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Just wondering? What's the difference between Remington R16 and SP16 wads and can be substituted for each other?
Cheers, John

The R16 and the SP16 are identical in OAL. The only difference is the R16 one ounce wad has a shallower shot cup. It is approximately 1/8th inch less deep. The 1-1/8th ounce SP16 can be substituted for the R16 by using one, 1/8th inch thick 28 ga. nitro card wad to fill the bottom of the shot cup. Each card wad will displace 1/8th ounce of shot, so it works out about perfectly.

You can assemble any load from 3/4 ounce to 1-1/8 ounces with the SP16 by adding or subtracting the right number of filler wads. You can do the same thing with the R16 up to its 1 ounce capacity. 1/8th inch thick .50 Cal black powder card wads will also work as well.

Putting the filler wads in the bottom of the shot cup will not affect velocity or pressure either. So the SP16 with one filler wad and one ounce of shot will perform exactly like the R16 with one ounce of shot and no filler wad. It is a very simple way to modify the wads' capacities and get the shot load you want.

I use the R16 for all my 3/4 to 1 ounce loads in the Remington hull. I use the SP16 for my 1-1/8 to 1-1/4 ounce loads, especially in the bigger capacity hulls like the Federal shell. These two adaptable wads are very useful for any 16 ga reloading. They remain two of the most useful 16 gauge wads available. However, if you can't find any R16 wads, the SP16 will do everything equally as well. it simply takes one more filler wad and you are good to go.

Be aware that recently Clay buster released their WW16 clone on the market. this wad has a longer OAl and a deeper shot cup than even the SP16. It will prove to be a very useful wad if you know how to modify it for the load you want. I'm planning to adapt it for 1-1/4 ounce loads by modifying its OAL.

Nick Hammock has also developed a 3/4 to 1 ounce version of the WW16 which will soon be hitting th market under the Downrange label. It will be very useful for 3/4 and 7/8 ounce loads as well. Since the majority of my target loads are 3/4 ounce loads, I'm really looking forward to getting some.

However, the R16 and SP16 will remain popular among folks who know how useful they are. So get a couple of bags to have them on hand is my advice.