Yo Murph. It’s Pap from EOD school. Great video. I would say upland guys have been keeping it alive. The most recent resurgence, in my opinion, has been from the waterfowl guys. With bismuth becoming a more popular option for shot. Folks have been able to take their dad’s or granddad’s old fixed full choke shotgun and do very well with them. The bismuth loads are shooting like lead. And there is now a lot of waterfowlers using 16 for ducks. Especially in the timber.
Just here to say I’m currently debating buying a 16. Watched this great video, turned to the comments, and am wildly shocked to run into two fellow EOD Techs haha
Gramps had an old "Excel" (Iver Johnson off brand) 16 Ga in the barn. Us kids would shoot it straight up in the air and wait for the pellets to fall down on us like raindrops. I have an older Stevens, and my sister has an Iver Johnson, both 16 Ga. My Sisters claims Her's is "choked down like a rifle".
I am 74. For years I hunted with a 12ga. 50 years ago I got a 16ga Winchester model 12 and started hunting with it. Saw no difference in killing power and the gun weighed a full pound less than the same gun in 12ga. All the weight and bulk to launch 1/8oz more shot. A no brainer for a field gun. Never looked back.
Velocity is of little concern. You only really need velocities of 1165 - 1285. Beyond those velocities with lead shot you will lose pattern density and so while there may be a lot of pellets within a 30 inch circle, you will have a lot of gaps where missing or wounding game can occur. Also, with the new TSS style loads the "Magnum" 3 and 3.5 shells are really no longer needed. At this point basically any of the choices are just as good as the next. The sweet spot for the 20 ga is 7/8, 16 is 1 oz and 12 is 1 1/8. Trying to get to those shot weights with one of the other gauges will generally end up in a less efficient pattern. They all have their place and each do the best job within the range that they are intended.
Off the top of my head. I can't name which ones, but there's been some 16. Gages recently made that will chamber 3 inch Shell. and I recently bought C Z Bob White.in 28 gauge that will take a 3 inch shell. You don't normally see more Velocity from one gauge to anothe. Bigger gages require more powder to push the more shot, so it all balances out. In rifles and pistols, the bigger the bullet, the less powder. You try to push too much too fast and something else May Give.
Barrett of all people produced a 16ga o/u with a three inch chamber. Some people have special ordered 3in chambers, yet I cannot find 3in ammunition, which makes me suspect that ammunition for it would be equally special order.
That was quite a lot of talk about nothing. A shotgun is a shotgun . Find one that fits you the best and in a configuration you like and then just learn to shoot and operate it. They will all take game within the constraints of distance / choke. Learn what is ethical hunting.
While I don’t disagree with your statement, quite a bit of stuff goes into shotgun gauge selection let alone load. That’s the purpose of videos like these other wise we would all shoot the same gauge.
Yo Murph. It’s Pap from EOD school.
Great video. I would say upland guys have been keeping it alive. The most recent resurgence, in my opinion, has been from the waterfowl guys. With bismuth becoming a more popular option for shot. Folks have been able to take their dad’s or granddad’s old fixed full choke shotgun and do very well with them. The bismuth loads are shooting like lead. And there is now a lot of waterfowlers using 16 for ducks. Especially in the timber.
I could see it being popular in those close confines for waterfowl
Just here to say I’m currently debating buying a 16. Watched this great video, turned to the comments, and am wildly shocked to run into two fellow EOD Techs haha
Get a 16. You’ll have fun.
Gramps had an old "Excel" (Iver Johnson off brand) 16 Ga in the barn. Us kids would shoot it straight up in the air and wait for the pellets to fall down on us like raindrops. I have an older Stevens, and my sister has an Iver Johnson, both 16 Ga. My Sisters claims Her's is "choked down like a rifle".
I bought 2 16ga shotguns last year! A new over/under and an used Browning designed Ranger 30!
Which over/under in 16 Gauge did you buy?
@@jefflovesdogs9973 Tri Star!
I am 74. For years I hunted with a 12ga. 50 years ago I got a 16ga Winchester model 12 and started hunting with it. Saw no difference in killing power and the gun weighed a full pound less than the same gun in 12ga. All the weight and bulk to launch 1/8oz more shot. A no brainer for a field gun. Never looked back.
Velocity is of little concern. You only really need velocities of 1165 - 1285. Beyond those velocities with lead shot you will lose pattern density and so while there may be a lot of pellets within a 30 inch circle, you will have a lot of gaps where missing or wounding game can occur. Also, with the new TSS style loads the "Magnum" 3 and 3.5 shells are really no longer needed. At this point basically any of the choices are just as good as the next. The sweet spot for the 20 ga is 7/8, 16 is 1 oz and 12 is 1 1/8. Trying to get to those shot weights with one of the other gauges will generally end up in a less efficient pattern. They all have their place and each do the best job within the range that they are intended.
Off the top of my head. I can't name which ones, but there's been some 16. Gages recently made that will chamber 3 inch Shell. and I recently bought C Z Bob White.in 28 gauge that will take a 3 inch shell. You don't normally see more Velocity from one gauge to anothe. Bigger gages require more powder to push the more shot, so it all balances out. In rifles and pistols, the bigger the bullet, the less powder. You try to push too much too fast and something else May Give.
Barrett of all people produced a 16ga o/u with a three inch chamber. Some people have special ordered 3in chambers, yet I cannot find 3in ammunition, which makes me suspect that ammunition for it would be equally special order.
That was quite a lot of talk about nothing. A shotgun is a shotgun . Find one that fits you the best and in a configuration you like and then just learn to shoot and operate it. They will all take game within the constraints of distance / choke. Learn what is ethical hunting.
While I don’t disagree with your statement, quite a bit of stuff goes into shotgun gauge selection let alone load. That’s the purpose of videos like these other wise we would all shoot the same gauge.
@@murphslaw1276 quite right that’s why I stated it like I did.👍