Any 16-gauge shooters here?

[Bill in Oregon]

I am getting back into an old 16-gauge pump -- I started 60 years ago with a well-worn Model 12 in 16 -- and am wondering what over-the-counter ammunition you like for skeet that leaves you with a reasonably reloadable shell. I've been told that the Federal game load works pretty well, but thought I would ask anyway.

[dkmlever]

I shoot a 1954 Browning sweet sixteen and a 16 Browning Citori. I have a bunch of ammo with 3 to 8 dollar price tags on them so I have not looked recently for ammo.

[gamekeeper]

Bill, I'm a member of the 16 gauge society there is a lot of information over there, I have had several 16 gauge guns in the past but I only have a Russian hammer gun now in my favourite gauge, I just wish the ammo was as extensive as 12 gauge.

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[GunnyMack]

Of the tens , no hundreds of thousands of shotshells I've shot in my lifetime not one has been a 16!

I would suggest you look into a used press and roll your own Bill.
Ballistic Products has wads and hulls.

STAY away from cheap priced factory stuff, I read about a guy with cheap 28ga ammo that only put a few pellets on paper at 30 yards from mod and full chokes.

[Bill in Oregon]

Thanks fellas. Will, I have a MEC 600 Mk. V Junior with .410 dies on it that I need to swap out for 16s.
I bought a couple of boxes of Winchester game loads at Walmart and will go over to Shotgun World -- or the 16 Gauge Society, John -- for reviews of the hulls.

[GunnyMack]

There you go Bill!

Honestly Winchester hulls are not the greatest anymore. The new HS hulls are good for a few reloads . The new 410s are good for maybe 3!

I'd buy 100 count bags of Cheddite, I like their 28s & 410s , just need to use cheddite primers, a little larger dia and Winchester, Remington, CCI will not stay in the hull.

[Ray Newman]

Our son now has my old Stevens SXS 16 gauge. I just used it for small game hunting.

This thread made me think of when I was teenage the old timers said of the 16: "Swings like a 20, hits like a 12."

[Bill in Oregon]

Ray, the 16 was once called "The queen of the uplands." In my early hunting years, all my friends had 12-gauge shotguns and shook their heads and smiled when they saw my "little 16" and its purple shells.
Will, I am trying to determine if the Winchester Super X hulls are basically Cheddites.

[yooper2]

Both of my 16 gauges are short chambered so I use cheddite hulls I cut down. The only factory shells I've ever shot were RST, excellent ammo but I'm not of the source for their hulls.

Eric

[GunnyMack]

I highly doubt that Bill, the plastic is actually different by eye and feel. At least in the 410 & 28 hulls than Winchester appears and feels.

The Winchester HS and compression formed hulls are smooth and Cheddite hulls are ribbed.

Although I have been shooting some Winchester Super Sport 20s for birds and they are lightly ribbed.

[JRD]

I'm a big sixteen gauge fan but regard it as a bird hunting gauge versus a clay target gauge.
I enjoy shooting pheasants mostly with 16 gauges through various side by sides, over and unders, drilling, semi-auto, and pumps. Because it's a classic hunting gauge and because its less popular and obscure today- it appeals to me.
Also after mostly carrying sub gauge guns while bird hunting, it feels like you're carrying a cannon anytime I take a 12 gauge out.

16 gauge doesn't benefit from the same economy of scale that 12 and 20 gauges do. You can't buy the lower priced gun club shells the way you can in the more popular gauges. When you're only shooting birds
you aren't burning through tons of shells so cost isn't as big a factor. I wouldn't want to buy 16 gauge ammo as a regular clay target gun.

I try to buy the purple ribbed Federal game loads and save the hulls so I will have all one hull type when I finally get around to reloading 16's. 1 ounce of 8's is a great load on pheasants over a pointing dog for me.

[EdinCT]

I am like Gunny and have never fire a single 16ga shell in my life. I was in a shop and looked at a worn gray Model 12 with a poly choke, when I picked it up I just thought I could really kill birds with this! But resisted the urge.

[Bill in Oregon]

Lo, and behold, the Winchester Super X upland and small game shells are made in France.

[6pt-sika]

I’ve owned a boat load of 16 gauge guns . Two A-5’s , a couple Model 12’s , a trio of Citori’s in different configurations , an old H&R single with a top lever not the Topper type and five Parker 16 doubles of which one was a quite rare DH 2 frame 32” gun that was heck on high high tower pheasants also had a VHE straight grip 26” skeet gun that was an excellent quail gun . Over the years I’ve owned a bunch of 16 gauge loaders the first was a PW 375 , then a MEC 600JR , a MEC 9000 and a MEC 650 . They all worked well ! For hulls I started with the old smooth red WIN upland hulls that some folks refer to as AA style . I also used the black REM promotional hulls , over time I used the newer WIN red corrugated hulls and the Federal ones all with varying degrees of quality . Few years back a friend offered me several thousand AA style hulls and it turned out to be close to 7k the MEC 650 was part of that deal . Anyway I’ve sold all the 16 stuff I had shotguns loaders hulls . Those AA style hulls I’ve loaded target load , bird loads , waterfowl loads , buckshot loads and slug loads with excellent results . With the buck and slug loads I’ve done both folded crimps and rolled crimps . I’ve been cutting back my doubles now I’m down to a single 8 gauge a half dozen 10’s and a couple 12’s all Parker’s now .

[Eddie Southgate]

Currently only have two but have owned a bunch over the years . I have a first year (1913) Winchester model 1912 pump and a Remington Sportsman 48 . Had my dads late 50's 870 but gave it to my oldest son.

[BobM]

I have a 16 gauge H&R Topper I bought new in 1984. I’ve carried it hunting but don’t recall shooting anything with it. Lately I’ve been kicking around getting a repeater. I pondered a Marlin over/under in a used rack at a shop but it sold before I made up my mind

[RIHMFIRE]

I have an older spanish sxs in 16 handed down to me. "Noris" stamp on barrel. Double trigger which i dont like

Never hunted birds with it. I prefer my 20 and 12s Remington's and Beretta's

[t.r.]

I have an older Iver Johnson break open single barrel with many miles on it. What I mean to say is that I've hiked many wilderness trails with it because of the featherweight design. Easy to carry all day long and comforting after dark when bears roam about. #1 buckshot or slugs are deadly at 25 yards from this old shotgun. 16 gauge is a keeper! TR