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<  16ga. General Discussion  ~  1 1/8 Oz loads?
MGF
PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 1:04 am  Reply with quote
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Hello, guys. New to the board and new to 16s. Am taking my new gun (FAIR 400, 26" tubes) out next weekend for some casual clays shooting with my brother and nephew. Have rounded up some Remington, Winchester and Fiochhi 1 oz. in #8 to give them a try. (Seems there are plenty of 16 ga. shells available at reasonable prices within 45 minutes of my house.)

My actual question, though, pertains to some pheasant loads for next fall. I know the 1 oz. is the traditional load for the 16 and that it is said to pattern very welll indeed -- much like the 3/4 oz in the 28, eh?

However, while looking over the selection at Gander Mountain, I noticed Federal has their Wing Shokload out in 1 1/8 oz in both #7.5 and #6 for the 16. Not to be a heretic or anything, but I'd think the 16 could handle these decently. Or not?
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TJC
PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 4:12 am  Reply with quote
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MGF,
First, welcome to the site. You'll find the people here have a vast knowledge when it comes to the 16 ga. and just as vast number of opinions. Very Happy

The 16 handles the 11/8 oz loads just fine. I find the Winchester Super X loads in #4 work great for pheasants.
Another real good load for pheasants is the Fiocchi Golden Pheasant load with it's nickel plated shot.

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16crazy
PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 6:15 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 08 Oct 2005
Posts: 240

Welcome to the forum!
My normal 16 gauge load for the ditch dragon is 11/8 ounce copper plated #6 and all my 16's love it but I don't think the pheasants do!!!

For every thing else I use 1 ounce loads.

Enjoy the gun
16crazy
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revdocdrew
PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 8:01 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 28 Dec 2005
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Location: Glendale, AZ

Welcome and see the 'Pheasant hunting' and 'Kansas Rooster Shot Sizes' threads in the General Discussion forum-lots of good advice and opinions.
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MGF
PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 11:04 am  Reply with quote
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Thanks, appreciate the welcome and the info.

I grabbed a box each of the 1 1/8 oz. Federals in 7.5 and 6 and set 'em aside for the next season. I've always liked Federals 12 and 20 loads, so I imagine I'll like these two. The ones the Gander Mountain had were Game Shok, so that's what I got. Someone else may know for sure, but it looks to me that what Federal used to simply call its "Premium" line of shells are now Game Shok (non-plated shot) and Wing Shok (plated.)

I'm really amped to get this gun out and see how she handles. Many moons of searching and guns bought, sold and traded have led me to a stable of three O/Us as my bird guns: A Ruger Red Label in 28 Ga., a Sig Aurora TR20U (B.Rizzini) in 20 and a Beretta 686S ultra light in 12. I also have a Beretta SPII Sporting in 12 that is pretty much my all-purpose clays gun.

Dying to see how the new gun fits into the family, but have to work this weekend, so it will have to wait 'til next.

16crazy, is that a factory load or your own?
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Brad6260
PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 11:53 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 14 Oct 2005
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I agree with all that the 1 1/8 loads perform just fine from the 16.
The problem seems to occur when the more is better mentality pushes the "mega" load too far and the overwhelming consensus is that too hot a load produces a really crummy shot string.

I guess the moral of the story is that there is more than enough punch and velocity produce from a normal 1 1/8 load ratio.

Brad
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hoashooter
PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 4:32 pm  Reply with quote
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MGF-What part of Blagoland do you hail from?I run the trap/skeet club at Paris.
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revdocdrew
PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 5:00 pm  Reply with quote
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MGF: I've mentioned in another thread that the guide service I hunt with in S. Dakota on big, wild birds almost demands that the shooters use 12g 1 and 1/4 Federal Premium Wing-Shok #4s. I was able to find some 12g loads in 1 and 1/8 4s which were pheasant slayers in my 7and 1/2 lb. #2 frame Trojan but were just at the point that my wussy flinch could handle. I have not found, however, 16g loads in 5s or 4s. Anyone with a source out there?
Graff & Sons is still waiting for their order from Fiocchi for 16g Golden Pheasant 1 and 1/8 4s and 5s (Cabelas only catalogue's 6s) but will take your order pending receipt of the shipment. Still not sure, though, that I want to try these boomers in my 1940 6and 1/2 lb. Sterlingworth.
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bustingclays
PostPosted: Sat Mar 25, 2006 8:40 pm  Reply with quote
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Hey MGF:

Welcome from another Illinois shooter. I'm on the other side of the state from hoashooter - very close to where gates of hell cross into St. Louis. Where ya goin to shoot sporting clays????

Hoa - I'm hoping that the downstaters FINALLY vote that blago idiot out of office. He's been promising me a new office (science building) since he has been in office and the %$&# capital budget never passes (a big smoke screen for sure). Plus his latest antics on "assault" weapons have really teed me off Evil or Very Mad Evil or Very Mad Evil or Very Mad . Chain smoker or not, Ms. Topinka gets my vote.

