Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters 16 gauge reloading?

I placed a 1955 Browning Sweet Sixteen on layaway recently and will pick it up next week. I have 500 Fiocchi hulls inbound, along with some Winchester Super X and Remington hulls. I have on hand a fair amount of 700X, Unique, 4756 in 4 and 8 pound containers. I also have some HS-6 and Blue Dot in one pounders. I plan to load 7/8 ounce to 1 1/8 ounce loads. I have handloaded for shotguns for 35 years in 10, 12, 20, and 28 gauge. My question is; what is anyone's favorite powder in the 16? Is there one go to powder that has a fairly broad application or should I have a couple of powders on hand for target and hunting loads. I will be loading target loads, upland game loads and some non-tox for the occasional waterfowl foray. Thanks in advance.

Mart

All the powders you have are useful in the 16.

What you need to do, however, is buy a copy of THE 16-GAUGE MANUAL from Ballistic Products (www.ballisticproducts.com). It's the most comprehensive collection of 16-gauge data and components around.

Mart, I've never loaded the 16 so can't answer. While this forum gets more visits, there is a shotshell reloading forum you might try if you get nothing here.

Ach, Mule Deers post wasn't showing when I posted.

Do what he says.

mart, congrats on a nice snag Sweet 16 is my favorite shotgun. Get a Mec 600Jr in 16 ga ,round up all the AA and Power Piston wads you can find. Keep your eye out at gunshows for any older factory loads and buy'em. Google up Ballistic Products of Corcoron Mn and get a catalog from them.They probably have the biggest selection on 16 ga components you will find. BP also has a 16 ga reloading manual that you might find usefull. Magnum man

John,

That manual is on the top of my list to get. I have several of their loading manuals. I've been finding some good information at 16ga.com as well. I thought I'd ask here also to get your input. Thanks.

Mart

The info on 16ga.com will likely be better than anything else you'll find on the web. I've been using Universal Clays for one ounce loads in BP wads.

I have been loading the 16 for some 40 years. Some of the best wads available for loading lighter loads, 7/8- 1 oz., The best I have used are Gualandi wads from Grafs. They will load 1 oz in Federal hulls and 7/8 in Remington hulls. I've shot some 8,000 of them.

Send me your email address by PM and I will share with you any number of loads from manuals I have and the loads I use. I also have the manual from Ballistics products and find it to be just a way to spend money, thus it is worthless to me.

Yeah, the manual is $15.95, which will break most reloaders.

Fred, what's your favorite non-toxic shot load for the 16?

Threads like this remind me that I do have a Ballistic Products manual (though if I recall correctly I got such a good deal on it that it would have cost me money not to buy it) but am currently lacking a SxS 16ga... Might have begun my 16ga quest backward

Well, yeah!

Eileen and I have several 16's right now, including a couple of German combo guns (one a 6.5x57R drilling), an Ithaca pump, and Eileen's nifty little Army & Navy British side-by-side. Have also owned a few others in the past, including a Beretta SxS and a Model 12 Winchester. While some loads work consistently in most of them, a little experimentation never hurts, especially since some of the new wads and non-toxic shot are pretty nifty.

John, I simply do not have a need for non tox. Thus I have never loaded any of the steel or any other. I have shot a large number of chukars with 1 1/8 loads.

Looks like you must load some low pressure loads with some of the 16's you have. I use unique with 1 oz loads at 8500 psi in an austrian o/u using federal cases, and the gualandi wad with the 1 oz load. I shoot a lot of pigeons and starlings with that load. Will really reach out and touch birds at longer ranges with #5 shot and 20 & 25 thous. of choke.

I also recommend the 16 Gauge Manual from BP.

Keep in mind with the Fiocchi hulls you're going to need 616 primers.

My go to load is a BP recipe consisting of the Fiocchi hull, BP Z16 wad, 1oz of nickel plated 7 1/2's launched by Universal Clays. My pre-war A5 wouldn't pattern for squat til I tried the Z16 with its center focus characteristics. Everything from dove to turkey have fallen to that load, though I do pass on the longer shots at late season roosters.

Fred,

You may not have any need for non-toxic 16's but the original poster specifically mentioned them, the reason I recommended the Ballistic Products manual. It not only has data for steel but various other kinds of non-toxic shot.

Yeah, I load low-pressure 16's for Eileen's Army & Navy, a very light little SxS. Can't remember the powder offhand, but it very well could be Unique. I load a lot of #7 hard shot in 7/8 and 1-ounce loads (the British #6) as it penetrates much better than 7-1/2's but provides a lot more pattern density than 6's. It kills barn pigeons pretty well too!

Thanks guys for all the responses. I have a set of dies for my Ponsness Warren 375 that I've had for years. Just never had the chance to use them. I did not know about the 616 primers with the Fiocchi hulls. Does that mean standard 209's won't work? I sure hope I can find 616's in Alaska cause I just ordered 500 of the Fiocchi hulls.

Mart

They will work but the Fiocci primer is just a bit different.

I like the Gualandi wads a lot. I still have some of the disperser X ones for the 16 that open up the tight choke in the 16 I load for.

The price of the manual is cheap compared to the help with the service on custom load questions to BP esp. on things like which primer can be substituted in a given load.
The folks there are very helpful and will try to get you what you need weather its information or components.

I am shooting the 16 a lot less though. I dont have a progressive press for the 16 and just end up shooting a lighter load in a 12 now because the 9000 MEC just spits out the loads.

My 375 gets dusty waiting to load a few non tox and speciality loads for the rest of the gages.

Reloading for Shotgunners V5 by Rick Sapp has recipes for a variety of shot types. Nice Shot might not have been around when it was published, but I think it can be used with lead load data, but would check with the supplier to be sure.

Mart, depending on the choke in the A5, you might want to catch up on what non toxic brands will shoot without damaging the choke. Frankly, I would leave the NT loads for the 12 ga. guns to avoid any damage to my 16's. Although I have shot up a bunch of steel 2's in my Browning Gold 20 ga. with .020 of choke Just a killer load for pigeons out to about 50 yards. I am getting old and wanting to get rid of any of my heavier loads.

Fred,

Yet another reason I suggested the Ballistics Products reloading guide is it includes non-toxic loads that don't harm barrels, using both Bismuth shot and BP's ITX, another excellent choice.

Fred,

My 16 has a Hartford adjustable choke, similar to a poly choke. I have loaded ITX and Bismuth for my old 2 7/8" Ithaca Lewis 10 gauge. I don't do a lot of waterfowling but prefer to use classic guns when I do and haven't shot a steel load in years. I had a great hunt with an old friend and fellow campfire member, Safariman, on Wednesday. The duck shooting was hot and the old 10 performed wonderfully with bismuth 6's.

It brings me great joy to put the old classics back to work. I look forward to some duck shooting next year with the Browning. It will see some ptarmigan time this winter I hope but won't need non toxic for that.

Mart

I just picked up the Sweet sixteen today. My Fiocchi hulls showed up today and I got my Ponsness 375 set up with the 16 gauge dies. I am excited to get to the range for some skeet and sporting clays. I need to find some wads tomorrow and I'll be in business.

Here some pics of the old gun.