OT Sweet Sixteen.

[gamekeeper]

Any of you guys fans of the sweet sixteen gauge?

I found a web site dedicated to the 16g shotgun seems like a friendly bunch of shooters trying to keep the 16g from disappearing from the gun catalogues!

They can be found if you do a search for "16GA SOCIETY".

[bigbore442001]

I sort of grew up on the 16 guage. When my Dad was younger the 16 guage was seen as an ideal middle. At the time, the 20 was considered a lightweight for some upland game as well as deer with slugs while some didn't like the recoil of the 12. The 16 was seen as a good compromise.

Before rifled slug barrels became common the best slug shooting shotgun around was a Browning Sweet Sixteen autoloader. My Dad killed many a whitetail with that gun. In fact, he killed one two seasons ago with it. Large doe dressed out at 135 lbs.

When we had more ruffed grouse covers I often took my grandfathers old side by side St. Helice Ettiene shotgun. I loved the fact that it weighed all of 6.5 lbs or so and was a dream to carry all day long after birds and other small game. What was also nice was that it was easy to load and unload when crossing a paved road. Here in Massachusetts you cannot cross a paved road with a loaded hunting gun. Many of the areas we hunted involved crossing from one farm to another and you would load and unload a few times. Guys with autoloaders and pumps were always taking time to load and unload while those of us with a double barrel just broke the gun in two and popped the shells in our hands.

You see 16 guage for sale but it isn't common in the woods. I rarely see anyone with a 16 guage in the field .

[gamekeeper]

bigbore44201, I have had three 16 gauge shotguns all SxS hammerguns.
I have always found them to pattern well and hit hard without too much recoil. Never had a chance to try slugs in one, mores the pity.

[Big Bore 94]

I have two old Browning Autos. One very early 1920's A5 with a 65 mm chamber and a very worn straight grip stock. By the SN it was one of the first 900 imported. Someone installed an ugly rubber pad long ago. Of course after cutting off an inch or so of the stock. I have been watching for a straight grip replacement stock for a quite a while. A little new production ammo is avalible. But I have yet to use this one. Numer two is a Sweet Sixteen with an aftermarket Bishop stock set in a high grade of birds eye maple. She is a real beauty from the 1950's.

[gamekeeper]

Big Bore 94 I once met an old lady who had a sweet 16 Browning Auto from the 20s. Someone had nailed a leather cheek piece to the stock so I was not too impressed at the time. Later I went back to see if she would sell it and she'd turned it into the police to scap it!

[Hobie]

I have a double. Love them. If I could have but one SxS shotgun for hunting it would be a 16 ga. choked improved cylinder and full.

[Marlin .35]

Had a Remington 11-48 in 16 gauge. Loved it, till I was convinced by my son in law to get a modern 12 ga. Regret that to this day. How about some pics of those purty 16's??????? Art

[Old Savage]

Great one in my opinion. Wish I had one.

[awp101]

I've been eyeing an engraved Marlin 16ga pump w/hammer (model escapes me) in case I decide to start CAS...

[C. Cash]

Spent one magic summer as a kid with my Uncles Remington 1900 Double in 16 Gauge. Finest gun that I've ever held or shot...every bit as good as any 12's that I've had. It was later stolen from my Uncles house

[old06]

Had a Remington 11-48 in 16 gauge. Loved it, till I was convinced by my son in law to get a modern 12 ga. Regret that to this day. How about some pics of those purty 16's??????? Art

I still use the Remington 11-48’s I have 3 of them a 12 ga mfg in 1953, in just about unused condition a 20 ga mfg in 1954 that has seen a little use and a 16 ga also mfg in 1954 that I have done a bulk of my upland hunting with to me the 16 does it all Its been years since I even picked up one of the others. There is just some thing about the 11-48 they have the heart of the Browning A- 5 and the lines of the Remington 1100 they feel right and work right what more can you ask for

[Slick13]

I have my grandfather's Ithaca 37 16 ga. Sweet gun, though picky about shells. The brass needs to be a certain height to cycle smoothly. Any high brass will do, but in low brass it only likes Remington. Win and Fed low brass stick/bind on ejection.

I read once that if we were starting over with a clean sheet of paper to design shotgun and shotgun shells, we'd come up with something looking very much like the 16 ga. I tend to agree with that. Current standard 16 ga. loads are 1oz, 1 1/8 oz and 1 1/4 oz of shot. If there was factory 3/4 oz and 7/8 oz ammo available, a 6 1/2 lb or 7 lb 16 ga. with choke tubes could completely replace the 28ga., 20 ga., and 2 3/4 inch 12 ga. All you would need would be a 3" or 3 1/2" 12 ga. for waterfowling.

~Michael

[gamekeeper]

I read once that if we were starting over with a clean sheet of paper to design shotgun and shotgun shells, we'd come up with something looking very much like the 16 ga. I tend to agree with that. Current standard 16 ga. loads are 1oz, 1 1/8 oz and 1 1/4 oz of shot. If there was factory 3/4 oz and 7/8 oz ammo available, a 6 1/2 lb or 7 lb 16 ga. with choke tubes could completely replace the 28ga., 20 ga., and 2 3/4 inch 12 ga. All you would need would be a 3" or 3 1/2" 12 ga. for waterfowling.

~Michael

Over here we can still buy 16G shells 7/8oz and 15/16oz. My son said something last night on reading this post, "its a wonder that the 16 isn't more popular that the 12G or the 20G as it does what both of them do and does it well"

Here's the link to 16ga. society: http://www.16ga.com/home.html

[Mojo]

The 16 is ideal for dove and other upland game birds. Many, many dinners of dove smothered in gravy served over a bed of white and wild rice have been served in my home since I was a child with the assistance of a 16ga. I would really hate to see it disappear but it certainly looks like it may be going in that direction. The one I really can't understand is the 28ga. What's the point for anything other than skeet or trap shooting?

[Nath]

It is weird how they are rare. GK I had the pleasure of last weekend witnessing a young feller taking a few pheasant with a 16g. He said it's the only gun he can shoot well

[Slick13]

The one I really can't understand is the 28ga. What's the point for anything other than skeet or trap shooting?

Much better field gun than the .410 and not too far behind the 20 ga. Couple that with a 5 1/2 to 6 lb gun, you've got something that is very easy to carry in the field and puts out enough shot to do the business on small game and upland birds.

Really is a fantastic little shell that has to be shot to be fully appreciated.

~Michael

[FALPhil]

Shoots like a 12 and kicks like a 20.

[TDF]

I'm very fond of the 16 ga. Just wish the dang shells weren't so expensive.

Here's my Ithaca 37 from the early 60's and a hard earned limit of wild Nebraska roosters in late January a couple of years ago.


Here's my Browning A5 from the 1920's, and Mr. Marbles my hunting buddy.

[BruceB]

I've got three. An Ithaca/Western SxS that somebody shortened without aid of a square. Two Stevens 311's; one Monkey Wards special. The other I got from a guy whose father had bought it new at the time of the Watts riots. Ol' dad parked it in the closet with two shells and there it stayed until he died in 2002 and was found by his heirs.

[jbm1968]

I do not have one but a friend of mine had an old single barrel 16 GA which he used for everything and NEVER missed. I like the way the Browning Auto 5 16 GA feels, I want one!