Who Says the 16 is Dead?

[LoneGoose]

I've heard it for years - "They're gonna quit making 16-gauge ammo because the 16 is outdated." Well, great things don't die. I see that Browning is now making a re-engineered model of the Sweet 16. More manufacturers to follow, I'm sure. Long live the 16. THR rocks.

 

[FL-NC]

Its not "dead", its just not as popular (or common) as 12 and 20. I know more than a couple of serious quail/pheasant hunters who swear by it- shooting guns that cost more than trucks I've owned, BTW. I'm good with my old ithaca 37 and my cheap wal mart 12 gauge rounds. Personally, I won't own a gun I can't feed with a trip to wally world, but to each his own!

 

[joem1945]

I hunted for many years with a Ithica 16 pump. I don't hunt anymore but I have more 12 if need be.

 

[fatjoe]

There's an interesting book out there called "Shotgunning for Deer" which made some good arguments as to why 16 gauge is sort of the best of both worlds in slug hunting. They're unpopular, but that doesn't mean their inferior. Hell, McDonalds is very popular, and I don't consider it the finest food out there

 

[AI&P Tactical]

Who? The manufacturers that build shotguns that's who. Doesn't matter how much stock you might put in any gage if buyers are not asking for it then it is dead.

As a Dealer I constantly get questions from buyers as to why don't they make this in this gage or this caliber and my answer is always the same. "Because you are probably the only guy that is going to buy one".

The market determines what is being offered and if it does not sell then it does not survive

 

[Virginian]

The 16 is not dead, but neither is it the "perfect gauge". As more and more 16 aficionados die off the popularity will continue to wane.

 

[Ironicaintit]

I love my Winchester mdl 12, 16 gauge. It's action is as smooth as butter and points so nice. But, I hardly ever shoot it cuz I don't wanna burn up my store of ammo for it!

 

[Panzerschwein]

Like the 8 gauge, and now even the 10 gauge, the "sweet 16" is going nowhere fast these days.

I'd invest in many a 16 gauge hull to reload when they do dry up. Need shotguns though.

 

[HisStigness]

I would like to say the 16 gauge isn't dead, but I think it is at least in my area. I had the chance to buy a 16 gauge shotshell reloader, so that was the go ahead to buy the gun, because at least I'd always have ammo to feed it. I checked the local and big box gun shop in town and after looking at hundreds of shotguns I found one: an old Winchester model 12 in very used condition. They wanted $900 for it. I don't think I'll ever end up owning a sweet 16 after all.

 

[USAF_Vet]

The 16 gauge is as dead as the 28 gauge. As in, neither are dead, not even on life support. They're just not as common as 12, 20, and .410.

With reduced recoil and specialty tailored loads for 12 and 20 gauges and .410, they do kinda sorta displace 16 gauge, and to a lesser extent 28.

Specialty loads for the more common shotgun chamberings have lead to the drying up of 16 and 28, but they're not going away. Just going to continue to be less common.

I'm not much of a hunter, and what little wingshooting I do, I've found 12 and 20 work. Can't justify the expense of a new 16 or 28 for the rare hunting trip I do take.

 

[Virginian]

The 28 is fine, because of all gauge skeet, and preserve wingshooting, and dove hunting. Plenty of new guns available. The 16 is not even close. If you love it, more power to you, but there is nothing magical about it.

 

[eastbank]

i have four 16ga,s right now, a fox sterlingworth double, a lefever nitro double, a rem 870 and a win model 12. i had a rem 1100 vent rib, but was offered much more than i paid for it and it now has a new owner. i now use a early rem 870 light weight 20 a lot. eastbank.

 

[bc38]

ive got a # of shotguns/ gauges but when i go hunting i always garb a 16. for me hunting means grouse timber doodle and the occasional hare. Browning is doing it right with a 16g frame as opposed to remingtons 870 16 built on a 12 gauge frame they tried to sell a few years ago. im in my 50's and have been hearing that the 16g is dead for as long as i can remember. yes ya might have to look for ammo, pick it up when ya find it, but the last two boxes i bought i got a wally world 1 box of #6 & one of slugs.

 

[PapaG]

my first repeating shotgun was a Model 12 in 16 ga. My local shop has one just like it I'm very tempted to buy. Why? No good reason other than I can and would like to have a gun like the one I shot my first rabbits, pheasants and quail with. Reloading components aren't hard to find. Hulls might be. Thinking.......

 

[drcook]

Most of my 16ga ammo is bought from the Walmart down the road. After Walmart I can get ammo from Dick's and 2 or 3 other places local to me. I have only had to special order #5's from Midway.

I know a few people that hunt with 16's. An older Ithaca 37 is our preferred shotgun for hunting.

 

[krimmie]

I guess ammo availability depends on where you live. My brother took my last 16 gauge(model 12) back up to Tennessee with him, as 16 gauge ammo is common there, but not here in South Florida.

 

[FL-NC]

Ammo not available at the Wal Marts near me either.

 

[fatjoe]

Like the 8 gauge, and now even the 10 gauge, the "sweet 16" is going nowhere fast these days.

I'd invest in many a 16 gauge hull to reload when they do dry up. Need shotguns though.

8 gauge? I thought that was only used to clean boilers

 

[chas08]

I'd rather shoot a 16 than a 20. Especially if its on a scaled to gauge frame. I have no trouble finding ammo on the internet. The UPS man leaves them on my porch 500 rounds at a time. And the cost difference that I've experienced between 16, 12, & 20 isn't enough to worry about if you enjoy shooting it. Even our Wal-Mart keeps a small supply of #6 high brass loads available. Now there is a sizable difference in price between high and low brass loads, but that difference also exists for 12 & 20.

 

[Virginian]

How many new 16 gauge shotguns are available?

 

[huntsman]

^Don't believe Merkel offers a 16 gauge anymore

 

[horsemen61]

I do enjoy the 16 gauge quite a bit even if it aint super popular

 

[HB]

I had a 16 gauge sxs for a while then sold it to pay bills in college. At least in Missouri shells were plentiful and not much more expensive than 12 during dove season. Options were limited though.

HB

 

[blarby]

Given the number of people in the shop in the last week looking for 16GA ammo, I'd say it's anything but dead.

We are a "closer to rural" shop than most, however.

 

[hAkron]

Browning is also cataloging a couple of 16ga Over Under guns currently. I don't follow new Browning stuff that closely, but I did take a look at their catalog when I picked up my 725 Citori a few months back. I wouldn't mind a 16ga OU for trap, but the brownings I've seen look a little small for that purpose. I have a 16ga Browning Auto 5 light 16 Gauge (Sweet Sixteen) that I like to shoot now and then (I used to have 2 of them), and I just sold off an Ithaca Model 37 in 16ga, but it was a small gun and didn't fit me well, so I sold it to somebody who could use it in its unmodified form.