Who is hunting with 16 gauge???
 

Seems like I'm hearing, reading about more hunters shooting 16 gauge SXS guns for upland gunning in the now times. Several of the guys I rub shoulders with hunt 16-s for upland. Top choices are Fox, O-frame, one frame Parkers, Ithica and several other makers too. Six to six and one half lbs seems the norm. I shoot 16-s for all my upland gunning. Two Parkers and a Fox will be going to Kansas on the 29th for a week of wild roosters and quail. Shot sizes that I will use are number 4,5 and 6 all field loads and some HV shells too. The number six loads will be for quail. Quail numbers are way up this year so we may be hunting them intensely. The rooster for-cast was not as good as they had lots of rain for the whole nesting season...)-:

most of my favorite grouse guns are 16s, Parkers, Foxes or JP Sauer

never had an Ithica :banghead: nor an Ithaca 16

but, unfortunately - they see little use with the lack of grouse around here. I had planned to take the old setter out for what will likely be his last hunt after duck ended last weekend (woodcock ended here yesterday) but mother nature decided we should give winter an early try and i did not want him to struggle in this stuff

Both my Parkers are 16ga, 28” barrels, 0 frame and most of my hunting these days is for released pheasants. I’ve always used #6. I agree Kenny, it’s the best all round gauge for upland birds.

A 1935 double trigger straight grip Model 21 with 28” barrels bored cylinder and modified. No better upland gun ever. It’s been all over the mid-Atlantic states, Maine, Montana, Uruguay and Argentina. A buttplate gun with factory 14 3/4 inch LOP. Perfect for my 6’4” frame. It’s never let me down!

Sterlingworth and A grade Fox 16 for grouse and woodcock. Both are open choked and do the job well when I do mine. They are both 5 - 8 so are a pleasure to carry all day and pleasant to look at.

Over the years I've done a lot of hunting with 16-gauge guns. When I still lived in Virginia I shot a lot of Doves with a 16-gauge KE-Grade Remington --

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On that same farm I had a great pass where this 32-inch barrel A-Grade Ansley H. Fox was quite the performer --

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While I very seldom hunt with a pump or autoloader, one day I took out a 1938 vintage Remington Sportsman 16-gauge. The first Rooster up I missed cleanly three shots. Later that day Skitso went on point right at the edge of a bluff. Three Roosters took off into clear blue sky 60 or 70 feet above a stubble field, and I shot the only triple of my life.

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Late years my go to gun when I need to used non-toxic shells when upland hunting on public land, my RBL-16 gets the nod --

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I don't own a Parker Bros. 16-gauge. Likewise, I don't own a late Remington Parker Gun. A 16-gauge with open choke barrels in the 241xxx/242xxx range could find a space in my gun room!!

I like my 1 frame and 0 frame VH's for grouse. Both equally effective...

all of my quail hunting is done with 16 gauge side X sides.

16's are my hands down favorite pheasant guns. I own several but I love the Philadelphia Sterlingworths for carrying.

For 20 years most of my grouse hunting was with a host of 16ga s/s and a Merkel O/U which I still have it has 29 1/4 " barrel ,solid rib and double triggers. A 16ga 0 frame has been on my want list for a while. A light 16 is the ultimate Grouse gun. Trouble is I am hooked on 20ga Parkers and 20ga Win. 21's.