16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 6

Hello Everyone -
I'm new to the website (I was intrigued by the advertisement in Shooting Sportsman).

I am a young shooter and I am in the market for a new shotgun and am considering a 16 ga. Could you please provide me with some pros and cons of the 16 why you prefer them to the more traditional gauges of 12, 20, etc. Thank you in advance.

Member Joined: 27 Nov 2005 Posts: 258 Location: Nordern MN

The only thing better than hunting, is hunting with style.

It's not truly an advantage to hunt with a 16ga. A dead bird is a dead bird. It's more of an aesthetic thing.

Ideally, you are shooting 1 1/8oz of shot in a gun that weighs the same as a 20ga. Back in the day before extremely light 12s and magnum 20s, that was the advantage. Now it's a toss up.

There are some sweet guns in 16ga that have a lot more charisma than the same model in 12 or 20, or maybe aren't available in 12 or 20. My model 97 is like that. No 20s made, and 12s are a tank.

It's the disadvantages you have to overcome to decide if you want a 16 . . . mostly ammo availability and cost.

Best o luck!
NR

NR, not a advantage??? Shocked

Surely you jest.
Ok covey, NR has it right, dead is dead. The bragging rights/nose in the air, as you tell your bud's "I use a 16" is worth the possible increase in ammo cost. Most 2 3/4 " guns will shoot the modern stuff, and from what I hear dick's and others selling target ammo for, isn't significantly higher than 12 or 20 of the same type. Hunting loads are more, but premium hunting in 12 and 20 are also more.
You get into some of the vintage stuff and yes your ammo bill will be a bit more, maybe double .(my last shippment of rst was 600.00, but I got a couple of flats of the cool paper stuff and 2 1/2 28ga stuff for my new toy) It'll probably take me 2, 3 maybe 4 years to blast thru all the hunting stuff, unless PGG or TJC get into my munition locker.
You also may need to plan a little better for long trips, or not if you get your friends to shoot the 16 as well.

Some of the guys with lots more smarts than i can get into the square load info and shot string length, but in my experence long as you aim where your supposed to they all kill dead. 12, 16,20

Main advantage: nobody hollers, "Hey, I'm out; give me a handful of shells".

Fin, you keep thinking that. It's obvious you've never hunted with that bird poacher TJC, and his pit bulls. Heck not only does he shoot my birds, but then he used the ammo I stole from G&H to do it with. And it's not confined to birds. Last time we were shooting S/C he gets to the last station, errrr, Thudd, I'm out. So then not only does he out shoot me, he's using my ammo(I even paid for that stuff)
Fin, pray he don't get out your way.

Pro: Carries like a 20 and hits like a 12 - the quintessential bird gun.

Con: You have to look a bit harder for ammo which makes it tougher if you want to shoot clays or need non-tox stuff for waterfowl. But you can find more than enough of the lead variety.

Guest

You didn't mention where you live and what do you like to hunt. If you want one shotgun to do everything and to find ammo wherever you end up, it is tough not to shoot a 12 gauge. If I had to make a guess on the general profile of most of the guys that post on this site is we're on the other side of fifty years old and farily established in our career where it's more finding time to hunt than having extra cash. I remember in my earlier years where I had to scronge around to get gas money for my hunting and fishing trips. You didn't mention your current gun inventory and esp. if you owned a 12 gauge. While I grew up shooting a model 37 12 gauge, I would recomend shooting a Berreta 12 gauge auto given the overall quality of new pump guns. You can always get a good resale on a Berreta gas gun. Now if you really want to shoot a 16 gauge, you will need to look at what's out there and what do you actually gain by shooting a 16. A 12 gauge can shoot a 7/8 to 1 1/18 as well as a 16. The problem with alot of 16 gauge guns is that they are used on a 12 gauge frame and handle like a shovel. Don't see any advantage there. You can pick up a 16 gauge either a pump in a Ithaca 37 or Winchester 12 or an auto Browning. I don't want to dump on anyone that shoot their 16 in any of those models but IMHO, the 16 gauge really shines in a S/S. A well built S/S in a 16 gauge is "the" perfect upland gun. Some of the guys on this BB prefer the Browning O/U but to each their own. You can pick up a Browning O/U at a somewhat reasonable price. Getting a S/S can run from horrible to great depending upon what price you albe/want to pay. I would wait and save up my money rather than going out and buy some dog gun that you're sorry you even owned after shooting it.

If you're not into it now, I would also recommend that you take up reloading. Start with 12 gauge loads and if/when you pick up a 16, you can move to start reloading them.

Good luck......

Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 6

Thanks for your input. Now for another question if you don't mind. Do you have an suggestions for a 16 ga. SxS in the $800-$1200 range?

new or used??
new- the dehann's are hard to beat(specally customer service) and the cz variants.
Used, you pick- american, spanish, belgian, maybe a english, but whatever you do, don't buy german. If you find a good deal on a german, it will end up being a problem. Service, loads , ect. Best thing to do if you find a german is email me the location and contact info and I'll get it off the streets and into a rehab program

Some nice O/u's. One on the for sale page here, a fair 400 that I almost bought,(that looks to be sold) but had to put the money into a clunker german gun.
http://www.bobjonesguns.com/details.asp?id=4212S

I just traded a really nice simson in at Kittery Trading Post. they have a web site. Gun had been gone thru and refinished If they still have it, it should be at the upper end of your budget. It's out of the same factory as the merkels of the 60-70's imported by tadd Scott. 6.8oz english stock. the receiver had been buffed at some point, probably the case color was going. Very nice for the price, and was the back up to my 1620. the throat of the grip was just slightly thicker than the merk, but they carried and shot identical. Only reason it and the merk went was the little 28 rasch and the karl(above) decided they needed new places to live.

Thudd, thanks for the warning. I've been out here with the Auto-mag-12ga-with-the-plug-out crowd for so long, I'd forgotten there are still civilized folks around. Just keep ol' TJC out there with you; I ain't handed a shell to anyone in so long I can't remember. Cheaper that way...

Fin

PGG, guess I'm still in the closet Wink

Least I've only got stuck with 1 sauer(till the hammer guy calls)

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

Man I'm taking a beating here and didn't even know it.

Well for your info, I'm ok with ammo for the next who knows how long.
Sitting on 25 cases of RGLs in 7.5s, 7 cases of Federal/Estates in 8s, 2 flats of PMC in 4s for the big birds, and another 2 flats of assorted hunting ammo such as Fiocchi GP, Remington Express in 4s and Winchester in 4s.

Yo thuddddddd, I think you might have either been hung over that day in Maine or you're just down and out telling fibs. I'm the guy that had more than enough ammo of my own to out shoot you not just on the 5 stand, wobble trap but twice on the sporting clays course too. Very Happy

Oh and who was it that went 25 straight on the 5 stand? Oh yea, that be ME. Razz

Fin, I'll come out and hunt and bring enough ammo for you and I. Wink