16ga.com ~ View topic

Guys,

I'm as excited about having a 16 gauge as a kid with his first puppy Very Happy

I just bought a 16ga. double (Tristar Brittany special) and want to start getting components together for reloading. I bought a rather expensive but limited selection of loaded shells (mostly Winchester) to get started shooting, but I know it's going to mostly a reloading proposition to be able to shoot very much. Heck, just finding loaded shells looks like it's real iffy.

I have MEC 9000 and PW loaders in both 12 and 20 but will probably just go with with a MEC 600 Jr. for 16, at least for now. I'm planning on just loading 1oz. to begin with and was thinking of buying hulls from BPI, but which one? Fiocchi or Multi-hull (Cheddit?)? Recommended wad(s)? Loads and powders? Where to get once fired hulls? What reloads the best, worst?

Getting a 16 wasn't really planned (funny how that just happens) so I haven't been reading much on this board in the past, but maybe someone could send a couple of older URLS from here that talk about the ins and outs of 16ga. loading and that might answer My questions.

TIA

Roi

From your post, I take it that you intend to simply hunt witrh your 16 ga and not shoot too many targets. If this is so, the one ounce load will serve you well. save the hulls you have. Either of the Gualandi 1 ounce wads will work in the new type Winchester (Cheddite) polyformed hulls as well as in Fiocchi and Bascheri & Pellagri hulls.

Gualadi wads are a very snug fit in the Remington GL16 hulls. You are better off with Remington SP16 and/or R16 wads here. you can use the SP16 wad with one 1/8" thick, 28 gauge card wad in the shot cup. It is the equivilent of the R16 one ounce wad.

However, if you intend to shoot skeet regularly with your 16 gauge, you would be far better off planning on using 3/4 and 7/8 ounce loads. Most 16 ga guns that weigh 7 pounds or less recoil fairly stiffly with 1 ounce and heavier loads. They shoot and handle similar to light 20 ga guns in this respect. However no ammo company has been smart enough to interoduce a light kicking recreational load for the 16 since early in the 20th Century. So these nice, easy on the shoulder loads are strictly a handloading proposition.

The other problem has been that nobody has been smart enough to issue a 3/4- 7/8 ounce wad until now. Down Range is planning on releasing just such a wad sometime soon this summer. It was designed by our own Charles Hammack, and its a beauty. It will work in any 16 gauge hull.

If you plan on shooting your 16 gauge gun enough to get really good with it, do yourself a favor. Plan on loading some of these light but very effective loads for your gun. You will find out very quickly what many of the guys hwere already know. Light loads turn the 16 into an extremely pleasent and fun gun to shoot. Why not get the most of your gun. Good luck with your relading.

16gg usually advises buying the Mec Sizemaster vs the 600Jr because it is still only a single stage press but uses a collet sizer vs the ring sizer of the 600Jr. Something about the new case heads being brass-washed steel vs all brass older hulls, and the collet doing a better job. Perhaps he will return and clarify things after he has his morning cup of Joe.

Guest

Since you already have a PW why not save a few buck and buy the 16 gauge conversion die set?

As far as components go Graf and Sons have much better prices and better selection than Ballistics Products and free shipping with a minimum purchase (less the damn Has Mat fee for powder and primers).

For load data join the 16 gauge reloaders group. Russ Gray's contact information is at the top of this forum.

Good luck and remember this stuff can be addictive.

Guest

PW is running a special on die sets for the 375. $104.00 for 16 gauge ($30.00 more than their other die sets which is blatant description). I can't imagine retiring a Thoroughbred like the PW in favor of a plow horse like the MEC.

I use both Winchester Super X/Cheddite and Remington Game Load hulls. I prefer the Game Load using Gualandi 2025 20 gauge wads for 7/8th ounce loads. No filler required. I use Gualandi 1621 wads for the Cheddite hulls but you need a bit of filler to get a nice flat topped crimp with 7/8th or 3/4 ounce loads.

The 16 gauge reloaders group has 1 ounce and 7/8th ounce loads using Universal Clays in the Cheddite hull and 1 ounce loads using the Remington Game Load/SP hulls plus a 7/8th ounce International Clays load for the Remington hull.

Guest

Roi,
Ponsness does do 16ga dies for the 800. You'll have to ring 'em and talk to them about it. It's the same die as for the 375, just need 8 of them, now if you want the taper crimp you'll have to buy the gauge specific heads for the final crimp and knockout station. It's pricey to get a whole new head with the complete set-up, PW will make it up for you, but if you don't mind a bit of fiddling you can use most of the 20ga tooling except for the final two stations. Your 800+ should have the provision for ez die changeover, and you'll need the 16ga initial station where the hull goes on before lowering into the first die. Your 12ga wad guide and fingers will prolly work for wad insertion.
Takes some time to convert over to another gauge with the PW's, but once set you can crank out a couple of cases in a hurry.
Cheers,
R*2

[quote="Twice Barrel"]PW is running a special on die sets for the 375. $104.00 for 16 gauge ($30.00 more than their other die sets which is blatant description). I can't imagine retiring a Thoroughbred like the PW in favor of a plow horse like the MEC.

Well, I once heard the definition of a thoroughbred is a tall horse that burns hay, eats a hole in your wallet, produces mostly fertilizer, likes biting your leg, and will win the race back to the barn and his feedbag every time. Laughing

Guest

Ahh 16 Gauge Guy Plow horse or thoroughbred. You get the same results with a lot more style and flash from the thoroughbred.

510wells once you start shooting the 16 gauge you'll forget all about 12 and 20 gauges so you can dump the extraneous reloading stuff on e-bay.

As far as joining the 16 gauge reloaders group send Russ Gray who posts here a private message and he will get you all set up.

Twice Barrel,

I figured out the reloading group "thing" and sent Russ a check last night.

Roi

Flash and style???? My reloading room looks like a disaster area. A PW would not cut it. I'd need an act of God to make my bench look sporty.