Anyone still hunt with one? I got a Winchester 370 that I absolutely love. I'm planning on trying to take a deer with it being that it absolutely loves the federal rifled slugs.
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16 Gauge?
- Thread starter timberjack86
- Start date
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
I love 16 gauges.
They were once the most popular "bird" hunting gauge in the South.
The very first shotgun I saved my money and bought in my youth (and I worked many long hours in hot fields for low wages!!!) was a Browning Sweet 16.
I hunted absolutely everything with it.
This was before screw-in chokes, so you had to buy extra barrels.
Bought it initially with an improved cylinder barrel, soon added a full for ducks & squirrels,
and a "buck special" for deer.
My grandfather killed thousands of ducks with a Browning Sweet 16.
Back then it was quite common people hunted everything they hunted with one shotgun.
Although I killed my 1st deer with a 20 ga., I did kill my 1st turkey with a 16 ga. (using the same shells I used for squirrels & ducks). This pre-dated not being able to use lead loads for waterfowl.
They were once the most popular "bird" hunting gauge in the South.
The very first shotgun I saved my money and bought in my youth (and I worked many long hours in hot fields for low wages!!!) was a Browning Sweet 16.
I hunted absolutely everything with it.
This was before screw-in chokes, so you had to buy extra barrels.
Bought it initially with an improved cylinder barrel, soon added a full for ducks & squirrels,
and a "buck special" for deer.
My grandfather killed thousands of ducks with a Browning Sweet 16.
Back then it was quite common people hunted everything they hunted with one shotgun.
Although I killed my 1st deer with a 20 ga., I did kill my 1st turkey with a 16 ga. (using the same shells I used for squirrels & ducks). This pre-dated not being able to use lead loads for waterfowl.
I have always wanted a sweet 16, I bid on one the other day on gun broker but it went out of sight rather quickly.
Chiflyguy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 6, 2019
- Messages
- 5,217
Got a Stevens 311 double in 16 gauge. Used to hunt rabbit and pheasant with it.
How readily available are slugs?
I've been buying them off of federals website
Got a pair of Model 58 Remingtons that dad bought he & I. One is modified & the other is improved cylinder. He gave me the improved as with it I had a better chance at hitting the rabbit in front of our beagles 
Displaced_Vol
Well-Known Member
I think I want a new rendition of the sweet 16. That'll be my do-most gun for dove, ducks & pheasants. Problem is I'd love to handle one but I've never seen one in person in any Gun Store around here.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
The problem now with the 16 gauge is the lack of a reasonable selection of 16 gauge loads. I'm afraid the 16 gauge is destined to continue to fade further into the abyss. A shame, but seems the current reality.
The original 16-ga Browning autoloader was introduced in 1909 (this is with what my grandfather killed so many ducks); the "Sweet 16" came later. Also in the early 1900's, Remington obtain patent rights from Browning to produce the Remington Model 11, which was almost an identical clone of the Browning A-5.
My very first shotgun was a Remington Model 11 in 20 gauge; 1st shotgun I myself bought was a Browning Sweet 16. When I began turkey hunting, I didn't own a 12 ga anything. Consequently, 3 of my first four wild turkeys were taken, not just with a 16 gauge gun, but with three different 16 ga guns. One with a 16ga Fox Double, one with a Stevens 16 ga Double, and one with a Browning Sweet 16.
www.americanrifleman.org
blog.cheaperthandirt.com
gunsmagazine.com
The original 16-ga Browning autoloader was introduced in 1909 (this is with what my grandfather killed so many ducks); the "Sweet 16" came later. Also in the early 1900's, Remington obtain patent rights from Browning to produce the Remington Model 11, which was almost an identical clone of the Browning A-5.
My very first shotgun was a Remington Model 11 in 20 gauge; 1st shotgun I myself bought was a Browning Sweet 16. When I began turkey hunting, I didn't own a 12 ga anything. Consequently, 3 of my first four wild turkeys were taken, not just with a 16 gauge gun, but with three different 16 ga guns. One with a 16ga Fox Double, one with a Stevens 16 ga Double, and one with a Browning Sweet 16.
