16 Gauge Soundoff!
- Thread starter Wulfgard
- Start date
Have a basic Spanish 16 SxS and it is my preference for my type of hunting (shooting over a pointer in dense spruce jungle). You only get a follow up about half the time and then you are punching through brush. I still cannot decide whether I prefer the 7 1/2's (or 8's) over the 6's. My second shot it may be smarter to go with 6's for punching brush? All these tough decisions. A 20 ga would probably do the job just as well but I wanted a 16. The 12's are mostly heavier to pack and that is my only knock on them. Like most guys I try to keep the inventory up as the shells can be difficult to find on short notice in outlying areas. Welcome to the forum there is a wealth of knowledge on here.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
I shoot several 16 ga guns, and prefer their fit balance and handling when a good double is built to scale for the gauge. Not as bulky as a 12, not as whispy feeling as a 20. For upland birds one oz of shot does most jobs very well. I currently shoot a Browning citori, a Merkel o/u, and a drilling and a couple of combination guns in 16 ga.
- Location
- West coast of Vancouver Island
16g rifled slugs are soft lead and will fit threw any choke.20 years ago all most folks had was one gun for every thing.not to many guns had screw in chokes so you shot what you have.if you look at rifled slugs you will see that the slug is hollow this let's the gas fill the base of the slug sealing the slug in the barrel.lead being soft the slug swags it's way threw the choke with no problems
WARNING ,,,,,,, !!!!!
A friend @ my Gun Club also has a 16 ga. Tobin . He also bought shells @ CTC . As I collect old shotguns I have a set of Brownell's Chamber
Length Gauges . The 16 ga. Tobin measured ,,,,, LESS THAN 2 3/4" ,,,,,,, !!! That makes the chamber pressure increase using hulls longer
that the chamber is ,,,,,,,, DANGEROUS !! The 16 ga. was one of the last to standardize to 2 3/4" . Also , CTC usually sells Hunting ammo.
in 16 ga. . Finding target loads for 16 ga. is more of a challenge . ,,,,,,,,,,, Frank
One of favorite grouse guns is an Ithaca Flues S x S in 16 ga. made 1915. Short barrels with open chokes . 6 lb. on the scale .
As said above , lighter than a 12 ga. frame but all the gun you need for grouse. ,,,,,,,,,,,, Frank
You are right Frank. I have a 16 ga Tobin as well and it is 2 9/16 chamber. I shoot 2 1/2" shells in it because I love it and don't want to abuse it. I was told that the black Remington 16ga shells were ok because they are actually a bit shorter than 2 3/4". I don't bother though. Here it is. 16 guage "black diamond" model with exceptional wood.
I LOVE the 16ga. I came to it later in life and appreciate it in guns scaled to it. My favourite is the 16ga Winchester model 12. I have two.
The straight stocked one is a nickel steel with a short chamber (but it does cycle those Remingtons). The bottom one I customized with a new stock and rib. It also has Briley chokes. Its my go-to upland gun.
Thanks for the heads up, I'll check it out. I would think that it wouldn't be too much of a problem with smaller shot sizes. The lock up on my Tobin is still very tight. If I recall correctly, the serial number places it as a gun assembled from parts after the Tobin company was defunct. Still a sweet little shotgun.
madtrapper143
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Steep Rock Lake NWO
Shot size makes little difference when firing long cartridges in a short chamber. The problem occurs when the crimp mouth opening is stopped by the forcing cone causing potential spikes in pressure. Site sponsor Trade Ex has some well priced 2 1/2" loads on offer they are made for the short chamber.
Darryl
Darryl
My go to shotgun has been a CIL 16 singleshot for at least 25 years now. Having lived on an acreage 6 miles out of a prairie town, I've shot a lot of critters with mine. From crows, magpies, grouse, skunks, racoons and pretty much anything in between. Even though the plastic spacer cracked and fell apart many years ago (I could never find one to replace it) I continued to shoot with it.
I am sure someone here makes the spacers out of metal.
I have 5 16 gauge guns, having recently sold 3. So with just 5 I'm feeling a little short handed.
Two Winchester M12 pumps. Properly sized frame as has been noted. Just a fantastic handling pump.
2003 Citori 16, again with a properly sized frame. Doesn't handle as well as my SxS's but despite that I shoot it well.
Two Fox Sterlingworth 16 gauges. IMHO best American gun for the money, period.
Two different Pieper Bayards, made the same day 90 years ago.
F W Heym. Beautifully made German boxlock from between the wars.
Sold the two M12's and one of the Fox's to raise funds for a new purchase as those were the most easily replaced.
More often than not, if I'm going hunting one of the 16's is what I instinctively reach for. I have a dozen or so 12 gauges so it's not like alternatives are in short supply. There is just something about a 16.
Two Winchester M12 pumps. Properly sized frame as has been noted. Just a fantastic handling pump.
2003 Citori 16, again with a properly sized frame. Doesn't handle as well as my SxS's but despite that I shoot it well.
Two Fox Sterlingworth 16 gauges. IMHO best American gun for the money, period.
Two different Pieper Bayards, made the same day 90 years ago.
F W Heym. Beautifully made German boxlock from between the wars.
Sold the two M12's and one of the Fox's to raise funds for a new purchase as those were the most easily replaced.
More often than not, if I'm going hunting one of the 16's is what I instinctively reach for. I have a dozen or so 12 gauges so it's not like alternatives are in short supply. There is just something about a 16.
ninepointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Central Ontario
Hey you Tobin guys, tell me something...
From what I recall from the 12 ga. Tobin I used to own, they have a Hackett (snap-on) forend release. Am I correct?
The reason I ask is because there once was a 16 ga. Tobin that I was inspecting (and very much wanted to purchase) but the forend would not budge. Thus unable to complete my inspection, I passed on the gun. The seller later contacted me to say that the forend was affixed by a screw
, if I was still interested. I was not.
From what I recall from the 12 ga. Tobin I used to own, they have a Hackett (snap-on) forend release. Am I correct?
The reason I ask is because there once was a 16 ga. Tobin that I was inspecting (and very much wanted to purchase) but the forend would not budge. Thus unable to complete my inspection, I passed on the gun. The seller later contacted me to say that the forend was affixed by a screw
, if I was still interested. I was not.gunsaholic
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Winnipeg, Manitoba
Hey you Tobin guys, tell me something...
From what I recall from the 12 ga. Tobin I used to own, they have a Hackett (snap-on) forend release. Am I correct?
The reason I ask is because there once was a 16 ga. Tobin that I was inspecting (and very much wanted to purchase) but the forend would not budge. Thus unable to complete my inspection, I passed on the gun. The seller later contacted me to say that the forend was affixed by a screw
Yes, the forearm snaps on. I have had 3 Tobins and none were attached with a screw. There is a screw that goes through the middle of the forearm but that screw just holds the front of the forearm iron to the wood. It does not attach the forearm to the barrel. Some of them can be quite hard to pull off.
ninepointer
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Central Ontario
Thanks (again) Brian, because I'm suddenly realizing we've had this conversation before. LOL!
