16 Gauge vs. 20 Gauge

on the rare occassion that I still shoot it....never bigger than 4's and typically 6's or 7's...

I reserve the gun for places with close ducks, like timber or little potholes where the bird is either "committed and close" or you're likely to not even see him....in tight the increaded pellet count makes it a deadly little gun.....

I will add that I had the barrels opened up to cylinder and cylinder.....I've never patterned it but in those places that I use it I can list several people whoul will vouche that the only non-lethal place for duck to be is on "my side" of the barrels.....

Put Thomas on a Dove field with the gun with lead and light loads first....then move him up to the heavier, more expensive, loads if his "finger" can handle it....

Steve
 
Put Thomas on a Dove field with the gun with lead and light loads first....then move him up to the heavier, more expensive, loads if his "finger" can handle it....

Steve
Click to expand...


Excellent strategy. Great input everyone. Thanks. Steve, now you've got me wanting to try it in close quarters.

Eric
 
so I have some "sentimental" attachment with it.....

It "might have" fit me when I bought it when I was 14 but it certainly didn't fit after I started to "bulk up for the long cold Florida Winters" plus I had moved to a 12 after getting out of high school....The gun sat in the closet for several years until a friend and I "discovered" a couple of incredible Teal and Wood Duck holes.....

I had the thickest recoil pad I could find on the gun, (I needed the extra stock length), and figuring that the gun was never going to be considered a "BEST GUN" that opening the chokes up wasn't gong to make any difference in its future value, had the chokes opened to cylinder....

Like I said I don't shoot it much now but for a time I was shooting several boxes of light steel loads through it a season with no ill effects....the rib solder is still solid and there is no bulging in the barrels which are still bright and unscored from the steel.....

It really is a fun gun to shoot in tight spots and was also a deadly Woodcock gun back in the days when I had Woodcock to shoot.....

Mine's a "A" model and has surprisingly nice wood on it....nice little gun......I'm guessing if Thomas can handle the trigger guard "bite" that he'll like it...

Steve
 
In my opinion there is not a decent 16ga steel load made for waterfowl hunting. The payload is light and the ballistics aren't there. If your son is going to try the gun, buy him a couple of 10 packs of Kent Impact 1 1/4oz loads or Nice Shot. Neither is cheap but I'm sure you can find things for him to do between now and huinting season to "work it off." I've used the Kent and been very pleased w/ it in 16ga. I haven't used the Nice Shot factory loads but I've bought the shot and loaded my own and its very effective on ducks of all sizes.
We only go around once.

Rich
 
Erick: Ihave a 16ga Ethaca fluses and I'll be giving it to my daughter who has never shot before for her first gun,and hope she will gun with me next fall over my new munsterlander amber she is 11weeks old. best,Bill
 
I tend to agree with Sutton on the concept of mass of the payload theory and have formulated a few thoughts of opinions that can relate to any shotgun a person feels the need to purchase or shoot...In your sons case #1 speaks for itself...


In my humble opinion:

Pros:
1. He is taking the initiative to "Want" to shoot the 16...

Cons:

2. A 16 will have the ability to carry more payload...Not much more...7/8" to 15/16" (most readily available 16 gauge steel shot size). That is 81 compared to 76 pellets...87 in 1 oz...And in this case a 16 has a slower speed than the 20 gauge...

3. Cost of shells (no matter how great your pipeline of incoming shells you will tend to pay more, simple principle of supply and demand: That is why the 12 gauge is most often cheaper then all other gauges dependent on same shot size)

4. Gauge size of the gun does not necessarly grant the gift of effective wing shooting...

5. 1 once is 1 ounce...No matter the gauge you shoot...The greatest principle overlooked that all shooters should know before they go in the field is to understand your own shooting abilities...Shooter needs to know the gun and understand what that are capable of depending on the game they hunt...

6. Shooter flinching...It only takes one good kick by a larger gun for a young person to get slightly gun shy and start the poor shooters method of pull versus squeezing the trigger...Can take years to overcome...Largest failure of any wing shooter besides the swing through...


In my opinion you should let him shoot his grandfathers gun...Sounds like tradition to me...But I believe you need to let him know that the gun will not make him a better shooter only he will be able to do that himself...I shot my 20 youth model Remington 1100 more than any other gauge I own this year...I know the gun...It is like my extended arm with 76 little pellets directed where every I want them...

Regards,

Kristan
 
Shoot the 16. Check the pattern. Let your son try a 12 with 23/4 shells. If he can handle the weight of the gun it probally has less recoil. You probally would want to keep the 16 barrels in good shape,since it is a family gun. John
 
Eric, I hunted ducks and geese with my Grandaads 16 ga Mod 12 for years with as much success as any one else. The max load for a 16 with lead shot is1 1/4oz with 3 1/4 dram eq. a 12 ga load. I started using bismuth as soon as it was approved and still use it (the gun) a couple times a season. Word of caution; some of the 16's were built on 20ga frames and will knock the snot out of you if your not ready. For instance, my mod 12 only weighs something like 6 1/4 lbs.
 
Eric, I hunted ducks and geese with my Grandaads 16 ga Mod 12 for years with as much success as any one else. The max load for a 16 with lead shot is1 1/4oz with 3 1/4 dram eq. a 12 ga load. I started using bismuth as soon as it was approved and still use it (the gun) a couple times a season. Word of caution; some of the 16's were built on 20ga frames and will knock the snot out of you if your not ready. For instance, my mod 12 only weighs something like 6 1/4 lbs.
Click to expand...

The fact about the 16 ga Model 12s were built on the 20 Model 12 frame is what I love about them so much. As a light weight upland gun that is easy to carry in the field all day, and with the 28" barrel, the gun swings on birds quickly yet smoothly, they are wonderful on pheasants.

My Dad didn't shoot ducks when I was a kid, but I did lend it to my buddy's teenage son when he was young to shoot in the duck blind. We only take close decoying birds anyway, so the lighter steel loads were fine in it. I did get my gunsmiths blessing before shooting steel through it.

John
 
I'll add my 2cents to what's already said. The larger bore will also handle larger shot more smoothly, and thus pattern better, with less flyers.
 
Eric, Just do it! By the time next season rolls around [font=Verdana,Arial,Helvetica]Thomas can shoot both and decide for himself. I shot my first ducks, grouse, woodcock, rabbits, and a goose with an old Steven's 16 ga. When I had to switch to steel, I did open up the chokes to shoot a real improved and modified, instead of the full and full patterns the original chokes shot with steel. It also became Meg's first shotgun and she took her first ducks and geese with it too.

View attachment Meg1stgooseR.jpg

They are a solid work horse that did work better with lead but still do fine for ducks. And personally I like my two shoot guns in SXS rather than stacked.

Enjoy!
Scott
[/font]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top