-
- Species
- Whitetails
- Rut Reporters
- Deer Camp
- Big Game
- Small Game
- Birds
- Special Methods
- Bow Hunting
- Conservation
- Heroes of Conservation
- Hero for a Day
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
- Land for Sale
-
- Species
- Bass
- Trout
- More Freshwater
- Saltwater
- Catchbook
- Special Methods
- Fly Fishing
- Hook Shots
- Conservation
- Heroes of Conservation
- Hero for a Day
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
- Land for Sale
-
- Health & Fitness
- F&S Adventurer
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
-
- Rifles
- Shotguns
- 2nd Amendment
- SHOT Show
- Outdoor Skills
- Total Outdoorsman Challenge
AnswersASK YOUR QUESTION
Print
Email
Share
Answers
Browse By
Top Users
Q:
What ever happened to the 16 gauge shotgun? It used to be thought of as a good compromise between the 12 gauge and the 20 gauge for the one-shotgun hunter.
Question by 99explorer. Uploaded on November 27, 2009
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Today on Field & Stream
Loading...
Visit Our Sister Sites at Bonnier Corporation
| Enthusiast | Kiteboarding | QUAD | SKI | Skiing | Scuba Diving | Sport Diver | TransWorld Ride BMX | TransWorld Business | TransWorld Motocross | TransWorld SKATEboarding, | TransWorld SNOWboarding | TransWorld SURF | WakeBoarding | WaterSki | Warren Miller Entertainment | WindSurfing |
|---|---|
| Travel | Caribbean Travel & Life | Destination Weddings & Honeymoon | Islands | Meeting Traveler | Resorts & Great Hotels |
| Lifestyle & Shelter | Florida Travel & Life | Garden Design | Home Ft. Lauderdale | Home Miami |
| Luxury | SNOW | Spa |
| Marine | Boating Life | Cruising World | Fly Fishing in Salt Waters | Power Cruising | Marlin | Motor Boating | Sailing World | Salt Water Sportsman | Sport Fishing | Yachting | NewBoats.com | UsedBoats.com | YachtBroker.com |
| Outdoor | Field & Stream | Outdoor Life | SHOT Business |
| Parenting | Babytalk | Parenting |
| Science | Popular Science | Science Illustrated |
| Saveur | Saveur |
| Working Mother Media | Working Mother |
| Entertainment / Events | World Entertainment Services | World Sports & Marketing |
Fieldandstream.com is part of the Field & Stream Network, a division of Bonnier Corporation.
Copyright © 2012 Bonnier Corp. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
Answers (20)
The 16 Gauge was brought over from europe by emigrates in the early 1900's and was ment to be a differents betweem the 12 gauge and the 20 gauge. It became very popular with up land game hunters, and It gave a deligate balance between the 12 and 20 gauge. Around 1969 gun maker found they had a overstock of the 12 and 20 gauge shotguns, so ammo and gun maker stopped making the 16 gauge to help promote the sale of the overstock, to force the market towards the 12 and 20 gauge. About 1997 Remington came out with a 16 gauge pump shotgun, but it has not taken on due to the outstanding performance of the 12 and 20 gauge
My dad still has an old 16. Every once in a while, I'll take it out so it doesn't lose the taste of blood.
The 16 gauge is a great upland bird gun, however I think most hunters prefer to have a little more shot in their pattern. Availability of ammo has also dampened support for this great gun.
I have a 16 ga Model 12. It is a bodacious duck gun with lead shot. 1 1/8 oz of 4s or 5s in lead for ducks over decoys was just great. There is no 3in mag for the 16 ga. Steel loads for 16s are semi unavailable. I bought 15/16 oz steel shot years ago and couldn't kill anything with them. The 16 ga is a thing of beauty, but in my opinion, the inability to use them as a duck gun, combined with the 3in mag option in the 20 ga is what killed them. If you can only afford one gun, the 16 isn't the one to buy.
