Advice Wanted...16 or 20 ga break action?
- Thread starter Rutger
- Start date
MauserMike
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- SW Ontario
What's up Doc with the 8-10 SLAM?
While the 16ga is a fine and capable gauge , it is seriously handicapped by ammo supply and selection. If you reload you are pretty much stuck with the fired hulls that you generate, and even 16 gauge wads are harder to come by and more expensive. From a practicality standpoint the 20 gauge will do all that you require, with common avaliability, wide ammo and component selection.
I have a 20 gauge Baikal IZH-27EM-1C over/under that has fired many thousands of shells without a problem. For about $500 you get a new shotgun with 3" chambers, 4 screw in chokes, chrome lined bores, selective ejectors/extractors and a single selective trigger. The finish on these guns is not as pretty/polished as on higher end guns, but they cost a whole lot less too.
Last edited:
I get really sick of hearing this. I have four stores within 15 minutes of me that all carry 16ga. I find it easier to get than 28ga. As far as reloading goes, I reload 12ga. for targets. 16ga I use for hunting and might shoot a maximum of 30 rds. a season so reloading is unnecessary.
Hasn't this been everybody else's point too? If you shoot are going to shoot your shotgun quite a bit, buy a 20. If not, whatever floats your boat. Two peas in the same pod.
Two more points in favor of the 20. Steel shot is available. 3" magnum shells available too (usefull when shooting steel).
- Location
- St. Albert, AB
20 Ga has way more selection of shells that are easier to find. keep in mind that the 20 Ga shells fit right into the 12 Ga barrell then go BOOM! so keep them seperate... im sure 16 might aswell...
- Location
- St. Albert, AB
you could use a stick for hunting grouse. i would rather use a 22.
i guess having the option of steel is always good.
Eather or, but I have found it is harder to resell a 16 than a 20. There are some nice 16s around & they handle the same as most 20s. I liked the Rem pump & Browning A5 I had in 16. Look for a nice gun and worry about the ga. latter. My .02
This shouldn't be a debate over whether to buy a 16 ga. or a 20 ga. - it should be a discussion about which to buy FIRST. I have many 16 ga shotguns - single shots, pumps, and SXS's. I also have a good selection of 20 ga. I wouldn't want to part with any of them.
DEFINITELY, Win/64 is right about 16 gauge patterns. 16 ga and 28 ga are the two common gauges that, with the right loads, offer a shot stream that is equal in width and length. All other factors being equal, this results in demonstrably better patterns. If you don't believe Win/64 and I, perhaps you trust W.W. Greener and Ansley H. Fox to know.
It is also true that 20 gauge shell availability is more often better than that of 16 ga. Every store has a different selection and even at any given location, availability varies throughout the year. If you had to find shells in stock, 20 ga. would be your best bet. But, if you buy when they're in stock and keep your own supply on hand, you shouldn't have supply problems with 16 ga. (assuming you don't expect to find steel shot). Without a doubt, 16 ga must be avoided for high volume shooting, such as clay sports (unless you want to spend a great deal of time reloading).
I'd say buy the gun, not the gauge. If you find a better deal on one or the other, go with that gauge (features, quality, condition, and price all taken into account). I wouldn't want a POS in any gauge, just because the ammo is easier to find. Regardless of which you get first, getting both eventually would be the best option, IMHO.
DEFINITELY, Win/64 is right about 16 gauge patterns. 16 ga and 28 ga are the two common gauges that, with the right loads, offer a shot stream that is equal in width and length. All other factors being equal, this results in demonstrably better patterns. If you don't believe Win/64 and I, perhaps you trust W.W. Greener and Ansley H. Fox to know.
It is also true that 20 gauge shell availability is more often better than that of 16 ga. Every store has a different selection and even at any given location, availability varies throughout the year. If you had to find shells in stock, 20 ga. would be your best bet. But, if you buy when they're in stock and keep your own supply on hand, you shouldn't have supply problems with 16 ga. (assuming you don't expect to find steel shot). Without a doubt, 16 ga must be avoided for high volume shooting, such as clay sports (unless you want to spend a great deal of time reloading).
