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blackice
PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:14 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jan 2006
Posts: 8
Location: Michigan, USA

I have Browning A-5 Sweet Sixteen with an IC barrel.

I love shooting this gun and I shoot it well. I use it all the time in MI for upland hunting. The question that I have is ....... Hunting in the plains.... How well will a IC constriction perform? I feel a MOD would be better for the longer shots. I do have a Win Model 24 SxS with Full & Mod that I can use instead..... but I like the A-5 better.

I reload so I have a little control over my load.

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cedar16
PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 11:37 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 25 Jul 2005
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Location: Clarkfield, MN

Your Sweet 16 may serve you very well for plains hunting. I hunt mostly in western MN and the Dakotas. Despite the open terrain, most of my "long" shots are 30-35 yards (hunting with labs). If you will be hunting over pointing dogs, your shots will probably be under 35 yards and your IC choked gun will be ideal. I shoot a sxs 16 ga choked IC and MOD with a single trigger. Therefore, the modified barrel is only used when I miss with the IC barrel. In other words, I have found IC works fine out to 40 yards. Having the capability to handload will help you tailor a load that works well in your gun. I prefer #5 for pheasant for better penetration, but it is harder to get adequate pattern density with #5 in a one-ounce load. Pattern testing is tedious, but it does give some indication of the gun/load capability. Recently I have been able to buy # 5 1/2 shot and it is a good compromise between the penetration of number 5 and the pattern density of number 6. You may want to pack your Winchester with the MOD and FULL for backup in case the weather turns really cold and the wind gets gusty and the birds flush wild.
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blackice
PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:05 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jan 2006
Posts: 8
Location: Michigan, USA

Thanks for the reply...... When I go to the plains I usually pack 3-4 firearms with various gauges.

The load I use is
BP's Multi-Hits Hull
Win 209 Primer
BP's Trap Commander
Hodgdon Longstot (29.0gr - 1380 FPS)
Nickle Plated #5.5 @ 1-1/8oz

I also have a 1-1/4oz load..... but prefer to shoot 1-1/8oz!!

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cedar16
PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 12:26 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 25 Jul 2005
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Location: Clarkfield, MN

Blackice, it looks like you already have worked up a load. Have you test patterned it or used it on wild birds? I've been trying to find a 1 1/8 or 1 1/16 -oz load that will work in my gun, so far one ounce loads have patterned the best, but I would like to improve my pattern density with number 5 shot. The best loads I have thus far have just barely adequate density (on paper), although they perform well in the field, i.e. no fly aways after being hit and birds knocked down are dead or easily retrieved by the dogs.
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Wolfchief
PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 4:29 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 15 Oct 2004
Posts: 782
Location: Indiana

I used the Remington Heavy Game Load in #6 all winter this year; in my Merkel 1620 choked IC/mod and in my full choke Model 12 16 ga. It's a 1 1/8 oz load which is plenty for pheasants. Your IC Sweet 16 should be fine unless the day is really windy or they're flushing very wild. Most of my shots were within 35 yards tops. That's well within range of a 16 ga. IC choke using #5 or #6 shot. Take a mod or full choke gun just in case but 98% of the time your A5 will be fine.

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revdocdrew
PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 6:10 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 28 Dec 2005
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Location: Glendale, AZ

Would only add that larger shot (4's & 5's) usually pattern more tightly than smaller shot and a quality load of 1 and 1/8 of 4's with an IC choke have worked well for my group of 6-8 buddies hunting pheasant over labs in S. Dakota-although most of the philistines shoot Benelli's.
Confidence in your gun and your load in 90% of field shooting.
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Dave Erickson
PostPosted: Tue Jan 17, 2006 8:07 pm  Reply with quote
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Those older Brownings are often choked tighter than what's stamped on the barrel.

That and your words, "I love shooting this gun and I shoot it well." really say it all.

