The Gauge You Have Never Heard Of! 

Not only have we heard of the gentleman’s gauge. We love it so much we gave it the colour purple.

Now you’ve done it! Everybody will now know “the secret” known only to enlightened individuals. The 16 bore is superior in so many ways and such a joy to shoot. Try one, you won’t regret it. A fantastic “clay buster” and very special on game. P.S. The cartridges are available in red, green, black, yellow, white and other colours not just blue. Never seen an orange one though? 👍 David, you didn’t miss a target on this video unlike your others. Hmmmm! Telling you something perhaps? Edit: @pbp6741 To add, thanks pbp6741 I forgot the colour purple (Herter’s) cases. Unfortunately not available in the UK so I’ve never been able to try them. 👍

I started hunting with the 16 gauge in 1963. I currently have 2 16 gauge pumps and one 16 gauge O/U. The 16 is a great pheasant gun for upland hunting.

I own three 16 bore (gauge) guns. A "4 digit" serial number Browning A-5 with 2-9/16" chambers. A pre-war (WW2) Ithaca Model 37 with 2-3/4" chambers and a pre-war (WW2) Czech Opava Ferdinand side x side. The Czech gun is excellent quality, easily in the same quality as English guns. It is unusual in that it has sling swivels mounted to the buttstock and to a "boss" between the barrels. Definitely a "continental" gun. It also has 2-9/16" chambers (65 mm). I have used all of them for hunting pheasants, turkeys, quail, doves, ducks (when we could still use lead shot), grouse and wild hogs (with slugs in the Ithaca). They have always worked great! To load shells, I cut of piece of 3/4" O.D. copper water pipe to 2-9/16". I slide a fired 16 ga. shell into this "guide" and use a utility knife to cut off the shell. I then adjust my MEC 600 Jr. loading tool to work with the shorter shells. If your loading tool won't adjust for the length, stick a .135" card wad to the press under the stations and then you should be able to adjust the dies. My older MEC 400 required I do this. For general shooting I load them with 1 oz. (28 grams) of shot and use the 2-9/16" shells in ALL the guns. They work fine in the Ithaca as well. I have another load using 1-1/8 oz. of shot (32 grams) which I use for hunting. I also use factory hunting loads in the Ithaca when it is advantageous. The 16 ga. is adequate for any hunting except maybe large waterfowl or where steel shot is required. The only downside is that the guns are not made by many manufacturers in the USA anymore and factory shells are expensive, can be hard to find and offer little choice. Not an issue for a handloader, though.

Very under rated gauge of shotgun, beautiful balance of calibre and weight for a walk up gun.

16 guage was very popular in USSR old hunters claimed it softer than 12 and is good for all from bear to goose and duck.

Here in the western part of the US I’d bet the 16 is way more common than the 28. 28 is the current fashion but I’ve still never seen one out in the field or range where as if you grab three friends to go hunting, someone will likely bring a 16. 👍🏼

Our 16 gauge collection just keeps on growing. A great upland load.

Simply perfect. Thank you sir. 😊😊

Now you’re finally speaking my language!!!! My favorite gauge!!! I shoot trap and sporting clays and a 5 stand program with 16 gauge!!! I own several from semi automatic to pumps to sxs to over under

My first shotgun was a 16. Great gauge for pheasants or any upland game.

The first semi-auto, the Browning Auto-5, was a "Sweet Sixteen". The ISSF mandated 12, 20ga and 410 bore for competition and the 16ga languished. Not now!

I love my 16 gauge side by side.bought a reloader to load some softer shooting shells.most boxes I found in the states were four to five dollars higher than 12 gauge.

16 gauge reputedly patterns superbly. Overall it is way better than 20 gauge in every way. I used to own a 28" barrelled 16 gauge Belgian side by side, formerly used to hunt Wild Boar (with slugs). Weighed about 6lbs wet, steel heelplate, kicked like an angry mule. Loved it - get one!

Hi Dave, you may remember my E M Reilly 16bore hammer gun, well it is still going well. Had some new firing pins made to replace the mushroomed ones. I shoot it most weekends and due to its light weight prefer it to my AYA No2. Hull Pro 16 25gr work really well but do roll my own as have my own kit. Ok it is 100 years old and wears out the thumbs of my MacWets but love it to bits.

Nice video David comparing old school vs modern shotguns of a great gauge that’s been largely forgotten. I shoot different model 16’s in both UK and America.