Great ?? I have wanted one for a while for upland birds. The few manufactureres that still make them are out of my price range
I own a couple of 16ga...single barrel, double barrels, and pump action models and love them all.I agree with Labrador12 that the introduction of the 3" 20ga ended the 16ga's production.IMO a SxS 16ga stoked with a load of #6's is king in the grouse woods.I too would greatly enjoy to see the 16ga reintroduced with a 3" chamber.Previous to the lead ban I used them for early teal hunts.In the last few years federal has boosted its 16ga ammo production, and lowered ammo prices(from $20 to $9 a box).
Years ago I stumbled across a large ammount of old paper hulled 16 ga ammo at a local show, and I purchased every box they had(a steal at $5 a box).Unfortunately season after season they disappeared.After hearing a few years back how desirable paper ammo in orginal boxes is to collectors,I kick myself for not hanging on to them.
Actually you can blame the biggest blow to the 16 Ga due to the fact that they were not included for recognition by
skeet associations I have taken my .16 out occasionally and shot a round with it and other guys have liked it.
When I was a kid I hung around a duck club and made a couple bucks cleaning ducks (no machines then).
What seems to me was the manufacturers (bean counters) realizing the 16ga just wasn't cost effective. They did nothing to improve the ammo as they did for the 12 and 20 and never could get on the same page as to how they should stock it. Some used a 12 ga frame and the smarter ones built the 16 on a 20, IMO. I'd love to have a pristine Winchester 'Sweet 16' for sale.
I still hunt everything from deer down with the sixteen I have a couple BPS which are better than the old Model 12's
What has happened is the gun manufactures have sold the hunter a bill of goods in you can do it all with a 20 gauge and magnum loads which is a joke.
You are trying to cram 10 pounds of shot out a five pound hole. Very few 20's will handle no 4's or larger shot.
The lack of understanding of shotgun patterns has lead to a lot of this in thinking magnum is better.
Very few American hunters have ever patterned their shotgun with different loads and chokes.
There is no need to shoot over a standard 2 3/4 inch shell properly choked and patterned it is all about pattern as all shells are ballistically equal with speeds of 1200 to 1300 FPS due to physics.
Killed my first deer/buck with a 16ga Remington.
GOD I miss that ol' gun !
Lost it in a fire.
Love my 16 ga 870.
I too have a 16 gauge Model 12 Win. It was my first gun given to me by my dad and grandad on my 12th birthday. That bore is great for upland hunting (especially when hunting over a good pointer) and pretty good for jump shooting ducks on a winding creek or potholes. Those 15/16 steel shot loads would have been too slow I think. Cut the steel shot weight down to get the speed up and you'll see a big improvement. Also, be cautious about shooting heavier "magnum" loads in old full choke gun barrels with steel shot. They're a waste of money in the first place but could damage the barrel.
I think the 16 was fazed out by manufacturers, maybe b/c it is not used in skeet competition. I love shooting mine. I have my father's and my grandfather's old A-5's, one a standard 16 and the other a sweet 16. They are still terrific on ducks, provided you can afford the non-toxic loads available (I have not tried the steel, but the Kent nontoxic loads, tungsten I think, are great.) I would rather shoot my father's Sweet 16 than any of the other shotguns that I own. Winchester makes some 1 1/8 oz lead loads that are excellent for upland species.
Nothing like the "sweet 16" Browning.
Visit www.16g.com; it's the website of the 16 Gauge Society. Some neat information on the history of this fine, fine gauge.
I think most everything above is true, but you must also consider the main advantage to a 16 is just about the power of a 12 and just a bit more weight than a 20 (and in a SxS they feel a bit slimmer around the barrels than a 12). Since manufacturers are always looking for ways to cut costs and increase profit margins, they started building 16's on 12 gauge frames giving you the power of the 20 with the weight of a 12. therefore, unless they are built on true 16 gauge frames, there is no practical reason to shoot a 16, other than personal taste and nostalgia.
the 3in 20 ga did the 16ga in when it came out and notox shot killed it all togeather end of story because a 3in 20 ga is just as good if not better then a 16ga in a smaller/lighter gun for upland game
I have a Remington 1200 semi-auto 16ga.
