16ga.com ~ View topic - 16 bore trap and skeet shooters: What guns do you use.

Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 280 Location: Southern Ohio

Charles: I hope you win the title..I still say the 12 bore is THE trap gun.. And I have the satisfaction of knowing that I'm in a huge majority.. You can play the game of 16 bore trap and you may even win a few, But most of us won't live long enough to see the 16 bore seriously considered as a trap gun.. Maybe someone will start a 16 bore class or something like that, but dont count on the ATA to start ordering a truck load of 16s in #7 1/2 shot.. MDC

Hello M D :

Your 100% right indeed the 12ga is the trapgun of choice . But what I am trying to prove to everyone is that VERY FEW TRAPSHOOTERS EVER WIN .

Thus saying this I will explain , over the years that I shot alot and built barrels and triggers for Trap I observed that many people shooting trap does it because they like it and dont expect to win anything let alone place ,

Most of these people are older or smaller framed unable to handle a 7 1/2 - 10 lbs trapgun and suffer greatly from the recoil of the loads toated to be traploads , I have seen some very unorthadoxed methods of attempting to mount the heavy trapguns by this group of people and missing way too many targets due to the lack of being able to hang with a target . These guns designed for a strong person in their prime and should be looked at in a differnt light .

The select few that win consistantly are a very minute percentage of the people that shoot trap , most are older retired persons that have done this for years and enjoy it , not for the sake of competition but for the friends that they have made over the years doing what they like to do.

I feel that it is a great injustace that we do to these people in making them think THEY HAVE TO SHOOT A TRAPGUN THAT WEIGHTS A TON , when they would be better served shooting a 6 1/2 lb gun with very light loads 3/4 -7/8 OZ and having FUN , SHOOTING BETTER AND NOT GETTING HURT DOING IT .

THIS IS THE 16GA EXACTLY TO A TEE , a fun gun to shoot not a gun to develp the same flinch that your buddy has , what is the fun in that ?????

All we have done is creat a system of Magnum Mania that is not geared to the majority but the few that can handle such a thing .

I think you would find out with a lighter 16ga with light loads if given a fair shake that you would shoot with in a VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF WHAT YOU WOULD SHOOT A 12GA if not better . In all likelyhood would not flinch as bad

Your right about the ATA I know quite well about the political position there , but nothing says that we cant shoot what we ENJOY SHOOTING .

I would have to say if it was good enough for Miss Annie then it should be good enough for the rest of us, THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO PRESERVE THE 16GA , SHOOT THE THING , ISNT THAT WHAT THIS FOURM IS ALL ABOUT ???????

I SAY LONG LIVE THE 16GA . I AM DOING SOMETHING ABOUT PRESERVING IT , get out there and shoot the guage and share it with someone else , this is the only way the 16ga will ever survive.

Regards Charles

Charles make a good point. I shoot my 16b Lefever on skeet and 5 stand (I don't like trap, but I have used it for that), because it's my main gun and I enjoy shooting it immensely. Like Charles noted however, I do it for fun, and to improve my wingshooting. If I was of the minute percentage doing it seriously, and/or for money, I would use a 12 with light loads if possible. If I was small or frail, not only would I probably not use a 12, but I probably would not be shooting seriously either. It's hard to level the playing field if you are at an inherent disadvantage.

The 16ga. is a great multi-purpose gauge, and would no doubt surprise people in smallbore sanctioned events. Until that happens however, the place it shines the most is in the uplands, where it is the undisputed queen.

Best,

Mark

Joined: 13 May 2006 Posts: 38 Location: Ohio

I took my 16ga. out one Saturday last year to the trap range and kept right up with the 12 ga. shooters, I must add my shoulder didn't look like one fellas did, ouch, black and blue! One other used a Browning recoiless 12, (post shoulder surgery) so, I really liked the way the 16 felts and kept pace with the bigger bore 12's.
Now if we went back to the 27 yard line, maybe I would be a little light, but until then, go 16 go.

Member Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 450 Location: Indiana

Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 972 Location: Keller,TX

Thanks for all the replies. One reason that I started this post is to get a feel for how many of you would lobby for the 16 bore as a new catagory in skeet shooting. Maybe I'm mistaken but it would be a boon to ALL 16 bore shooters because ammo mfg's would bring out more loads and gun mfg's would bring out more guns. Am I wrong here?

We are becoming a louder voice in the shooting world.Let's turn it up a couple of decibels!

Having shot both registered Trap and also having participated in at least 2 ltrap leagues every year for over 14 years now, I had never seen anyone use a 16 ga for serious trap shooting until this last fall. We had one guy initially shoot his Ithaca 37 for a few rounds. However, he soon stopped that and brought a 12 when he saw that the money and shell prizes were within his reach if he raised his scores a tad.

That pretty much said it all to me. I Love my 16 ga guns for hunting and fun. When the game gets a bit serious and the money is on the table, the Perazzi 12 ga comes out to the line with me. I don't give an edge to anyone if I can help it. I'm out to win when I compete. Same if I'm on a team. I owe that to my team mates to do the very best I can. A 12 ga trap gun helps ensure it.

