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16 Ga. Was Fun, Sorry I Never Got Hooked

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Spanky

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Pulled out some 16 ga. Components this morning. A club guy wanted some 16 ga. wads to experiment with to try his hand at light field load he was looking to reload. I have two styles of Remington that will work for him. They are old but very well stored away and fresh.
The Remington Long Range Expresses in 7 1/2 is/was a great dove shell. Worked as well for stocked pheasants, rabbits and squirrels for me.
Back in those years I never found a nice cherry condition used M12, 870 Wingmaster or 1100. I guess I never looked hard enough or put the time into it. If I would have I most likely got bit with the 16 ga. Bug for life. I never got hooked on my SxS that much.
Thought I’d post a pic. Shells in forefront are some old vintage 16 ga. factory shells. Never shot one. Have a few partial boxes of Gramps old 16 ga. shells.
I had done some reloading of 16 gauge with an old Lee hand loader set up. That sucked to the max. Started reloading 12 ga. on a new MEC around ‘77 or ‘78. If I had it to do all over again I should have just bought a new 1100 or Wingmaster in 16 ga.
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#4 · (Edited)
Back in 2016 I worked as a score keeper on the sub-gauge course at the PA State Sporting Clays Shoot. As usual the sub-gauge course was for 20 gauge, 28 gauge and .410 and at this particular state shoot they added a 16 gauge event for the first time to see how it would go over. There were quite a few shooters that shot the event and it was fun to see them shooting the 16 gauge. Most of the shotguns were pumps and SxS. The pumps being Remington 870, Model 12 and a lot of older Ithica models. In the SxS the was a mix of A.H. Fox, Parkers2, Ithica and LC Smith. I remember only seeing one shooter with a Browning Citori and one shooter with a Remington 1100.
 
Discussion starter · #6 ·
Ka6otm said:
When I was 15 I used a Lee Loader for reloading by the campfire when I was out woods bumming with friends. It was fun then, but one of my "friends" decided he needed the Lee Loader more than I did and stole it.

They were $10.00 back then.
Click to expand...
That guy was a real POS. He had to steal it, had to have it that bad I guess. Granted it was only $10.00 but I bet you still wish you had it around, if not even for a conversation piece.
 
#10 ·
I have 5 or 6 field guns in 16 gauge. All older and nothing I would call collectible, but they all work just fine on upland game. I like them for early season work as they are lighter to carry than a 12, but deliver similar payloads.

There’s one other advantage - I’m usually the only one in bird camp that’s running a 16, so no one bums ammo from me. Just better plan ahead and bring enough quantity and variety of loads with you, because you’re not going to be able to fill a gap at the local hardware store.
 
#12 ·
I love my Model 12- 16 gauge. It weighs 6 pounds, 7 ounces, and balances perfect. Have owned it over 25 years. Just wish I had a use for it now- but will never get rid of it. Own another 30" 16 ga. M-12- which I have used for turkey hunting. I think there was a resurgence in the 16 some years ago- but its wavering now. The 28 gauge seems to be really popular.
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
Fieldstone said:
I have a full box of those Remington 16ga shells on my collection shelf, but I think my price sticker is $4.97!!
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That place Edelman’s was right near the shop. Could blow in there at lunch time and get what you wanted. He was generally high but his sale prices were good. Great really. I’ve never had to buy spur of the moment, would ride things to the sale. You felt like ok $6.50 for those Expresses was fair back then when you walked out.
I shot many of those Expresses in no.6 shot both 12 and 20 gauge. There were a couple of Asian guys who worked back in the weld shop, I couldn’t give those guys enough squirrels. But those guys would buy me boxes of those Expresses for giving them those squirrels. They were good times.
I like hunting doves for myself but I had other guys who really wanted some. Those folks were great about buying me shells also. It was always fun shooting something for somebody. These people had no desire to hunt or go along with.
 
#14 ·
The first 16ga I shot was a Western Field bolt action, not the most user friendly gun, but I did shoot a turkey with it. My next one was a Browning Citori Lightning 16ga, shot a lot of quail with it & some skeet , don't know why I ever sold it. Next a Winchester 21 16ga Tournment Skeet. And last a Remington 31 Skeet gun. Shot Winchester dove/quail loads, one ounce of #8s.
 
#16 ·
My only experience with a 16 gauge. I had a long time customer at the tire shop who had a model 12 he had completed disassembled to refinish and give to his grandson for a surprise present. And i mean disassemble everything down to everything in the trigger assembly even. He was an older gentleman and his health rapidly deteriorated after he got it all apart and he was having trouble getting it back together. I had ask him numerous times if he wanted my help but he was stubborn and always said no I’ll get better and get it back together.
I got a call one day that he had passed away. I’ve lost a lot of customers over the past 20 years but this bothered me in a different way. I knew that his model 12 that he wanted so badly to gift his grandson was scattered throughout his basement. After praying about this issue for a week or so I called his daughter who was handling his stuff and mentioned that he was working on an old shotgun at the time of his passing and wondered if she would like me to try to assemble it for her. So my wife and I spent several hours over a few different days and finally found ALL the pieces. I got it all back together and gave it to his daughter and I can’t remember a time I was so proud to be able to say this was a gift from your father to your son. She was so thankful she cried and cried because nobody had known he was giving it to him. I sure wish Marty could have been the one to give it to them instead of me. It sure made me feel good though.
 
#17 ·
Ka6otm said:
When I was 15 I used a Lee Loader for reloading by the campfire when I was out woods bumming with friends. It was fun then, but one of my "friends" decided he needed the Lee Loader more than I did and stole it.

They were $10.00 back then.
Click to expand...
$10 was a lot more money when I was washing dishes for 95 cents an hour at a small restaurant.
 
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