I have not shot it ages but when I did, I had no trouble taking game.
One thing interesting about it is it has a recoiling barrel.
I have a old savage automatic that is made on the browning design. It was either made in the late 30s or in the 40s. I can not say enough good things about the gun and the 16 gauge shell. it will outperform a twenty ga easy and I think it patterns better than most 12 gauges. I wished I had started hunting with a 16 a long time ago. I was like a lot of other people I thought you had to have a lot of shot and a lot of powder to kill anything. I was wrong.
I've never thought of the 16 as a "compromise" between a 12 and 20 gauge. The 16 is the perfect gun and just the best gauge ever invented for hunting upland game. It's a good target gun in my mind as well - I shoot 12, 16, and 20 in trap, skeet, and clays.
I have a Remington Wingmaster 870 and Browning Citori White Lightning in 16. In actuality, Remington blew it with their 16s, especially the 870, putting it on a 12 gauge frame. You carry more weight than you need to. Browning's BPS, o/u's and SxS are superior. And who can forget the A5 in 16 gauge?
I own 12's and 20's also. Each of the 12, 16, and 20 has its applications.
Post an Answer
I own a couple of 16ga...single barrel, double barrels, and pump action models and love them all.I agree with Labrador12 that the introduction of the 3" 20ga ended the 16ga's production.IMO a SxS 16ga stoked with a load of #6's is king in the grouse woods.I too would greatly enjoy to see the 16ga reintroduced with a 3" chamber.Previous to the lead ban I used them for early teal hunts.In the last few years federal has boosted its 16ga ammo production, and lowered ammo prices(from $20 to $9 a box).
Years ago I stumbled across a large ammount of old paper hulled 16 ga ammo at a local show, and I purchased every box they had(a steal at $5 a box).Unfortunately season after season they disappeared.After hearing a few years back how desirable paper ammo in orginal boxes is to collectors,I kick myself for not hanging on to them.
The 16 Gauge was brought over from europe by emigrates in the early 1900's and was ment to be a differents betweem the 12 gauge and the 20 gauge. It became very popular with up land game hunters, and It gave a deligate balance between the 12 and 20 gauge. Around 1969 gun maker found they had a overstock of the 12 and 20 gauge shotguns, so ammo and gun maker stopped making the 16 gauge to help promote the sale of the overstock, to force the market towards the 12 and 20 gauge. About 1997 Remington came out with a 16 gauge pump shotgun, but it has not taken on due to the outstanding performance of the 12 and 20 gauge
I have a 16 ga Model 12. It is a bodacious duck gun with lead shot. 1 1/8 oz of 4s or 5s in lead for ducks over decoys was just great. There is no 3in mag for the 16 ga. Steel loads for 16s are semi unavailable. I bought 15/16 oz steel shot years ago and couldn't kill anything with them. The 16 ga is a thing of beauty, but in my opinion, the inability to use them as a duck gun, combined with the 3in mag option in the 20 ga is what killed them. If you can only afford one gun, the 16 isn't the one to buy.
My dad still has an old 16. Every once in a while, I'll take it out so it doesn't lose the taste of blood.
When I was a kid I hung around a duck club and made a couple bucks cleaning ducks (no machines then).
What seems to me was the manufacturers (bean counters) realizing the 16ga just wasn't cost effective. They did nothing to improve the ammo as they did for the 12 and 20 and never could get on the same page as to how they should stock it. Some used a 12 ga frame and the smarter ones built the 16 on a 20, IMO. I'd love to have a pristine Winchester 'Sweet 16' for sale.
I still hunt everything from deer down with the sixteen I have a couple BPS which are better than the old Model 12's
What has happened is the gun manufactures have sold the hunter a bill of goods in you can do it all with a 20 gauge and magnum loads which is a joke.
You are trying to cram 10 pounds of shot out a five pound hole. Very few 20's will handle no 4's or larger shot.