However, if there is ever a 16 gauge trap league started in my neck of the woods, I'll be there with bells on. Very Happy

The long awaited event is here,

The Missouri State Shoot starts on Monday ,

Monday and Tuesday are the preliminary days , I will shoot on Wensday thru Saturday on the championship days and would you know it I am shooting poorly as of now , Ole Ben thougt he would help out with 13/16OZ loads ( they crimp better than the 3/4OZ ) well I cant shoot em as well so he is loading me the 3/4OZ that I ask for so it is down to the wire and we shall see if I can pull a rabbit out of a hat or have a great big flop .

I will keep you all posted as I win or lose .

Regards Charles

Joined: 18 Mar 2007 Posts: 280 Location: Southern Ohio

I wish you the best of luck, Charles, .. MDC

Member Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 401 Location: Tennessee

[quote="XVI'er"]Thanks for all the replies. One reason that I started this post is to get a feel for how many of you would lobby for the 16 bore as a new catagory in skeet shooting. Maybe I'm mistaken but it would be a boon to ALL 16 bore shooters because ammo mfg's would bring out more loads and gun mfg's would bring out more guns. Am I wrong here?

I don't believe you will ever see a separate 16ga event in skeet. NSSA skeet is already suffering from too many events with 4 gauges plus a doubles event. Another event would add more time to a shoot and more importantly, more expense. Another factor is the gun - all serious competitive skeet shooters use a tubed 12ga and possibly an autoloader for doubles/12ga events. A 12ga cannot be tubed down to 16ga, the tubes would be too thin. So, another gun would be required - more expense. NSSA is on a steady decline as it is, with less targets being thrown every year. They aren't going to consider anything that makes the game more expensive.
With all that said, I would love to see it happen, but it has been brought up to them before. I asked them, back when I was one of their national directors. They are not interested. Crying or Very sad

Bill

P.S. - Good luck, Charles!

Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 972 Location: Keller,TX

If that's the case, lets start our own Smallbore American,and International, Shooting Sports Association. Sporting clays, trap, skeet, ZZ (helice), 5 stand, and all other diciplines for sub guages. Talk about challanging! that would be the pinnicle of the shotgun diciplines!

No bores larger than 16. Now that would be challenging! Very Happy

We could scale down the presentations for the true sub bores like the 24, 28, 32, and 67. Imagine ZZ shot with the 67 bore! Laughing

I like it!!!!! Razz

But then I also like single malt scotch, bourbon whiskey, Cubano and Honduran cigars, and beautiful red haired women!! All an acquired taste, to be sure. Wink

Joined: 28 Nov 2006 Posts: 13 Location: St. Louis

My 17 year old shoots a 16 ga. grade 3 citori with 28 " bbls a decelorator pad and briley extended chokes for inter scholastic trap with his high school team. He is a member of the ATA and shoots registered targets weekly trying to get his average established. I bought him a 12 ga cynergy classic trap but he seems to feel more comfortable with the 16 ga. He seems to shoot equally well with either firearm but he contends " Being a little Different is Good for the soul " . Kind of strange words coming from a 17 year old in this day and age of followers.
We also hunt Pheasants, Quail and Grouse with 16 ga Citori's. My wife hunts with the Classic Feather So we are pretty hard core 16 ga Citori shooters. We currently have 6 16 ga CItori's. At one time we had 8.

Three of our 16 Citori's are 80's guns.One being either a grade 2 or 3 and two grade ones. The other Three are 90's guns. The 90's guns include 2 grade three's, and one Classic Feather grade one.
If you have not tried the 16 ga Briley extended chokes for your 16 ga citori's you really need to make the investment. On a pattern board you will see a substantial improvement over the std. Invector chokes. We use them for clays and for hunting. They are back end threaded and don't have that bad tendency to loosen up in the field or on the trap range.

Well I Lost today but you know what ?? I think I actually may have won today as well.

I took off from work this morning at 8:30 to get to the gunclub at 9;00 I was on the first flight out this morning , when I got there I was the only one on the squad . Next door a trap down the way was another guy with only one to a squad. ( Lots of times the early squads doesnt fill up )

So we ended up combining the sqads together , but I was not much better off than shooting by myself for I had to shoot lead in the doubles which I hate to do , like to mark a position for the first target and unable to get a good fix leading off .

Well during the event I lost an empty on the ground so I left it and this turned out to be a hidden lining to the cloud .

I broke a 75 which I lost all on 3 post but I didnt know that I had created such a stir , as I left the line I visited with Pete Peterson and told him that I had broke the 75 , he had a hard time about this being so , but I assured him it was so and that sometime that is the way the ball bounces.

Later today the phone rang at 2PM and it was Pete Peterson and he told me that I had created quite a stir at the club by shooting the game gun in 16ga ( the hull was picked up ) the funny thing was that their was only 20 or so people around to see me shoot the gun an no one appeared to be watching I just packed up and headed back to work.

Then about 2:30 Ben called and said the same thing that everyone was talking about the guy shooting a double trigger game gun on registered targets .

Even though I shot poorly I accomplished an objective the gun and the ga. was noticed .

I shoot the 200 singles tomarrow lets see what happens there.

Regards Charles

Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 972 Location: Keller,TX

Bravo, my brother Charles, we need more shooters of your ilk!!! Very Happy

Let's make a noise. We don't want any of our fellow shotgunners looking down their noses at our beloved 16bore! The 16 bore is not the illegitimate bore of a mating between a 12 and a 20 bore! it is a unique bore, the King of the Uplands! Very Happy

Might just be the target king in the future!