Home Forums Birds & Dogs Shotguns Favorite upland gauge?

I've been using that 28Gauge Super X loading except it has been with 5's.

They hit hard.

I've used all the common gauges except the 10, and I'm working to change that. The 12 is still my favorite by far.

20 ga. Had a 28 but got rid of it, it's "cute" but I like the 20 better and shells are cheaper and easier to find.

I'm the opposite, never had much use for a 20 when there were LW 16's available.

Well cute tumbled an honest 40yard crossing Pheasant the other day. Had missed one previously and didn't work the pump for some unknown reason. This Bird got up in front of Toby and all I got was click. Worked the pump and he went down head first. Followed it up with another quartering away Bird at around 30.

Buy shells by the case at the right place and price becomes reasonable. Along with being easy to find.

Fact is they all work, so no slam on the 20.

Damned if I could say.

Never shot anything bigger than a 10.

I've owned and hunted with most actions in most gauges. I've had more than one in each gauge and action type that I have really liked a lot for most kinds of bird hunting. All I know for sure is that I don't like semi autos of any gauge.

I've had guns I just loved that I was lucky to hit the ground with on a given day. I've had guns I shot exceptionally well.I have never owned a Darne, but I'd snatch up a 16, 20 or 28 if I ran across one at the right price in a heartbeat. I'd like to have another crescent .410 double.

I suppose that a Model 12 Winchester in 16 with a solid rib comes closest to being a favorite. I have one now with nice wood and a WS-1 barrel that's about done building and I am thinking I might build up a full or modified front end for it, just to have it, before I am done.

Like to see it when it is finished. Model 12 16's were birthed with better balance than some high end shotguns.

Yeah, I like the small action and they handle ounce or ounce & and eighth loads better than 20s and 28s. Once you solve them for their particular choke they can be really nice. The only real down side is that they can take a particular dislike to certain loads in the tighter chokes. I have seen them produce patterns so tight they shredded birds at 30-35 yards, and the same guns could also blow patterns so bad you couldn't keep it all on the side of a garage at 30 yards.

I am to the point that I will be starting the metal work cleaning up the garfs and getting it ready for rust blueing. I think I will sand blast the top of the rib for a nice dull matte finish. I'll post pics when it's done.

I use my 28 O/U more and more, too. I bought it for skeet shooting, at which I use it about 90% of the time anymore. For grouse and game farm quail ('tain't no wild ones around here anymore) it usually gets the nod. Back when there were still pheasants to be found I used a 16 mostly, and would probably reach for that one (an LC Smith) again should the opportunity arise, but I would hesitate as my hand passed over the 28 to reach it.

I only use 12's when waterfowling, or on handicap distances at trap anymore. Truth be told, I could close my eyes and reach in and grab whatever gun falls to hand for any end use purpose and not feel handicapped much, except maybe if I latched onto the heavy Smith Longrange double gun if I were headed to the skeet club. I don't think I fired any of my 20's in almost 10 years now, come to think of it. The 20 gauge Smith double was my favorite grouse gun until the 28 snuck in.

When we get bored with shooting geese with 12's we mix it up a bit by using our 28's. 7/8 ounce Nice Shot loads knock them ass-over-tail-feathers as well as the 1oz and 1 1/8oz loads of Nice Shot in the 12's, which is to say cleanly and smartly.

I always said if I had to limit myself to one gun, and it had to be a shucker, make it a M12 16 gauge.

Long time a go I had a M12 16 and we didn't get along so it went down the road,I replaced it with a M37 R Ithaca in 16ga fits better and shoots well for me. This fall I did trade into a M12 12 ga with a plain barrel 26" Imp Cyl. It was the first one I ever ran across in that barrel length and choke. Older gun in the 99x,xxx range. Shot a round of skeet with it and plan on using it more this winter. Thought it would be a good home gun too,holds 7 and all you to do is hold back the trigger and work the pump, real hoser. Magnum Man

I shot my first pheasant along the railroad right-of-way south of town with a 16 gauge H&R single shot (it's illegal now to hunt railroad ditches in Iowa) and maybe a few more then traded it off. Since then it's been 20's and 12's in several configurations and lately a 28 that I've really come to appreciate.

