16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 11 Nov 2007 Posts: 72 Location: SE Wyoming

Introductions are in order. I'm an old retired guy with a passion for quail hunting & all the other upland birds a very close second. My hunting partners are a semi-retired GSP a 5 yr old ES & the newest member of the team, a 7 month old WPG. The 16ga on the way is an english 2 1/2" SxS just under 6lb. Nearly a perfect match to my favorite 20ga quail gun.

I have a bunch of 2 1/2" gamebore 1 oz 16s in 6s & 7s on their way also. What do you folks think of Gamebore? What should I expect using the 6s on the larger birds like Pheasant & sharptail in a gun choked .015 & .030?
This looks like a good place to hang out [been on the outside looking in for quite some time].

cap

Member Joined: 09 Dec 2005 Posts: 989 Location: Las Vegas

Welcome on board caplock! Give us a little info on the gun. Somewhere buried in all the good info you'll receive on this site is the Pressure/Velocity on the Gamebore shells. I have a couple of old English doubles (1 is a 2 1/2" gun) and I like the RST shells.

I would think the 6's would be ok for pheasant and sharptail. The Gamebore may be English sized which would make them more like 6 1/2's but I like the choke combination. If you don't reload maybe you should think about starting. Being able to reload really opens up the spectrum of the 16ga. and optimizes it's capabilities.

Matt

Welcome Caplock. Your right this is a nice place to spend time and pick up lots of info too. Sounds like your geared up good with a good gang of dogs and a new 16 coming home. I'd say that 1 oz. / #6's will do just fine on pheasant. When that gun hits home pattern some of that gamebore ammo you bought that will tell you what the new 16 will do with it. Most of the pheasant I hunt are taken with 6's in hand loads. I like that choke combo on your new 16 too. It will be interesting to know how she shoots so give us a report after you do some patterning Smile

Joined: 11 Nov 2007 Posts: 72 Location: SE Wyoming

Thank you for the welcome. I load low pressure for my 20ga Greener so I spect I'll be gearing up for the 16 if I like the way it feels & shoots.

cap

Member Joined: 09 Dec 2005 Posts: 989 Location: Las Vegas

Here's the thread on the pressure/velocity of various loads. This was posted by the good Rev and I wish somebody would put it as a sticky at the top of the reloading thread. I's still like to know the details on the gun you've got coming! What are the proof marks?

http://www.16ga.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2410

Matt

Welcome aboard Caplock. Gamebore ammo has a good reputation. I use B&P 6s in my 2.5" English 12ga and they have performed very well on pheasants and sharpies. Where are you chasing those quail, KS and NE?

Hc

Caplock
I think you oughta send that new 16 here to NY. I'll get it all squared away and let you know while your gettin geared up for reloading 16 just what loads it likes best Exclamation

Friendly group of guys, eh ! Laughing

Member Joined: 09 Oct 2007 Posts: 9 Location: Utah

Caplock,

Captain Billy is right, you need to pattern the different loads to really see what they are doing.

I have a couple different english 16 bores and they pattern different with different loads and chokes. - There are several places to purchase 2 1/2 in. catridges: RST, Westley Richards and Lylvale. The gamebores don't have plastic shotcups, so they will payyern different than the others that do.

Good Luck. Sounds like you have a sweet new gun coming.

Oh, make a note, with the different cartridges, if they are Brithish or U.S. sized shot.

BudR

Joined: 04 Sep 2007 Posts: 30

caplock,

welcome- from another new guy.

can't help much with any of the ammo stuff other than i used some kent nontoxic for duck hunting that was unbelievable. i havent' seen ducks hit like that in 20 plus years. still can picture my first shot on a high crossing mallard, looked like Bonds had hit it w/ a bat!

anyway, all the best to you
cheers,
kevin (aka Munsterman)

Joined: 11 Nov 2007 Posts: 72 Location: SE Wyoming

Joined: 11 Nov 2007 Posts: 72 Location: SE Wyoming

Highcountry, Most of my quail hunting has been in Ne. but I get down into Kansas a couple times a season.
Captain Billy, cant believe you'd do something that nice for someone you've just met. PM me your address, I'll get it sent out first thing- ROFL.
BudR, looks like I'll be scrubbin lead out of the tubes using Gamebore. Would it be safe to say that the Gamebores will not pattern as tight as a shell using a shotcup? Just guessing here as I use a form of shotcup in my muzzle loaders to tighten up the pattern.

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

cap, welcome to the club.

I've used the Gamebore on pheasants and found the shot pattern no where near as good as the RSTs. The effectiveness on the birds was also very lacking. That said, we were given Gamebore 7s. (See below)

Also unless I am mistaken the Gamebore are English sized pellets so your 6s are closer to 7s American and the 7s are closer to 8s.

Here's infro on your maker
http://www.littlegun.be/arme%20belge/artisans%20identifies%20s/a%20schnorrenberg%20gb.htm

Your gun is basically proofed for the standard 1 oz 2 1/2 dram 16g load.

Are the brls marked with a 17.0 or 16.3 (16g full choke) or similar?

Here's infro about Belgian proof marks and a chart for the letter date code
http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=17575181

Please do post ultra close up pics of the brl flats and water table.

Joined: 11 Nov 2007 Posts: 72 Location: SE Wyoming

Revdocdrew, left- 17.1 rt -- 17.1 & 18.7 65 mm on boath. I'll try to figure out the picture thing some time today.
Took a look at the charts. It will take some doing to figure out all that stuff. looking forward to learning about all this.

cap