| Author |
Message |
| < 16ga. General Discussion ~ 16 Gauge: Big Bore or Small Bore ??? |
| 16 Gauge: Big Bore or Small Bore? |
| Big Bore |
|
21% |
[ 13 ] |
| Small Bore |
|
41% |
[ 25 ] |
| Both/It Depends |
|
36% |
[ 22 ] |
|
| Total Votes : 60 |
|
 |
|
 Posted:
Mon May 19, 2014 7:00 am
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 06 Aug 2004
Posts: 2172
Location: Kansas High Plains
|
|
You didn't have a "just right" category so I didn't vote  . |
_________________
I feel a warm spot in my heart when I meet a man whiling away an afternoon...and stopping to chat with him, hear the sleek lines of his double gun whisper "Sixteen." - Gene Hill, Shotgunner's Notebook |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Mon May 19, 2014 8:01 am
|
|
|
Joined: 17 Jan 2014
Posts: 1377
Location: Denver, Colorado
|
|
| It's fun to be "cute" about it, but in the real world, the 12-bore is the standard and everything less is "sub-gauge". This actually makes sense when you consider the 10 and the 8 as well. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Mon May 19, 2014 8:49 am
|
|
|
Joined: 21 May 2010
Posts: 603
Location: Victoria BC Canada
|
|
| Dogchaser37 wrote: |
I consider it a large bore.
Reloading for the 16 really isn't much more expensive than reloading for a 12.
|
You are correct,Sir!
AFTER you locate and pay for the hulls. The rest is almost a wash. (I never pay for 12 gauge hulls, just pick them out of the burn-barrel at the range.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Mon May 19, 2014 5:05 pm
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 02 Jan 2008
Posts: 451
Location: La-Tx
|
|
| Lloyd3 wrote: |
|
It's fun to be "cute" about it, but in the real world, the 12-bore is the standard and everything less is "sub-gauge". This actually makes sense when you consider the 10 and the 8 as well.
|
Actually anything less than a 1 gauge would be a sub-gauge. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Mon May 19, 2014 5:30 pm
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 06 Apr 2007
Posts: 3370
Location: The Great Northwet
|
|
| A modern 16 that could handle 1 1/4oz loads would make the 16 a great one gun choice, but in reality, almost none of us have only one gun, so I just keep it simple and shoot a light 16 with 1 or maybe 1 1/8oz for just about everything but ducks, where I use my heavy Lefever 12 and moderate tungsten loads. A heavy 16 for duck hunting seems a bit of an oxymoron to me, and a light six lb. 16 seems out of place and frankly feels kind of weird in the duck blind or duck boat with lots of duck hunting clothes on. I guess that is a long-winded way of saying I too see the 16 shining most brightly as an upland gauge. |
_________________
Gun art: www.marklarsongunart.com
Gallery art: www.marklarsonart.com
The man's prayer from the Red Green Show: "I'm a man, but I can change, if I have to. I guess." |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Mon May 19, 2014 7:35 pm
|
|
|
Joined: 24 Jun 2013
Posts: 2066
Location: canandaigua - western n.y. (formerly deerhunter)
|
|
| so , this past weekend , I shot my sx-1 with 3/4 ozers for the 12 ga ... my 28ga 1100 for the 20 & 28 ga events , and my 410 for the 410 event ... should I be confused !? ... I would pick my 16 ga pink panther with 3/4ozers for the quail - now I'm confused ! |
_________________
Molly sez AArrrooooooah ! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Tue May 20, 2014 6:43 am
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 22 Jun 2012
Posts: 66
Location: United States
|
|
| My bad for not including a "just right category" It is a great and underrated gauge |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Tue May 20, 2014 12:24 pm
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 24 Jan 2008
Posts: 111
Location: Hampshire, England.
|
|
Here in England the 16 bore is often referred to as a small bore but with modern ammo is there really much difference? We have all gauges shooting heavy and light loads compared to when "bores" and "standard" loads were initially worked out.
