16ga.com ~ View topic

Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Tupelo, Texas

First, thanks in advance for any advice. I need it.

Second, A little background. I grew up hunting around home just like any kid on a farm or ranch. Always had a shuck gun. They were cheap, and haulin' hay didn't pay all that well. Never had any good training or instruction. Dove hunting mostly, with some bob hunting thown in when I could find someone with a good dog to go with. Always dreamed of pheasant.

Fast Forward-----After 12 years of spending all my time and money on baseball and fastpitch softball, the kids are gone to college. Most of the money still going out, but both students have jobs, I told the wife I'm gonna rat hole some money for bird hunting, and now I have some TIME.

Heard about 16 ga. guns and wanted to try one. Went pheasant huntin in S. Dakota last Nov. and carried a 1100 I bought for $275. (I know it is not a real 16 ga. but it was a cheap tryout.) Never shot better or had more fun in my life. Sold the gun for a profit up there and came home. Now I'm lookin. Ithaca told me no 16's till DEC. Citori is my dream gun, but same time frame. I am short armed and short legged and most guns of the shelf makes me feel like I'm reachin'.

3rd weekend in Sept. the sky in south TX. is gonna be black with doves. I have a good spot. Got a friend with good dogs and a good spot for quail. And it is lookin' good for a second trip to S Dakota. Guess I need an interim gun or what would turn out to be one I could give to my son. (If he makes good grades) Found a Verona for $850 new. Didn't know the gun or name.

Any suggestions? Also, I discovered I need to hit an oil well to put shells in these 16's. Any help here would be appreciated. Guess I need to learn how to reload.

Thanks again for any help.
TO16

Welcome, TO!! There are plenty of guys here who can fill you in on 'bout any gun you want to know about; sometimes you get more than you ever wanted to know Very Happy

! Most of the newer 16's eat standard field loads real well, so you should be able to feed your gun without taking out a second mortgage. Glad to have you back in the bird huntin' fold, especially the 16ga wing!

Fin

First off, welcome to the site, and welcome to the wonderful world of 16Ga hunting. We're generally real friendly here.

Second, if you plan to do much shooting at all, definitely get yourself a reloader. If you mostly hunt, with maybe a little target practice from time to time, you don't need an expensive progressive machine. Look for a used MEC 600Jr. on Ebay (don't spend more than about $80.00 including shipping) or buy a new one for around $120. By the time you've shot four cases of shells you will have more than paid for it.

Third, my advice is to join the Low Pressure Group. You can find out about it on the Reloading page in the forum. As a member you'll have access to hundreds of loads using dozens of components; IMO it is a well-worthwhile investment.

Finally, sounds like you need a gun pretty soon. If you're not averse to a used gun, you could try the auctions sites (AuctionArms, Gunbroker) or a classfied ad site like GunsAmerica. You should be able to find a used Ithaca M37 in good shape for the $200 to $300 range, or a nice Winchester M12 for considerably more. The folks here all know what my choice would be, but then I'm prejudiced -- I've shot Ithaca's all my life. Of course, the Remington 870 is another great shucker, but unlike the M37 or the M12 it's not built on a gauge-specific frame, so it weighs quite a bit more -- for dove hunting not much of a problem, but for quail or pheasant it gets a bit heavy late in the day.

And keep squirreling that money away for a Citori down the road, or maybe an Amercan classic double like a Smith, a Fox Sterlingworth or a Parker Trojan. Belive me, once you catch the 16Ga sickness, it's over. Good luck!

Member Joined: 17 Jan 2005 Posts: 138 Location: Parma, OH

You may want to call some local pawn shops in your area. Ask 'em if they have any 16 gauges in their rack. Avoid bolt action shotguns. Good Luck!

Mike Doerner

Member Joined: 08 Nov 2005 Posts: 3438 Location: Illinois

I recently bought a Spartan-Remington-16 for hunting and a little skeet.For 400 bucks this has turned out to be a good gun.This would make an excellent step towards that Browning and when you get it the Spartan could still be your brush gun.

TO,
What model Verona were you looking at? The Verona's were made in Italy by F.A.I.R. (I. Rizzini) and built on gauge specific frames. The guns were imported by B.C. Outdoors and sold under the Verona name, until they went out of business. It was not because of the Verona's being a bad product. If it is an LX501 O/U, that you're looking at. $850 was about the right price prior to B.C Outdoors going out of business. CDNN bought up the remaining stock and they were selling for $649 or $699. I recently bought a slightly used Verona LX501 O/U and am loving it. I understand that F.A.I.R. is looking to have a new U.S. importer some time later this year, and all of their guns will carry the F.A.I.R. name. You can expect the prices to go up. You can find more information about the Verona's here http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewforum.php?f=63&sid=07de38c7337829511ff5d4798a9936bb
If you like the Verona, maybe you can haggle on the price a little. They are not a Browning, but in my opinion, a hell of a gun for the money. If you're interested in a Remington 870. I've got a very nice Wingmaster listed in the for sale section.
http://www.16ga.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1466

Good luck with the hunt

If you might be interested in a lightweight pump gun, I know where there is a Rem model 31. Price on the hangtag was $239. i saw it on the used gun rack when I bought my Rizzini last month. It might still be there. The stock was cut for a youth, then added back on with a recoil pad. Plain barrel--no vent rib--modified choke. I'd guess 28" Good used condition field gun.

Give Alan Boyer a call @ Boyer's Guns 610-767-3575. In family business since 1868. And that's not a mistype. I would give him a call myself except they close at noon on Wednesdays. I once bought a 416 Rem mag from Texas through him as the FFL. Super nice guy.

Oh yeah, Eastern daylight time zone.

Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Tupelo, Texas

Thanks for all the help guys. This appears to be a great site, which means great people.

The Verona I found was at Gander MT. It was a LX503. I had to put it over my knee to break it open. I have never owned or bought a stacked gun so I was unsure if this was normal or not. Shot a Citori on 2 hunts in my life. It had 26" barrells, and maybe that was part of why it felt and shot so well since I'm afflicted with the stubby arms.

I know I'm not sharp enough to be a good buyer of used guns. I always owned and shot 12ga. 870's. and all I did was load 'em, shoot 'em, and clean 'em. With my years off from hunting I discovered a stark reality. Don't know why it happened but that gun, sure did kick more than it used to. Heard about 16's and bought the above mentioned 1100. Just not a big fan of gas guns, and now that I am dyed in the wool 16ga., I'm bein' mule headed about carryin' a 12ga. and shootin a 16.

We have 80 acres here around the house. My brother and I along with our sons would go out and sling "dirt birds" prolly once a month during off season this year, and every Sat. till dove season starting this month. I'm using a little Browning 20ga. pump right now for this.

Thanks for all the help. Got a feelin' I'm joinin' the low pressure club also.
I guess I'm now tattoo'd in the ear, branded on the rump 16ga. from now on.

TO16