12 gauge 16 gauge question.
 

Two Parker’s, each chambered for 2.5” shells. One a 12 gauge the other a 16. Both guns have 28” bbls. choked modified. frame size is 1 for each. What difference would there Be shooting 1 oz loads out of the 12 gauge and 16 gauge? How about weight.

Are we to assume the weight of both guns is the same ?

I read your post and initially thought that your question was intended to mean what would the difference in recoil be? Am I correct on that or are you asking something else? Pardon my slow learning tendency.

Mike

the difference in what?

i might expect the larger bore to pattern better- but frame size and weight would have no effect on that equation

recoil? same load, same velocity, in the same weight gun will have the same actual recoil but any difference in dimensions could affect felt recoil

In theory, and probably in reality, the shorter shot string of the 12 on birds/clays where one has to pull a lead results in more pellets on the target. The longer shot string of a smaller bore with the same amount of shot means the target has moved on before the tail end of the string reaches the target.

From a practical standpoint there is not a nickels difference in shooting qualities between the two. The sixteen would most likely be heavier. I have both in the configuration you mentioned and the twelve weighs 6/8 and the sixteen 6/11. The sixteen carries easier with the smaller barrels but once again, not a practical difference.

More Apples to Apples. I Have a Beretta 687 O/U with two sets of barrels . 12 & 20 length weight and balance identical. Shooting 7/8 oz loads 12 or 20 it easy to forget which barrels are on the gun. In theory the 12 ought to pattern better than the 20 never checked to see.

On the other hand have Trojans 16 & 20 that are near identical. 16 weighs 2 oz. more & LOP is 1/4 inch shorter than the 20. With 3/4 oz loads felt recoil is less with the 20. LOP must be the difference.

Felt recoil is subjective though somebody else likely different .

William

If all other aspects of both guns are the same, I would wager the 12g. to weigh less.

I guess what I am asking is, all things being equal, would one gauge have an advantage over the other?

The 16 would probably be considered more desirable because fewer were made. But sure would like to have a nice 26" barreled, straight stocked 12 for birds!

Same amount of lead in the air, so I cannot say that I think there is any advantage to one or the other.

16s are cool -- if you don't have one, you definitely need one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edLXEqnicqk

At the end of the video this guy states a lead load shot string may be as long as 15 to 20 feet. With a string that long, the shorter the shot column (larger gauge) the more pellets arrive at or close to the same time.

He also says that the 8 foot shot string takes 0.0138 seconds from the 1st pellet strike to the last -- that means in the worse case scenario, a 20' long shot string would take 0.0345 seconds from first strike to last. 3 1/2 hundredths of a second is 10 times faster than a blink of an eye. So for all practical purposes, in either case, short or long, all the shot hits the target at virtually the same time.

Theoretically, yes. But, in practice, with a bird or clay flying at normal speeds, it doesn't matter. Also, we often forget that not all loads pattern the same, nor do different loads of identical velocity and payload have the same length shotstring.

After a lifetime of shooting both 12s and 16s on game I can say that I can find no practical difference between identical loads in a 12 or a 16.

SRH

But he also states that a duck flying 35 mph travels about 8 inches in .0138 seconds. That means it travels about 3’ according to your logic. That seems significant to me. BUT, my cyphering may be wrong.

I used 2 1/2 times the 8’ long string to get to 20’ — 2.5 times 8” is 2’ not 3. I’m thinking the diameter of the pattern would cover at least 2 feet. So the bird is in the pattern the entire time from first strike to last

Only the last 10% (arguably) of the pellets will arrive on the last inch or two of that 8 inch distance.





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Anyone who has not done so should get Bristers book and read it through. He was a true pioneer with regards to this issue. I certainly changed my duck shooting after reading his book. I started leading ducks wayyy more than I ever had and it paid off bigtime for me in how many ducks I brought home.

I was going to mention Brister but Richard beat me to it. His book is the one truly creative one I have seen on shotgunning. (and his wife is a brave saint)

Richard recommended that book when we hunted together in Montana and I bought it.

an interesting quote from Brister's book

I like 16s have owned several Pumps & have a 16 Trojan and 16 Parker Hammer now. Only negative is few SXS suitable 16 G shells available.

I buy RST lite factory and load the empties. Major suppliers load 16g to cycle A5 Autoloader and its a heavy recoiler in a light 125 year old Parker Hammer Gun. To illustrate the point RST sells a special A5 16 G shell

RST lite shell is a good one for a Parker.

William

i would believe the 12 ga to be the better gun for birds ... quail or pheasant and other birds....i could always hit better with the 12 ga...charlie