Just ordered a 16 gauge full choke barrel for my old Topper 158. It's originally a 12 gauge modified choke. I have a .45 ACP barrel for it too. Hopefully it will be a good shooter. If it gets here soon, I'll pattern it and turkey hunt some with it.
H&R Topper 16 gauge full choke barrel
- Thread starter ROVERBOY
- Start date
Where did u order from?Just ordered a 16 gauge full choke barrel for my old Topper 158. It's originally a 12 gauge modified choke. I have a .45 ACP barrel for it too. Hopefully it will be a good shooter. If it gets here soon, I'll pattern it and turkey hunt some with it.
Turkeyridge88
New Member
How'd this barrel work out for ya? Receiver fit etc? I was just looking at them on grc. Love a 16 ga for turkeys! I carry a 870 16 ga alot for gobblers but it can get heavy after a few miles. I have a topper 98 20 ga that hoping will fit good with one of these barrels.Just ordered a 16 gauge full choke barrel for my old Topper 158. It's originally a 12 gauge modified choke. I have a .45 ACP barrel for it too. Hopefully it will be a good shooter. If it gets here soon, I'll pattern it and turkey hunt some with it.
Turkeyridge88
New Member
Thanks for the report! Definitely a good deal nonetheless. I imagine fitting varies gun to gun but glad to hear it's functional. I imagine by "doesn't shoot great" you mean patterning? Im a turkey gun guy so im all ears. 16 ga choke diameters seem a little different from each mfg... I hunted 2 yrs with a trulock .630 Xtra full in my 870 16ga, and it would kill em all day as far as you should be shooting turkeys(tss). I'm betting that .640 fixed choke in the 28" might just do the trick with some TSS on turkeys.
Yeah, about the only game I hunt nowadays with a shotgun is turkeys. It has to shoot a good tight pattern. It just didn't impress me. I wish I had a tapered reamer, and I would open the forcing cone up. That might help.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
As far as the patterns go, if you can get some #9 TSS (at least 1 1/8 oz), you'll likely have a 40-yd turkey gun that doesn't shoot a rifle-like pattern. I've killed several turkeys with a 16 ga in times past, and most will do just fine out to 35 yds, even with lead loads.
If I were limited to a single shotgun for life, it might just be a Browning Sweet 16.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
When the 20 ga became available with 3-inch shells, between that and successful marketing, the 16 ga became relatively obsolete, at least in terms of finding ammo and 16-ga anything offerings.
I remember when I bought new my 1st Browning Sweet 16, and the gun dealer saying, "Hits like a 12, carries like a 20." That was pretty much true when neither 12s nor 20s had 3" chambers, and we didn't have TSS.
I remember when I bought new my 1st Browning Sweet 16, and the gun dealer saying, "Hits like a 12, carries like a 20." That was pretty much true when neither 12s nor 20s had 3" chambers, and we didn't have TSS.
I was shooting the Remington 1 1/8 oz. #6 high brass. I can't remember what they call it. It's got a pheasant on the box. I wish Federal would bring back their 2 3/4" turkey loads. 1 1/4 oz copper plated, buffered shot. The 16 is like Rodney Dangerfield. No respect.
TheLBLman
Well-Known Member
THAT may be part of the problem!
Remington & Pheasant!
Seriously, pheasant loads are typically higher velocity and pattern horribly.
Lower velocity loads typically pattern more uniformly.
I've also typically gotten poorer patterns from Remington brand for whatever reason.
If you can find some copper (or nickel) plated #7 1/2 high velocity pheasant loads, they might work well for you. But your best bet remains TSS loads, and if handloading, I would go with the #9.5 shot size with that gun.
These should work well in that gun.
Price is high, but you shouldn't need to shoot but a couple times each spring to kill two birds.
https://apexmunition.com/shop/turkey-tss/pt-16-16-ga-2-3-4-1-5-8oz-5-shells/
I might bite the "bullet" next season and buy some of these. It's a shame what the gun companies and ammo companies have done to the 16 gauge.
Turkeyridge88
New Member
Those apex 16 ga loads are the first tss I used 6 years ago. I prefer #8's, but killed a few with the #9's no problem. They are gamechangers compared to lead loads! I hadload tss nowadays and get better consistent patterns at about half the price of OTC tss. Seen a few turkeys killed guiding for the last 10 years and wouldn't recommend lead 7.5s let alone 6s for spring gobblers. Probably work fine on fall birds though.But that's just me. Lead loads patterned noticeably better with .610-.615 superfull chokes in my 16ga than even the the .630 extra full in my 16ga. That 16 ga topper barrel is probably going to "require" tss to get turkey effective patterns past 30 yards. Which is why my wheels are spinning thinking I need another 16 ga
What shot weight are you able to get in the case?Those apex 16 ga loads are the first tss I used 6 years ago. I prefer #8's, but killed a few with the #9's no problem. They are gamechangers compared to lead loads! I hadload tss nowadays and get better consistent patterns at about half the price of OTC tss. Seen a few turkeys killed guiding for the last 10 years and wouldn't recommend lead 7.5s let alone 6s for spring gobblers. Probably work fine on fall birds though.But that's just me. Lead loads patterned noticeably better with .610-.615 superfull chokes in my 16ga than even the the .630 extra full in my 16ga. That 16 ga topper barrel is probably going to "require" tss to get turkey effective patterns past 30 yards. Which is why my wheels are spinning thinking I need another 16 ga
Turkeyridge88
New Member
I load 1&3/4 oz tss in my 16ga. Probably overkill, but very effective.
Wow, now that's a load. I definitely need to get some TSS shells before next season.
