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Guest

I'll echo the 12 gauge for day-in day-out waterfowl. I'll give the 12 a slight edge on pheasants when the shooting conditions get tough not only for the slightly better ballistics and patterning with big shot, but a bigger gun swings smoother on long shots. All that said, yesterday my 7+ pound 16 gauge Rem. 11 stopped a tough late-season northern IA bird cold on a long shot. Only shot I had all day!
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16 gauge for all upland birds no issue at all. 16 gauge for ducks over decoys again no issue. Pass shooting and hunting large waterfowl you probably want to think about 12 gauge.

Joined: 21 Nov 2014 Posts: 15 Location: Denver, CO

Thanks for all of the responses. So I've always been a big game hunter and occasionally hunted birds, mostly dove and now some geese and ducks. What about the 12 gauge makes it preferred for waterfowl hunting for many of you? Is it just the larger payload of shot? Or does it handle larger shot better? What size shot ( lead or Niceshot) would you say is the cutoff for using in a 16?

Joined: 28 Aug 2014 Posts: 924 Location: Eastern Tennessee

Charles,

I 'feel' better using steel shot loads larger than 7/8 on geese and most ducks, but like someone else already said, over decoys your probably okay.

For regular duck season (we have a teal which 16 gauge would be fine for) and geese season I 'feel' better carrying 1-1/5 oz of steel in #2 or #BB pushing at 1,550 fps.

If I get my hands on some nice shot or ITX in #1-#4 sizes, I might try some 1-1/8 oz loads pushing at 1250 to 1325 fps for both types of waterfowl out of chokes between light modified - improved modified. Patterning would tell me the verdict.

If your clinical about this, 1/2 of an ounce of steel, NS, or ITX with the right pattern results would do the job. Granted that leaves way too much margin of error for 99% of hunters.

Guest

There is an old adage about the 16 ga. It carries like a 20 and hits like a 12.

I use my 16 for all my hunting, but I am only an upland hunter. The comments on long range shooting may carry some merit. Personally I think the choke and load would carry more import than whether it came from a 12 or 16.

With that said payload would generally be an advantage for a 12. The Brits pretty much just use 12’’s and they vary their load for the game they shoot. So they might use a 7/8 oz load for woodcock and a heavier load for walk up pheasant and even heavier load for driven birds or ducks. However, that variety of loads is easy to come by over there and not so easy to get here unless you brew your own.

Good Hunting,
Mike

Joined: 21 Nov 2014 Posts: 15 Location: Denver, CO

Thanks for all of the responses. I've been reloading for my elk rifle for a bit now and I picked up a 16 gauge MEC Sizemaster so I can start reloading shotshells. I'm looking forward to it and to seeing what all I can do with my 16 gauge!

Charles_S:

Welcome to the world of shot shell reloading. Half the fun of 16 ga reloading is finding the components. The other half is seeing what works best. Very Happy

Joined: 07 Sep 2014 Posts: 419

I had totally no interest in a 16 gauge shotgun until my shooting buddy pushed me enough to get the first one. Now I have a 16 Gauge, O/U, a Semi-Auto, a SxS and a pump. No bolt action and no lever or single shot. In most cases a 3" 20 gauge can do all that a 16 can and certainly a 12 gauge, but it is just cool to shoot 16s. Makes me feel like an earl on the English estate. Rolling Eyes

I also agree that to get the most functionality, reloading is the way to go and so far I have had no problem getting components. I have been shooting Remington 16 Gauge Game Loads and now will be reloading only those hulls for simplicity.

Bob

Member Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 401 Location: Tennessee

^^^ Come to the Dark Side, Luke.....
Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of the 16ga, Bob! I need a 16ga o/u to complete my Grand Slam, but it isn't gonna be easy to find, got to be a double trigger and preferably a Merkel.
The reloading is (to me) the great joy of the 16ga. I have eight 16's and am working on tailoring a load for each of them for each purpose that I'll use them for. That's not too difficult since I no longer hunt, but trap/skeet/sporting each has their own challenge, especially SC.
I've been reloading for 16ga for at least 30 years and I believe there are more components available now than when I started.
Glad to have you with us!

I have 20, 16, and 12 but my wife and I have used 16's nearly exclusively for the last 15 years or more. I reload so I can create loads for whatever I am doing from trap to doves to greater Canadian geese. From blind to sage/upland they will do their part if I do mine. We have also gone two pipe guns as we both HATE picking up hulls and it is rare either of would benefit from having a third shot.

Joined: 07 Sep 2014 Posts: 419

I am really enjoying the 16s. For some reason I think that the receiver size verses the overall length give them a nicer look too. I have not been a convert to double triggers yet, so all my 16s have single triggers and all but the SxS have screw in chokes.

Randy W. went into a long dissertation over on ShotgunWorld, regarding how much better a 20 gauge was then a 16, so I guess he is not a purest like the folks here.

I do not hunt, so it is Skeet, Trap, 5 Stand and Sporting Clays shooting.

Roadkill, Where are you in Tennessee? I used to live in Franklin.

Cheers, Bob

Joined: 28 Aug 2014 Posts: 924 Location: Eastern Tennessee

Bob,

I noticed the basis of Randy's argument was primarily limited to factory ammo. I tired pointing out that if you include reloading into the equation any advantages of the 20 pretty much disappeared (ammo price, quality of ammo, non toxic options). Once those where eliminated he would be forced to argue on the merits of shot string and 500 psi higher loading limit [which I think are a losing (string) and moot (psi difference) points].