An Official Journal Of The NRA | Browning Auto-5: The First Successful Semi-Auto Shotgun
It was the first successful semi-automatic shotgun design, and its more than 100 years of existence are a tribute to the enduring genius of John Moses Browning.
Sweet 16: The Unappreciated 16-Gauge Shotgun - The Shooter's Log
A short-but-sweet look at the 16-gauge shotgun and why it is so unappreciated these days. It just may be the gentlemen's gauge.
blog.cheaperthandirt.com
The Sweet Sixteen
If you’re old enough to remember the lyrics to Only Sixteen by Sam Cooke, you probably remember an era when you saw a lot more 16 gauges in the field.
gunsmagazine.com
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Not necessarily, a quick check of federals website shows everything from small game loads to duck to slugs and buckshot for big game. The even off custom tss for turkey of you desire to pay for it. https://www.federalpremium.com/shotshell/The problem now with the 16 gauge is the lack of a reasonable selection of 16 gauge loads. I'm afraid the 16 gauge is destined to continue to fade further into the abyss. A shame, but seems the current reality.
The original 16-ga Browning autoloader was introduced in 1909 (this is with what my grandfather killed so many ducks); the "Sweet 16" came later. Also in the early 1900's, Remington obtain patent rights from Browning to produce the Remington Model 11, which was almost an identical clone of the Browning A-5.
My very first shotgun was a Remington Model 11 in 20 gauge; 1st shotgun I myself bought was a Browning Sweet 16. When I began turkey hunting, I didn't own a 12 ga anything. Consequently, 3 of my first four wild turkeys were taken, not just with a 16 gauge gun, but with three different 16 ga guns. One with a 16ga Fox Double, one with a Stevens 16 ga Double, and one with a Browning Sweet 16.
An Official Journal Of The NRA | Browning Auto-5: The First Successful Semi-Auto Shotgun
It was the first successful semi-automatic shotgun design, and its more than 100 years of existence are a tribute to the enduring genius of John Moses Browning.
Sweet 16: The Unappreciated 16-Gauge Shotgun - The Shooter's Log
A short-but-sweet look at the 16-gauge shotgun and why it is so unappreciated these days. It just may be the gentlemen's gauge.
The Sweet Sixteen
If you’re old enough to remember the lyrics to Only Sixteen by Sam Cooke, you probably remember an era when you saw a lot more 16 gauges in the field.
My favorite shotgun is my 16 ga. Remington Model 31 that my Grandfather bought in the 30's. It's also the one I shoot the best with.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
Yes, Federal has stepped up the game a bit.
But even Federal has supply-inventory problems.
When both 12 ga & 20 ga shotguns came out with 3" chambers,
but this was not done with the 16 ga,
that was pretty much the marketing death blow to the 16 ga.
With the 3" chamber, the 20 ga could now easily be loaded with 1 1/4 oz lead,
while the 2 3/4" 16 ga equivalent was 1 1/8 oz (although could be "pushed" to 1 1/4 oz).
But I'd bet the 16 ga may be more popular right now than the 10 ga,
which had gained popularity with waterfowl hunters until
12 ga guns went to 3 1/2", then "heavier than lead" loads became available.
I inherited a Wing master 16 gauge that was a full choke gun and my great uncle had two inches cut off the barrel and the bead re-set. it was a quail killer! back when there were quail.
Smo
Well-Known Member
Here's one of my favorite
16's..
44" Colerain barrel (cylinder bore) L&R Flintlock..
16's..
44" Colerain barrel (cylinder bore) L&R Flintlock..
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squirrel_hunter
Well-Known Member
I know several guy shooting sports clays with them. I thought about buying one while back. But i would have to buy a another reloader set up. And decide to just buy another 28ga. I love squirrel hunting with a small bore.
hoghunter65
Well-Known Member
I have a savage 311 in 16 ga. I also have an old box of Win slugs when they came in boxes of 25.
Gad Father
Well-Known Member
I have a wing master and the only thing I hunt with it is turkeys. With TSS its a killer.
348Winchester
Well-Known Member
My first shotgun was an H&R Topper Model 88 16 gauge. I still have it and use it 44 years later. As a kid and still to this day I love the purple hulls! Over the years I have owned many different 16's and reach for one of the three in the safe when grouse hunting.