I believe nothing patterns better than a 16 gauge and 15/16 oz of shot so why shove more lead down the barrel? Likewise why would anyone want to shoot 11/4 oz through a 20 gauge? |
_________________
Unspoilt by progress. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Tue May 20, 2014 3:42 pm
|
|
|
Joined: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 3177
Location: NCWa
|
|
| Gamekeeper wrote: |
|
why would anyone want to shoot 11/4 oz through a 20 gauge?
|
About forty years ago I hunted ducks with 1 1/4 oz 3" SuperX shells through my superposed because it was the only shotgun I had and because it was quite effective with the lead shot we could use at that time. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Tue May 20, 2014 8:02 pm
|
|
|
Joined: 13 Dec 2006
Posts: 694
Location: MN
|
|
Its a small bore....don't forget that not long ago, the 12 and 10 gauge were very popular .. and that punt guns in larger bore were used to flock shoot birds by market hunters.
IMO...the 16 and the 20 are the all around small bore guns...smaller than that are novelty guns for bird hunters. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Tue May 20, 2014 9:21 pm
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 16 Dec 2007
Posts: 592
Location: Minnesota
|
|
| I've always considered the 16 a small bore but agree a "just right" option would better describe my feelings on the subject. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Wed May 21, 2014 2:51 am
|
|
|
Member
Joined: 24 Jan 2008
Posts: 111
Location: Hampshire, England.
|
|
| AmericanMeet wrote: |
| Gamekeeper wrote: |
|
why would anyone want to shoot 11/4 oz through a 20 gauge?
|
About forty years ago I hunted ducks with 1 1/4 oz 3" SuperX shells through my superposed because it was the only shotgun I had and because it was quite effective with the lead shot we could use at that time.
|
I too used 1 1/4 oz in my O/U on ducks but it threw terrible pattens so went back to 7/8 oz and shot my share of ducks sometimes bagging more than my brother in law who used a 12ga.
I agree it is useful to have a gun that can handle heavy loads now and again but the reason we have different gauges is because they were all designed to shoot their standard loads consistently,
otherwise we could all just use a magnum 20 gauge that would have to weigh as much as a 12 gauge thus losing the main advantage of a 20 gauge.
That is why the 16ga is king, whether you call it small bore or big bore, it's perfect.... |
_________________
Unspoilt by progress. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Wed May 28, 2014 4:28 pm
|
|
|
Joined: 12 Sep 2009
Posts: 74
Location: las vegas NV
|
|
Smallest of the big bores and largest of the small bores
or middle of the odd gauges 10ga, 16ga and 28ga love them all. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Tue Jun 03, 2014 10:27 pm
|
|
|
Joined: 25 Feb 2012
Posts: 40
Location: NE Kansas
|
|
| Carlos wrote: |
Both; It depends.
The 16 can be loaded for heavy duty use, and for light game where there is a lot of walking. I am just a bit disappointed that it isn't more popular. If the cost of feeding this great all-round gun were lower there would be many more 16 gauge shooters. Cost kept me away from the 16 for too long.
|
You know I have never understood why people always bring up cost of ammo with the 16ga. Admitted it might be a regional and or recent thing but around here I can get Rem. Gunclub's for $8.99 or $7.99 during dove season at the local Dick's and they are always in stock. You can also get Herter's from Cabela's for around $6.99. Both of which are cheaper then Remington STS 12ga at $9.99.
As for the big bore vs small bore my opinion is that 16ga and larger is big bore and 20ga and smaller is small bore. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Posted:
Thu Jun 05, 2014 10:55 am
|
|
|
Joined: 15 Dec 2011
Posts: 156
|
|
| another vote for small bore. |
_________________
Thats right, I'm an armed liberal (SORT OF) and I like to shoot furry little critters.... and I kill 'em with:
12Ga LC Smith
16Ga Fox Sterlingworth
16Ga BRNO
20Ga LC Smith
20Ga Miroku x2 (Model F & Model 500)
28Ga AYA 4/53 (bucket list item #6) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
