16 Gauge Blues

[dovehunter]

Originally Posted by Larryjk

I read through the Cabela's Fall Shooting catalog and got bummed out. Very few loads for a 16 gauge fan and only 2 loads for the 6mm Remington. Hornady and Remington are the only manufacturers who had 6mm loads, 95 and 100 grain; no varmint loads. I guess people don't know what a great cartridge the 6mm Rem really is; better than the .243 Win. if you know what is going on.
The 16 gauge is such a fine light and finely balanced shotgun that most people haven't had a chance to shoot. You have to hunt with one to really appreciate them. I guess it is time to buy a 16 gauge loader and load up on 16 gauge wads.

As someone else said, when you can find 16 ga. shells - even field loads - they are usually priced much higher than their identical 12 & 20 ga. counterparts. Do take up reloading 16 ga. shells. You won't regret it. I was fortunate enough several years back to get a case of W-W field loads really cheap from a store that was going out of business and have been using those hulls for reloading ever since. The W-W's seem to hold up very well. I too use the Rem. SP16 wads as they are the only thing I can find around here.

As far as the 16 ga. itself is concerned I love my three guns - two SxS doubles and Rem. 870 pump. I bought the pump a few years back to give the two doubles a break from the constant hammering of early fall dove shoots. Whenever I hear anyone knocking a 16 ga. the first thing that tells me is that they have never tried one! To me, at least for upland bird hunting, a 16 ga. hits like a 12 ga. and carries like a 20 ga. I frimly believe if more people had the opportunity to try a 16 they would become more popular.

[skeet]

I tried the 16 ga guns years ago. Never impressed me much. Most 16's were made on 12 ga frames except some of the older doubles. Early 1100 and 870 guns used the 12 ga frame for 12 16 and 20. They did lighten the bbls though. After a couple hundred thousand 20 ga shells I figure I can do anything with it that the 16 will do and ammo and cases are much easier to find. Used to use it to shoot duckies with too. till the steel shot thingie(what a crock). Now withthe hevi shot etc etc out there I'm going back to the 20. I must admit though you guys are right with the lack of ammo for the 16. Last 16 I had was a Valmet O/U I got at a yard sale. Got 8 boxes of SuperXX 16 ga 2s with it. Sold the gun and still have the shells. Shot a couple of Pheasants with it.. Those XX Win shells sure let ya know in that little Valmet. I'll take those ol shells to another gun show one day and trade 'em fer something useable.
Now as to the 6mm.. I have just purchased a really nice 700 BDL Varmint gun in 6mm. Got it for 400 bucks and it's like new(kinda yard sale find). Guy has a matching gun in 22-250. Might even buy it. Has a Ruger #3 in 22 Hornet for sale too. Also has a Ruger 44 mag semi auto carbine. Price is a little high but may have to buy it. I happen to like the 6mm Rem as it shoots a bit faster than the 243 and seems to be a little more versatile..Have many once fired cases in 6mm as well as a few boxes of ammo.. Y'all can have yer 16s. Make mine a 20. 1 oz 16 or 1 oz 20...what's the diff....except I can find 20 ga ammo MUCH MUCH easier. And most guns in 20 ga ARE built on a lighter smaller frame now days.

[270man]

I've never even fired a 16-ga shotgun but remember lots of hunters using them when I was a kid. It seems to me that the 16-ga has survived only because of nostalgia -- not for performance. This isn't inherent to the gauge. It's just that the ammo makers have put all their research dollars into 12 and 20 gauge. Shooter demand probably had a lot to do with it.

I'm a big 6mm fan but it may have the same problem. On paper one can get a bit more performance than from the 243 but the difference is probably small. I don't believe either deer or varmints would be able to tell the difference. Practically speaking, I should have gone with the 243 because it has thoroughly beaten the 6mm in popularity. I'm not sure where I could buy a factory 6mm. Remington has dropped them from their standard sporter line (i.e. BDL, ADL, etc.) and Ruger no longer offers their Model 77/Hawkeye rifles in 6mm. If you are sold on the 6mm, as I am, the answer is to reload. Since buying my first 6mm, a Remington 700 BDL, over 35 years ago I have never shot anything except paper targets with factory loads.

I hope the caliber makes a comeback one of these days -- and I'll wish the same for all of you 16-gauge fans.

270man