I'd say buy the gun, not the gauge. If you find a better deal on one or the other, go with that gauge (features, quality, condition, and price all taken into account). I wouldn't want a POS in any gauge, just because the ammo is easier to find. Regardless of which you get first, getting both eventually would be the best option, IMHO.
It's great to hear that there is an abundance of 16 ga in your neck of the woods, but there certainly isn't much selection around here. The original poster would be wise to see what's available in his neighborhood. To say that 16 ga is easier to find than 28 ga is not much of a revelation, as there are probably twenty or thirty 16 ga guns out there in the real world for every 28 ga. If it weren't for the game of Skeet the 28 would be extinct. Personally I'm a believer in shooting my "hunting" guns for practice so I reload for them all, 16 gauge included.
The only drawback I've found with my 16 gauge is having to stand in line at WSS for shells, and even then their selection is very limited.
The 16 is a great little grouse gun but the next one will be a 20 for the better ammo selection.
The 16 is a great little grouse gun but the next one will be a 20 for the better ammo selection.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
I have several upland bird guns in both 20 and 16 gauge. I choose which to use depending on the hunting being done. But I find I use my 16's almost exclusively for open country upland hunting. Carry like a 20, hit like a 12. if you are only shooting close range ruffed grouse, a 20 will work as well.
If you reload, buy the first one that fits your body and fancy. If you don't I sure like the fact that a trip to Crappy Tire in most any town will refresh my 20ga supplies! Either will kill grouse no problem. Both have fantastic options to buy in your price range with a bit of patience on the EE. This was my solution to exactly your dilemma:
Ithaca Flues 20ga. with the barrels 'trimmed' to 20in for maneuvering in the tight brush. Picked it off the EE from a fantastic CGNer (Hi Dan!).
Ithaca Flues 20ga. with the barrels 'trimmed' to 20in for maneuvering in the tight brush. Picked it off the EE from a fantastic CGNer (Hi Dan!).
i love my 16 gage guns and i have several .never had a hard time finding ammo for them .the 16 is a great gun for anything that does not require 3 inch magnum loads just the gun for rabbits and birds and deer .mayby not ideal for geese or turkeys altho i have shot both with 16 g the 16g slug is faster then the 12g and shots great on deer .thy do make a great small game gun DUTCH
JohnC
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
nothing nicer than a 16 ga double. I hunt grouse with a 16 up north every year. While shells are scarce one advantage is that the shells tend to be a better grade there's none of that cheap stuff that leaves holes on the pattern tou coud throw a basketball through.
I have a 20g Sarasqueta O/U that I wouldn't trade for anything. Cheap rounds and it keeps up with skeet and hunting. I have a 16g bolt gun that I used in my early years of hunting. It's a good round, if I could find it in O/U. I've only seen them in SXS, but I prefer the way O/U's feel when I'm aiming. you can't find 100rd bricks of 16g.
I love my 16's & I've used them for everything fom Bunnies to bucks & quail to turkey, but I shoot more clay targets any given week than I do game. I reload so I am not concerned what is on the store shelves at any given time.
One thing I would like to add to this topic is the versatility of the 16. I shoot 3/4 & 7/8 oz loads in my light (5lbs +) 16 ga sxs and loads as heavy as 1 1/8 in my heavy (7lbs) 16 ga sxs.
Sure I could use a 28 ga for the 3/4 oz & a 12 ga for the 1 1/8 (and I do from time to time) but 9 times out of 10, I'll grab a 16 when I'm heading out the door.
One thing I would like to add to this topic is the versatility of the 16. I shoot 3/4 & 7/8 oz loads in my light (5lbs +) 16 ga sxs and loads as heavy as 1 1/8 in my heavy (7lbs) 16 ga sxs.
Sure I could use a 28 ga for the 3/4 oz & a 12 ga for the 1 1/8 (and I do from time to time) but 9 times out of 10, I'll grab a 16 when I'm heading out the door.