The lack of understanding of shotgun patterns has lead to a lot of this in thinking magnum is better.
Very few American hunters have ever patterned their shotgun with different loads and chokes.
There is no need to shoot over a standard 2 3/4 inch shell properly choked and patterned it is all about pattern as all shells are ballistically equal with speeds of 1200 to 1300 FPS due to physics.
Killed my first deer/buck with a 16ga Remington.
GOD I miss that ol' gun !
Lost it in a fire.
The 16 gauge is a great upland bird gun, however I think most hunters prefer to have a little more shot in their pattern. Availability of ammo has also dampened support for this great gun.
Great ?? I have wanted one for a while for upland birds. The few manufactureres that still make them are out of my price range
I too have a 16 gauge Model 12 Win. It was my first gun given to me by my dad and grandad on my 12th birthday. That bore is great for upland hunting (especially when hunting over a good pointer) and pretty good for jump shooting ducks on a winding creek or potholes. Those 15/16 steel shot loads would have been too slow I think. Cut the steel shot weight down to get the speed up and you'll see a big improvement. Also, be cautious about shooting heavier "magnum" loads in old full choke gun barrels with steel shot. They're a waste of money in the first place but could damage the barrel.
Actually you can blame the biggest blow to the 16 Ga due to the fact that they were not included for recognition by
skeet associations I have taken my .16 out occasionally and shot a round with it and other guys have liked it.
Love my 16 ga 870.
I think the 16 was fazed out by manufacturers, maybe b/c it is not used in skeet competition. I love shooting mine. I have my father's and my grandfather's old A-5's, one a standard 16 and the other a sweet 16. They are still terrific on ducks, provided you can afford the non-toxic loads available (I have not tried the steel, but the Kent nontoxic loads, tungsten I think, are great.) I would rather shoot my father's Sweet 16 than any of the other shotguns that I own. Winchester makes some 1 1/8 oz lead loads that are excellent for upland species.
Nothing like the "sweet 16" Browning.
Visit www.16g.com; it's the website of the 16 Gauge Society. Some neat information on the history of this fine, fine gauge.
I think most everything above is true, but you must also consider the main advantage to a 16 is just about the power of a 12 and just a bit more weight than a 20 (and in a SxS they feel a bit slimmer around the barrels than a 12). Since manufacturers are always looking for ways to cut costs and increase profit margins, they started building 16's on 12 gauge frames giving you the power of the 20 with the weight of a 12. therefore, unless they are built on true 16 gauge frames, there is no practical reason to shoot a 16, other than personal taste and nostalgia.
the 3in 20 ga did the 16ga in when it came out and notox shot killed it all togeather end of story because a 3in 20 ga is just as good if not better then a 16ga in a smaller/lighter gun for upland game
I have a Remington 1200 semi-auto 16ga.
I have not shot it ages but when I did, I had no trouble taking game.
One thing interesting about it is it has a recoiling barrel.
I have a old savage automatic that is made on the browning design. It was either made in the late 30s or in the 40s. I can not say enough good things about the gun and the 16 gauge shell. it will outperform a twenty ga easy and I think it patterns better than most 12 gauges. I wished I had started hunting with a 16 a long time ago. I was like a lot of other people I thought you had to have a lot of shot and a lot of powder to kill anything. I was wrong.
I've never thought of the 16 as a "compromise" between a 12 and 20 gauge. The 16 is the perfect gun and just the best gauge ever invented for hunting upland game. It's a good target gun in my mind as well - I shoot 12, 16, and 20 in trap, skeet, and clays.
I have a Remington Wingmaster 870 and Browning Citori White Lightning in 16. In actuality, Remington blew it with their 16s, especially the 870, putting it on a 12 gauge frame. You carry more weight than you need to. Browning's BPS, o/u's and SxS are superior. And who can forget the A5 in 16 gauge?
I own 12's and 20's also. Each of the 12, 16, and 20 has its applications.
Post an Answer