then move on to the Nobel sports, and maybe load the federal’s with a little larger shot for specialty scenarios.

If this has been asked I apologize I tried a few searches and didn’t find quite what I was looking for.

Thanks in advance.


Last edited by Stx4wheeler on Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:02 pm; edited 1 time in total
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WyoChukar
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 9:49 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2124
Location: Hudson,Wy

Perhaps someone will chime in with additional recommendations, but these two guns were built during the era when the American ammo scene revolved around "more power!". These are post Super-X guns, meaning that they were built after the introduction of higher pressure/ higher recoil loads that rose to prominence in the 20's and 30's and as we were entering the "magnum" era. Those old heavy loads were just as hot as most of today's offerings. I see no problem with shooting the loads you are currently using.

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Stx4wheeler
PostPosted: Wed Feb 24, 2021 10:07 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 06 Jan 2021
Posts: 89
Location: Florida

WyoChukar wrote:
Perhaps someone will chime in with additional recommendations, but these two guns were built during the era when the American ammo scene revolved around "more power!". These are post Super-X guns, meaning that they were built after the introduction of higher pressure/ higher recoil loads that rose to prominence in the 20's and 30's and as we were entering the "magnum" era. Those old heavy loads were just as hot as most of today's offerings. I see no problem with shooting the loads you are currently using.


Thanks for the info, that’s the main question I needed to know.

That makes sense in the couple boxes of ammo that I got with the guns there is a box or two of old old Remington long ranges or high power and a few Winchester’s that say 2 3/4 on the side but are about 1/4 in taller than all of my other 2 3/4” loads. I don’t plan on shooting those btw.
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16gaDavis
PostPosted: Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:32 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 24 Jun 2013
Posts: 2062
Location: canandaigua - western n.y. (formerly deerhunter)

those guns were built for those shells , but remember , they are 60-70yrs old . Springs get old/soft and friction rings may be soft . I shoot 3/4oz or even 5/8 in my 48's and they still cycle . You just don't want to beat them to death . Mine still works with RGL , CCI , DR , and 300 grns of shot , 14grns 700X . ( I also shot a 13/8 super mag load in the old bent barrel just for Sh.. and GI.... , nothing happened except for blowing the milk jug to smithereens !!)

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Stx4wheeler
PostPosted: Thu Feb 25, 2021 8:35 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 06 Jan 2021
Posts: 89
Location: Florida

Thanks so much guys, I definitely don’t want to hurt the old girls since they are so light and fun to shoot, but also they will get a workout on loads from time to time, and the roughest of the bunch the 48 might even end up shooting some light steel loads.

Thanks again!
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fyd16
PostPosted: Fri Feb 26, 2021 2:40 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 13 Jan 2008
Posts: 58
Location: Michigan

Based on my experience and what I have heard, the 58 Sportsman does have some durability concerns and certain parts can be very hard to find. I would suggest staying at or below 1 oz. and 1200 fps and keep the power valve on the heavy setting unless cycling becomes an issue. Enjoy!

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Researcher
PostPosted: Wed Mar 03, 2021 8:47 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 13 Jun 2009
Posts: 695
Location: WA/AK

Quote:
Perhaps someone will chime in with additional recommendations, but these two guns were built during the era when the American ammo scene revolved around "more power!". These are post Super-X guns, meaning that they were built after the introduction of higher pressure/ higher recoil loads that rose to prominence in the 20's and 30's and as we were entering the "magnum" era. Those old heavy loads were just as hot as most of today's offerings. I see no problem with shooting the loads you are currently using.


Wrong! Wrong!! The introduction of progressive burning smokeless powder, high velocity loads in the early 1920s, Western Cartridge Co.'s Super-X loads leading the way, gave us loads at higher velocity and in many cases a bit heavier payload at actually lower pressures than some of the heavier bulk and dense smokeless powder loads being offered from the late 1890s through WW-I. SAAMI specs came in by the late 1920s and the max pressure for a 2 3/4 inch 16-gauge load is essentially the same today as it was then.

The Model 11-48 and Sportsman-48 were introduced in 1949 and offered until 1969. The Sportsman 58 was introduced in 1956 a year or two after the 12-, 16- and 20-gauge 2 3/4 inch Magnums were introduced in our ammunition companies December 1954 price lists.

The Sportsman-58 was shot by Chief Buntrock in the great 12-gauge shoot-off at the 1968 NSSA Skeet Championships at Kansas City when Al and Tommy Heffron went head to head for 800 birds each and were finally declared co-champions.

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