16ga.com ~ View topic

Has anyone heard about or have any experience with a 3 inch 16ga shell?

Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 334

Winchester made a few 3" M21 16's and the ammo to go with them. I have a few of the shells but no box. Believe it was done in the 30's.

Joined: 06 Dec 2010 Posts: 136 Location: PA

Learn something new every day!!

Carries like a 20 - shoots like a 10???

Totally inappropriate!

Chuck

like we've said in prev posts .... OUCH !

I read a post from Europe that said the 3" 1oz load is equal in recoil to the 1 1/8, 2 3/4 but patterns better. Wonder were they get the hulls or shells? Its got me intrigued.

why go to the bother of loading a 1ozer in a 3'' when it easily goes into a 25/8 , unless , steel shot . or bizz .

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3177 Location: NCWa

Rejecting the idea of a 3" 16 ga shows a narrow focus and closed mind. Having a 16 ga gun with 3" chamber would expand the uses of the gun. In so doing, like any compromise it will give up some of it's qualities on the light end, but for someone who wants one gun to do everything, who now is confined to using a 12 ga a 16ga would be a welcome alternative. Those that have different guns for every hunting purpose and therefore have specialized guns are on the other end of the spectrum from the fellow who prefers one generalized gun, that may not excel at any one use, but will be useable for nearly all uses.

Back in the 1960's, just about all the gun pundits proclaimed the 16 ga. dead because the 3 inch 20 ga loads had replaced it. Today, most knowledgeable shot gunners have come to realize a 3" 20 ga. shell is just about useless. The 20 ga bore size is limited to about 1-1/8 ounce loads of #5 to #6 shot. The bore is too small to handle heavier loads of bigger pellets. Velocities drop off too much and patterns get too spotty to be useful at longer ranges for bigger birds. A bigger bore size like the 16 is what is needed, not a longer hull. If you doubt this, then ask yourself when was the last time you saw anyone shooting 3 inch 20 ga. loads. Ask yourself why the 16 ga. is still with us and has made a comeback despite all the so called professional opinions to the contrary

1-1/4 ounces of shot and #4 or #5 pellets are just about the ballistic limit for the 16 gauge. We already have 2-3/4 inch, 1-1/4 ounce factory loads as well as some good data for hand loading them. So like the 20 ga, a 3 inch 16 ga hull is also useless.

IMO, a shorter US made hull like a 2-1/2 incher (or even a 2-1/4 inch hull) for 3/4 and 7/8 ounce loads makes far more sense. Sometimes less is more.

Joined: 25 Mar 2013 Posts: 36 Location: Southern Michigan

Hello Jim Atlas
WELCOME on your first posting
Pleased to have you here

YES, finding empty hulls on the ground of a hunting area is a real turnoff.
My hunting buddies and I spend 10 minutes at the end of the hunt picking
up others trash!!!

Again, Welcome
Mike

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3177 Location: NCWa

Jim Atlas

Welcome to the site- if you ignore the know-it-alls you find the rest of us a pretty friendly and knowledgeable bunch of like-minded 16 ga users. Regarding the useless 3" 20 ga, a 3" 20 ga OU was my first shotgun and I used the 3" 1 1/4 oz #4 SuperX load for geese while using the 1 1/8oz 2 3/4" #5,6 loads for ducks. This was back in the 70s & early 80s when loads were lead. Since no one told me that the 3" 20 ga was useless and couldn't shoot #4 shot effectively, I just went ahead with it and it appears the geese and ducks didn't know any better either because they fell from the sky just like they were shot by a 10 or 12 ga.

As for the hulls in the field- our group scrupulously picked up any evidence of our activity- primarily because it was public land/lakes and we didn't want the location to receive any attention.

Again- welcome to the site. Smile

Joined: 25 Mar 2013 Posts: 36 Location: Southern Michigan

Joined: 26 Apr 2010 Posts: 3177 Location: NCWa

I'll never turn down free hulls- what part of Oregon?

Joined: 28 Mar 2008 Posts: 1460 Location: Eagle, Nebraska

I would LOVE to see Browning offer the new A-5 in 3" chamber and Federal offer up a decent steel load in 3". Would use in duck blind and could use in pheasant fields where non-tox required.
Now I just use nice shot or Tungsten Matrix from Kent, and have no issues doing so, just be useful I think for the 16ga to be used in the marsh. Enough room to make a useable steel shotshell.

Oh, and if Browning doesn't want to start a 3" 16ga revolution, I am fine if they make it in 2 3/4" too.