Pheasants are either in range or out of range in Michigan as they are on the plains. Your Sweet Sixteen will work well.[/i]
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revdocdrew
PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 6:45 am  Reply with quote
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Location: Glendale, AZ

It has also worked well in a fixed choke gun to use 1 oz #5's or 6's in the chamber to follow with 1 and 1/8 4's in the magazine. I use green 1 oz. Remingtons followed by Federals to keep the shells straight. I frequently do the same thing with my IC/M SxS-less recoil with the first shot helps me keep my head down.
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dannypratt
PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 1:54 pm  Reply with quote
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Joined: 21 Dec 2005
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Location: Napoleon, MI

blackice,
I too am from MI. Was wondering where your at. I also shoot a Sweet Sixteen A-5 w/ IC choke. Seems to kill everything I aim at, long or short, longest being 40yds, 45yds tops. I usually shoot 6's in 1 ounce, but when I think I need the range I use 4's.
-danny
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16GAwaterfowler
PostPosted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 5:20 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 15 Dec 2005
Posts: 287
Location: missouri

It sound's like your doing fine with the combination you are currently using. If you feel you need more range for longer shots, you may want to look into the Multi Metal shotcups. You can control the pattern density with the MM wads by limiting the slits you put in them, usually three slits half way down the wad is for maximum range, however I would pattern the gun with them as you may have to expreiment a bit.
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blackice
PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 5:56 am  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jan 2006
Posts: 8
Location: Michigan, USA

Hey dannypratt,

I live on Sterling Heights......... I am about 30min from the Maze & Blue.

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Larry Brown
PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 7:39 am  Reply with quote
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BI, my guess is that your Sweet 16 will pattern at least 60% at 35 yards, which means you should be in pretty good shape. Personally, I would not go with anything larger than 5's because your pellet count and pattern density will start to suffer. If you can get your hands on some of the B&P factory loads, give them a try. Their 6's are just a bit undersized (about 260 in their 29 gram--1 1/32 oz--load) but have plenty of punch for pheasants at that range.

Especially with the 16, I tend to stick with smaller shot sizes than some people prefer, in order to maintain pellet count and pattern density. I took my last half dozen Iowa roosters of the season with a British 12 (sacrilege, I know!), shooting similar loads to what you might use in a 16. In this case, 1 1/16 oz of Brit 6's (slightly larger than American 7's). By January, the birds are all big and packing a lot of fat, generally harder to kill by a good bit than early in the season. Every one of those birds was dead when it hit the ground. With a double, and a tighter choke in the L barrel, if I use something like 7's or Brit 6's in the R barrel, I will back it up with 6's (or, more rarely, 5's). Of course that's one of the beauties of a gun with 2 barrels and 2 chokes!
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dannypratt
PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:50 am  Reply with quote
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Joined: 21 Dec 2005
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Location: Napoleon, MI

blackice,
As you can see I live in the People's Republic Of Ann Arbor. Actually, I'm on the west side of the Iron Curtain, they allow us to have firearms over hear and we don't have to wait in line for toilet paper (Ann Arbor News). Anyhow, when the season shows up again, let me know if your interested in hitting up some ducks or pheasants, there is many a great hunting area here in my neck of the woods. I'm always hppy to hunt w/ a fellow 16'r.
-danny
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blackice
PostPosted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:36 pm  Reply with quote



Joined: 16 Jan 2006
Posts: 8
Location: Michigan, USA

I am actually competing in the NSCA Tournament at Island Lake on Feb 19th. It is always a good time when the weather is right. It's great bird practice!!!

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16gaugeguy
PostPosted: Fri Jan 20, 2006 11:52 am  Reply with quote
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Location: massachusetts

Most 16 ga. A5 barrels are tight for choke designation anyway. I'm betting yours is a lot closer to mod than you might think. Why not have the bore and choke diameters checked. .005" is a solid IC choke in 16. I'm willing to bet yours exceeds .008" which would be close to modified. #5 and #4 magnum shot will pattern tighter, especially if the wad's shotcup protects 90% of the pellets or better. Try the Federal 1-1/4 ounce # 4 loads for bad days if you don't reload. They will reach out like the long arm of the reaper on those cold blustery days when shot patterns and birds won't stay put. 16GG.
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