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<  16ga. General Discussion  ~  Is the New Sweet 16 the Turning Point
sneem
PostPosted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 12:31 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 19 Apr 2008
Posts: 477

The new Browning Sweet 16 must be the hottest new shotgun of the year. It has been a hot topic on every discussion board for the past year. Each magazine I have seen has made it the gun of the year in their annual honors lists. Most of the mainstream sporting magazines have reviewed it with very high praise. I saw on another board that one guy went into a Scheel's and saw some on the rack. The salesman said eight came in and in less than a week only two were left. He bought one. All this for a 16 gauge. You know that fading to dead gauge you can't get ammo for.
Is this the turning point for the gauge?

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hoashooter
PostPosted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 1:08 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 08 Nov 2005
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Location: Illinois

Browning also introduced shells to go along w/ the gun.16 ammo IS available from several makers-----getting the retail stores to order/carry in stock is a whole different ballgame.
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tramroad28
PostPosted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 1:26 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 20 Jul 2011
Posts: 625
Location: Ohio..where ruffed grouse were

Nope.....but, a turning point for the gauge might be a chain saw.
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df
PostPosted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 3:08 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 01 Oct 2007
Posts: 962
Location: Minnesota

I doubt it very much. Not enough selection of ammo, cause vendors cant stock it cause not enough buyers, and buys won't but 16 ga guns cause they can't find ammo, aka chicken and egg.
The 12 will always be #1, and I think the 20 #2, because of its versatility as a good first gun for youngsters as well as 3" mag in a light gun for birds for us oldsters.
I do my part ( all gauges) but there are not that many 16 ga guys around and most have gray or no hair. Very Happy
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AmericanMeet
PostPosted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 10:46 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 26 Apr 2010
Posts: 3172
Location: NCWa

The turning point would be if the various competition organizations included the 16 gauge in the events. I don't see any of them going to six gun but the chances of adding the 16 are better than the 10, so there's always hope.
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rkittine
PostPosted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 5:45 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 07 Sep 2014
Posts: 419

16 Gauge popularity seems to run in spits and spurts. Right now it is on a high and I hope it stays there. There are at least 3 brands of ammo out there with a few shot sizes. I only buy 1 ounce 8s and that is an ok load for skeet or trap, though not one I would shot in competition. I see 6s around also. I prefer the Remingtons as they reload well, but also buy Estates when I can get them.

As I see the problem, the retailers don't bug the distributors for them, so the distributors don't bug the manufacturers and there is no pressure from the shooting organizations, that except for classic shoots do not consider the 16 to be a class, though I have seen some shot in the 12 gauge Skeet events.

So we need to keep asking our retails when they are going to have some and hope that they do the same to their distributors and we need to right to Remington, Winchester, Herters etc. and tell them we are out here in numbers and we need more ammo.

Right now I have 10 flats of never fired factory Remingtons and enough once fired empties for about 20 flats more, so with 30 flats and a progressive reloading press, I probably am ok at my age for all the 16s I might need. But, I am happy to write letters and try to help.

Bob

P.S. - I load 1 1/8 ounce 9s and would use my 16s in the 12 gauge skeet event if I needed to.

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Robert Kittine
Sag Harbor and Manhattan, New York
WA2YDV
16 Gauge O/U Browning 525 Sporting
16 Gauge SxS Rizzini Islide
16 Gauge Pump Browning BPS Upland
16 Gauge Semi-Auto Remington 1100 Sporting
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kennedy756
PostPosted: Sun Feb 26, 2017 6:35 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 30 Sep 2015
Posts: 637
Location: NEW SALISBURY INDIANA

another turning point could be walmart selling 3 kinds of 16 ga ammo

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lbrown
PostPosted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 7:31 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 06 Jan 2017
Posts: 83

The Herters 16ga shells sold by Cabela's have made it easier to save a few bucks on factory ammo. So far, hulls seem to reload OK. Pretty thin however, so I don't expect real long hull life.
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fred lauer
PostPosted: Mon Feb 27, 2017 8:48 am  Reply with quote
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So far I'm getting 6+ reloads out of the Herters hull. Remingtons rarely exceed 3. Then I trim them to 2 1/2" and roll crimp one more out of them. It's probably not worth the trouble but what the hell, I'm retired.

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squareload1
PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 6:17 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 20 Mar 2016
Posts: 9
Location: Colorado

All of this 16 ga activity is encouraging! When i first fell in love with the Queen of the uplands I had to load my shells for pheasants. Now I could if I so choose purchase GP's Browning or Federals all with premium shot! Viva La 16! I still load to get what I want but the options are growing!

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architorture23
PostPosted: Tue Feb 28, 2017 10:51 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 04 Feb 2014
Posts: 28
Location: Atlanta, GA

What could make it come back is correcting what I've always thought was why it went out to begin with... that manufacturers were going cheap and making them on 12 ga frames and there was not enough of a weight/handling difference to make you want a 16 instead of a 12. That whole "carries like a 20, hits like a 12" thing.

I also think the requirements for non-toxic shot has also hurt the 16, as most people still want to shoot the cheaper steel loads and there are very few for 16 ga. Of course, new guns will be able to shoot steel unlike all of our old ones.

I'm just glad I have a few options for shells that seem to be in Stock year round.
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3drahthaars
PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 10:37 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 21 May 2015
Posts: 127

I purchased my first 16 this year, a Sauer post war SxS.

My decision was based on one thing... weight, followed by price.

I couldn't afford a 20 that weighed in at 6#.

And, for what it cost, I'll have about $1300 to spend on ammo to equal a similar weight 20 O/U or SxS.

Two outings, and I'm hooked. It is a pleasure to carry and to shoot. I am toying with using it for waterfowl, too. Although, I hunt too hard to carry a nice gun, and the synthetic stock SA 12 takes a beating in the swamps.

I think that the 16 has just enough offerings in ammo, and it will always have a niche with upland hunting if it's built on the right frame... may have to settle for shooting the antiques, though.

3ds
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BigCreekMI
PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 11:42 am  Reply with quote
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I have always liked a 16ga bird gun, but NEVER liked those hump backed Browning autos. Don't think that stale old profile will bring many new shooters to the "club".

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wj jeffery 16
PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 1:00 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 18 Aug 2010
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Location: Ballymoney Northern Ireland

This full page advertisement for 16 gauge guns was in this weeks Shooting Times magazine in the UK highlights that 16 gauge is making quite a come-back!

[URL=http://s349.photobucket.com/user/gordonandheather/media/1984%20run_0001_zpsxovfk1ai.jpg.html] [/URL]
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jschultz
PostPosted: Wed Mar 01, 2017 3:01 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Posts: 1624
Location: northwewst Wyoming

WOW!!
Beautiful 16's. I shoot a 16 Ga. #2 AyA. My AyA is a very nice looking shotgun, but those two beauties are spectacular. Very Happy
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