I love the 16 bore its what I use most of the time, I have two of them both side by sides, a hammer gun and a hammerless one, The hammerless one was my dads he bought in 1958 they are great guns.

there is an old saying in the USA about 16 ga.. It kills like a 12 and kicks like a 20..

Great all round guns I have two sixteen bores one over and under and a coggswell and Harrison single trigger ejector I’ve had coggey for 45 years, these guns are great on game days.

I love my 16s. Fantastic intermediate gauge. Underrated Imo. Less recoil than a 12, similar in recoil to a 20, but more shot.

I have a 16 gauge bolt action and my sons have a 16 gauge pump action. Both are fun and 16 gage ammo is at virtually every gun store where I live and about the same cost as 20 gage ammo.

Started with a model 11 in 16 ga. Now have a new auto 5 sweet sixteen to hunt with. My choice over everything from 410 to 12.

I love the 16 bore and have an under-over and side by side too. I always wanted one since my WWII Uncle hunting mentor had a Winchester model 12 in 16 bore, which was built on a 20 bore frame in the early days. I have no issues with obtaining ammunition it's readily available here in the States. It seems the 16 bore patterns very nicely with short shot strings in 7/8, 1 oz, or 1-1/8 oz loads. The 16 bore may have originated in Germany because it was capable of shooting a 1 oz spherical lead ball as well as shot, but it's barrels are trim enough to be part of a Drilling tube gun with rifle barrel below side by side 16 bores. But it patterns so nicely, it's an advantage in butts and fields.

I have a browning shadow b525 en a piper liege sbs. great hunting guns With gamebore 26 gram cartridge's they are not blue but red.

In Canada 16 gauge (bore) was relatively common until the 1980’s. Anecdotally, almost as common as a 20 gauge. With improved ammunition it no longer offered much of an advantage over the 20. Now out here in western Canada 16 gauge ammo is almost as rare as the dodo bird.

16 gauge is pretty common here in America. 24 and 32 gauge guns are very hard to get but I’ve got a few.

I have a 16 bore side lock. It’s a cracking gun

I love 16 bore. But its so difficult to get shells fore it in Denmark...

Have 2, 16 bore! It is OK👌

Just bought a 16/70 SBS from CZ Bruno, old and used but 50 Euros you can't complain

My oldest and best freind had a side by side 16 bore Belgium ejector in 1969, I used to use his other gun bolt action webley .410 we had some truly fantastic times walking up hedgerows one either side with his Jack Russell terrier called Muff pushing stuff out. Only problem was if he got to a kill first he would ragg it, my freind was a crack shot with catapults, bow and arrow, air gun you name it. Hes approaching seventy and he still regularly puts in mid 90s at 100 bird registered clay shoots !!!!

I own more sweet 16s than any other bore size, got the itch from my grandfather. As I’m not the biggest guy a proper sized 16 action fits me better than a 12. Also, in my opinion, a 16 is closer to a 12 than a 20, but it’s in between so apples to oranges I suppose. And here in America most 16 cartridges are royal purple.

Hello Dave, I have a old single barrel 16 bore.

In the USA 100 years ago 16 gauge was almost, if not more, popular than 12 gauge.

I like it. How many 16 steel cartridges can you find?

What's a blaw ?

What is the price of the Browning 16b

Hi i have very nice robust 16 bore side by side it has a cary strap that’s in the but 1940

16 were very common in France till the 80's...

Nice shotgun! 16 GA, l like it double barrel. Plis. Price?

Sooner have a 24 bore.

My Dad had the side/side only cos it was lighter and he found a 12bore too easy to bring down birds .

I have thought about a 16 but the ammo in the US in seems to skip it. I bought a 20 because the ammo is more accessible. My 20 is a single, built 104 year's ago. I restored it and it is wonderful.

Where would you find a Browning crown in a 16?

Nearly bought one as my first gun 30yra ago but if light 12b & heavy 20b cartriges overlap I didn't see the point.

Same with the 16's here in the US, for some reason they fell off and don't have the popularity of the 12 and 20's

You missed 10 Gauge!You have 9mm Flobert,.410,32 G.,28 G,24 G,20 G,16 G,12 G,10 G and 8 G.. Anything else is really obscure mind so are 32,24 and 8 Gauges!

shells cost a fortune!

Needs to go the way of the Dodo and the dinosaur.