MGF - I have found the last 3-4 trips to Kansas that Federal 1 oz 6s work well in the barrel with the LM choke and 1 1/8 oz 6s or 5s work well in the barrel with the LF choke. Don't let revdocdrew tell you anything bad about my sissytori's Wink Wink I am hunting over pointing labs so most shots are within 30 yards - keep in mind.

I do have about 2 boxes of 1 1/4 oz Peters (clear blue shells) 2s in 16 and another 2 boxes of 1 1/4 oz Remington (clear green shells) 4s also in 16. Saving them for wild and wooly pheasants if needed Wink NO NOT FOR SALE!!!!

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MGF
PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 12:23 am  Reply with quote
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Thanks for the warm welcome, gents. I'm originally from the LaSalle-Peru area and am now living in Lansing, Ill., and working in Munster, Ind.

Have done most of my clay pigeon shooting at Peoria Trap & Skeet Club (lived in Peoria and then Bloomington-Normal for about a dozen years) and shot a bit at Downer's Grove Sportsmen's Club outside Morris, Ill. (lived in Joliet for a couple years.) Have shot sporting clays here and there once in a great while, but have a hard time finding the time, the places and the partners. Unfortunately, I was born good-looking Rolling Eyes but not rich, so the darn job takes up too many hours.

Right now, just shooting some clay birds from my brother's tire-mounted thrower once in a while. Looking for a club where I can get in some rounds of skeet ... from low-gun, of course. I'm really just a goof who likes bird dogs and bird guns. While I enjoy a round of skeet or trap and other shooters' company, I don't think I'll ever be a registered shooter.

Some of those long-flushing prairie dragons you guys are talking about might stretch my abilities more than a bit. I've only been shooting Illinois birds (most of them state-released or game farm) over setters for the last 10 years or so. I generally go with 7.5s in the bottom and 6s in the top or, if they're being troublesome, 6s in the bottom and 5s in the top. I don't know if there's enough pellets in a load of 4s for me to hit a darn thing!
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16GAwaterfowler
PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 3:18 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 15 Dec 2005
Posts: 287
Location: missouri

First off welcome to the site, glad to have another 16 ga shooter onboard.
If you reload for the 16 ga Lyman has a few loads that are very good in 1 1/8 oz.
One of the best I have tried is from the older Lyman manual using the Federal hulls and IMR SR 7625. This is one of the hardest hitting 1 1/8 loads I have used, very good on Pheasants, Rabbits ,etc.
If you want a bit heavier loading, the best 1 1/4 oz load I have tried so far is uses HS-7 and the Federal hulls. That much shot is difficult to get to pattern correctly in the 16 however this one laod does extremely well in all five of my 16 ga guns........good shooting.
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TJC
PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 4:07 am  Reply with quote
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revdocdrew wrote:
I have not found, however, 16g loads in 5s or 4s. Anyone with a source out there?
Graff & Sons is still waiting for their order from Fiocchi for 16g Golden Pheasant 1 and 1/8 4s and 5s (Cabelas only catalogue's 6s) but will take your order pending receipt of the shipment. Still not sure, though, that I want to try these boomers in my 1940 6and 1/2 lb. Sterlingworth.


I might be missing something but Win makes their Super X load in 11/8 4's and Cabella's in Hamburg just about always has Fiocchi GP in 5's. Both are great loads. I use both of them, although the the Fiocchi's are in my opinion a bit better with the plated shot.

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revdocdrew
PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 7:11 am  Reply with quote
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Thanks TJC: Didn't find any 16g 4s or 5s in Phoenix nor Cabelas in KC or Mitchell last fall-the 16ers seem to be getting some buyer's attention! Very Happy
Dr 16g.-You mean dogs actually point birds within 30 yds of the shooter?!-I'm thrilled when my setters happen to be on point in the same county I'm in. That's the nice thing about hunting the KS prairie-you can see a dog from WAY off. Confused


Last edited by revdocdrew on Sun Mar 26, 2006 9:32 am; edited 1 time in total
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IFL16's
PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 7:19 am  Reply with quote
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I don't know about the current 16 gauge loads but the 20 gauge Fiocchi GP loads I bought 5 years ago was the worst patterning load I ever put through my 20 gauge. The pellets were really soft despite the washed on copper coating. I squeezed them and some others with pliers for a comparison when I noticed how flat they were after hitting the plywood pattern board compared to all the other brands I was shooting.

Larry
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Larry Brown
PostPosted: Sun Mar 26, 2006 2:34 pm  Reply with quote
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The Golden Pheasants, I think, are about the only factory 5's available for the 16--unless you go to Kent's Tungsten Matrix, which are great if you have to use non-tox, but expensive.

All the 1 1/8 oz "high brass" loads are pretty good, in my experience. I do wish they made 2 3/4 dram, 1 1/8 ozers for the 16--the 3 1/4 dram variety are pretty stout in a light gun, like the FAIR. Federal still offers the 1 1/4 oz 16ga "magnum", in both 6's and 4's. Copper plated and buffered. They pattern very well, but are definitely on the nasty side, recoil wise, in a light 16.
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