I'd be hard pressed to name a favorite gauge but much easier to name favorite guns. My upland bird hunting consists of pheasants 98% of the time until lately when I've also taken up doves where appropriate 20 and 28 loads are perfect IMO.

I think shot shells have improved much like center fire loads did with temp-resistant powders and premium bullets. I remember shot shells with a circular, card board "wad" atop a shotcup-less load of shot - no designer wads or "star" crimps. So some 20's may now throw a better pattern at 40 yards than a 12 did forty years ago.

In shooting a lot of pheasants, preserve and fully wild, I can't say I can tell a difference between a 7/8 oz of 6's from a 28 at 1300 fps (Fiocchi's) or 1 oz of the same at 1350 fps from a 20 (Fed Premium). Maybe if someone would shoot a thousand birds with each and keep careful records, a statistically significant difference would raise it's hand. Conversely, I think I can tell a 12 from a 20 as now we go to a 1/4 or 3/8 oz increase in shot. Obviously, I'm just comparing 2 3/4" shot shells here.

I just went on a two-day pheasant excursion in central SD. Figuring late season, far flushing, wildly skittish birds, I took two 12's along. Well, they were. But there were enough who thought holding tight was the better option and I could have easily shot almost as many with my 20 or 28 and the above loads.

I probably would name the 20 and 12 as most practical and tied for first though I always like carrying lighter guns than heavier ones; so if I were to be limited to one shotgun weight, balance, and "carry quality" would not be sacrificed to carry a 12.

16 ga for sure.

Very enjoyable thread.. Upland gunning is my favorite hunting, right next to deer hunting.. As I get older it is far easier to pick up a pheasant or grouse than trail a deer from the field..

Also NOTHING matches the joy of watching one's dogs working in the field..

It is fun to hear what loads others find work well.. 5's have always been a favorite of mine for larger upland birds.. Not to hijack the thread, but this fall I bought two bx.s of HeaviShot
Upland loads with lead shot.. One 20 and one 12.. Only used the 12 so far ... I really felt the recoil was less, and the killing effectiveness excellent.. In the 12 they were 3-1 1/8-5's.. One ozs.ers for the w 20.. Great thread Battue, thanks..

Sure seems like the 16 is enjoyed but many here, makes me wonder why more people don't shoot it, well I always wondered that...

Reason being most people here are fairly serious shotgunners, combined with the fact the younger crowd didn't have the opportunity to grow up around the 16.

For the most part that had to choose between a 12 and 20 if they wanted something other than a 12 or something a little lighter.
Then many tried to turn their LW 20s into 12s with heavy loads.

They know it has to kick to work on game. Anything else is for skeet targets.


When it comes to good shells the manufactures gave up on the 16 decades ago. The 16 has been the unwanted stepchild of most hunters, shotgun manufactures and shell makers for decades and it isn't going to change no matter how fine a choice it is.

The 16 is the 222Remington of the shotgun world.

Having several options in 12 and 20 I tend to take my Red Label 20 most often these days instead of my Citori or Ithaca 12's..but my grandfather's Parker DH in 16ga still gets the nod at least once every season...love that gun for so many reasons.

Yeah, that's the main reason I sort of started to drift away from the 16- poor cartridge selection + hull and wad selection does indeed suck for a reloader too. That coming from a guy who used to think the sun rose and set out of 16ga barrels.

Not much into hammer loads for the 16 but Federal and Fiocchi both make them. Fiocchi's regular 1 1/8 oz of 5's are damned hard to beat though. 16's definitely aren't for people who think that they can get all they need at Wallyworld. Magnum Man

I don't think I ever fired more than ounce of shot at anything out of the 16's. Usually it was 3/4 or 7/8 oz. handloads. And then Winchester dropped their AA-like 16ga wads and the hunt for good wads took on a search for the Holy Grail quality.

Any of you guys ever use any of the BP shot shells? They have a reputation of producing quality shells, good powders, wads and nickel plated shot. They have some interesting 16 gauge loadings. They load the 28 also...

Have used them off and on. They have a great rep as a quality shell.