Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Premium for 16 gauge ?

For you 16ga loonies, both are 16ga. The one on the left 2 3/4, while the right is an old 3in Peters paper. Have the Parker they were originally used in and factory records said it was originally 3in. Used that same gun, although with 2 3/4 to take two of the Grouse a bud and I took out of the big woods yesterday.

Please stop posting pictures of pretty old 16 gauge shotguns. You're guys are gonna force me to do something stupid (again).

This one is not pretty, but it is old. Has had some changes along the way. Run of the mill stock-the original which I still have had too much drop-and a Miller trigger which is better than most rifles. First owned by a Mr. Bardwell, then my Father and now me.

From the old-time heyday of Dakota Pheasants, to the Grouse woods of today it has BTDT in spades. Took two of the Birds in the above pic.

I haven't found 16 ga. shells to command all that much of a premium at retail, at least here in western Illinois. Sixteens are generally available anywhere that stocks any amount of ammo (except Wally world), but aren't available in the same variety of loads as 12's or 20's.

Generally I've found sixteens to be priced about the same as equivalent loads in other bore sizes, or maybe 25-50 cents a box more. That's comparing 12 ga. game loads to 16 ga. game loads, or high brass 16's to high brass 20's.

That said, there are retailers who only stock high brass 16's, and yeah, they're about twice the price of the 12 ga. promotional loads in the same store.

My maternal grandfather bought me a A-5 Belgian Sweet Sixteen on the day of my birth in 1954. My paternal grand father bought me a Ruger Standard (pre-MK I) with a 5 1/2" tapered barrel on the same day. They both still work fine, though I did have to replace the firing pin on the A-5 a few years ago. I have used the old A-5 for everything from bear, deer, dove, grouse, squirrel, to clays. The little Ruger Standard was the first gun that I ever shot, and it has been shot a lot. It still shots great. Is it me, or does the 16 reach a little farther than the 12 and 20 does?