16 Ga Reload Recipe Recommendations

[Billy Gross]

I just bought a terrific Winchester Model 21 Trap Skeet Grade with 28" barrels, SG,BTFE,SST, mat rib, and WS1/WS2 at the Balto show. I shot a round of skeet with it and it really smoked the birds. I am excited to shoot it more. PW has a 16 Ga tool head for my 800+ which I intend to buy and use after I collect a stash of hulls. What do you guys recommend for hulls and a reloading recipe. I intend to do 1 Oz. #9s. Thanx, Billy

[Double Lab]

Billy:
Go to http://www.16ga.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=2. These guys are a wealth of 16ga. knowledge.
I found a recipe for a 7/8oz. load which I have modified to a 3/4oz. load using a black RGL hull, 15.5gr. 20/28, DR16 wad and a WW209 primer. I have'nt shot a 1oz. load in years and with the performance of the light loads I don't miss them one bit. Your mileage may vary.

[Opening Day]

Billy I hate to say this (as some Parkers can't handle all shells), but anything you want to shoot though it is ok, even the worst "promo loads" will not hurt her. It's a great gun, again built on a 20 ga frame great balance very nice gun that can handle anything that you feed it. Lucky guy

[full choke 16]

15.5 gr. green dot, claybusters 1 oz. blue wad, win. 209 primer, in the black remington case.

[William Davis]

I like 15 of Green Dot 7/8 oz Shot Downranges DR 16 wad in Herters Cheddite hulls. I can use the same in Remington RGL hulls but good clean ones are hard to find. I buy the Herters 1oz loads under 60 bucks a flat shoot them in a M 31 pump, then reload the hulls for my SXS guns.

Use the load in a Parker Trojan 6 lbs 10 oz and a FN Hammer gun that weighs 6 lbs. Your 21 probably weighs more and could handle 1 oz but why ? Skeet 3/4 or 7/8 oz breaks just fine and much easier lomg runs 100 plus shots.

William

[Billy Gross]

Thanx guys - I shot some Winchester Super X 1 Oz., and I think I will follow your recommendations and go to 3/4 or 7/8. Billy

[William Davis]

How you gun is choked makes a difference. Open chokes throw wider and if using larger shot sizes can print thin patterns with light shot weights. Tight chokes throw smaller and can get away with light shot weights.

One of my 16s, FN Hammer gun, is very open, one of the few loads I use # 9 shot to fill my 3/4 oz load pattern out. That's fine for short distance clays but if I ever used that gun for hunting would go up in pellet size and shot weight.

Pattern and let the gun tell you what it wants.

William

[Billy Gross]

Thanx William - My M-21 is WS1 & WS2 - I will pattern it next week. After shooting two rounds of skeet, I would say the pattern looks great. The birds were really breaking up nicely. I guess I am going to buy a flat of or RGL shoot em up and start reloading at 7/8.
Where do you guys get the RGL 16?

[Steve Havener]

The last RGLs I bought came from Bass Pro but that was several years ago. I think you will find Federal, Herters and Winchester straight wall hulls more reloadable as the thicker walls of the Remington's destroy the crimp after a couple re-loads. I like 7/8ths of an ounce shot with a couple grains of puffed rice on top in a Gualandi 1625 wad and 17.0 grains of Unique for clay targets and quail.

[William R Johnson]

The load that Double Lab references above is a keeper for me.

RGL hulls
7/8 oz. 20/28 15.5 Ched 209 DR 16 1119 6160
7/8 oz. 20/28 15.5 Rem 209STS DR 16 1124 6140
7/8 oz. 20/28 15.5 Win 209 DR 16 1105 5760


Hope this helps,
Bill