What is a 16 gauge good for?

What is a 16 gauge good for?

While it’s certainly a capable all-around shotgun gauge suitable for deer, turkey, and duck hunting, the 16 gauge is most often used in the United States for hunting small and upland game like pheasant, quail, dove, grouse, rabbit, and squirrel.

Does Remington still make 16 gauge shotguns?

No, they stopped a few years ago. The last models they made were the 870 and the 1100. Mark is right, although most would say Remington hasn’t made a 16 ga. in 20 to 30 years.

Is the 16 gauge dead?

First, the (sort-of) good news: the 16 gauge shotgun has been dying the same slow death now for about 50 years and it’s not dead yet. It has just made a strategic withdrawal, becoming more of a cult gun and a favorite of smart upland hunters and those willing to load for it.

Is the 16 gauge shotgun the right size?

As we have already noted, on paper, the 16 is the perfect shotgun, the right size load creating the optimum shot column for delivering the perfect pattern from a gun weighing exactly six pounds. So What Went Wrong? In Europe, nothing.

When did the 16 gauge shotgun become an orphan?

When the rules for skeet were drawn up, in 1926, it was decreed that the game would be officially shot with four gauges—12, 20, 28, and .410—and that left the 16 an orphan. You might think this would have had a minimal effect, but the course of events went roughly as follows.

Can a 16 gauge gun be used for skeet shooting?

The 16 can be built into the ideal upland game gun, whether it in a double, pump, or semi-auto. The big ammunition makers are starting—tentatively, hesitantly, seemingly reluctantly—to offer some 16-gauge loads that are civilized in punch and recoil and still suitable for dove shooting or for an informal round of skeet.

How much does a 16 gauge lead ball weigh?

A 16-gauge lead ball weighs exactly an ounce. An ounce of shot in a true 16-gauge bore creates a shot column of perfect dimensions for a good pattern. In the United States, in the early years of the twentieth century, the 16 was known as the “gentleman’s gauge.”