RST alternative
 

Love RST, but having trouble finding shells (probably like many others). Does anyone else sell 16g. 2.5” low pressure shells? May also go the reloading route, but don’t have many ched. empties and components are still difficult to source.

Thanks in advance….

Loading your own would really be the only real alternative if you want to load for a specific pressure or for shorter lengths.

Check on RST.
They had 16 GA available last weekend at Rock Mountain.
Bob Jurewicz

No 16s on the RST website now. Obtain some 2 3/4" empties and load low pressure loads. Sherman Bell found that longer shells loaded to a sensible pressure do not cause any pressure spikes in shorter chambers.

Bill, can you provide a link to the Sherman Bell info? Sounds like details could be important!

There were a series of articles on the subject by Sherman Bell and were published in various more recent issues of Double Gun Journal. They will be listed in the Double Gun Journal Index & Reader Vol. III






.

I've always shot 2-3/4" stuff in my Utica Foxes, my SBT's and my Trojan, staying under 1200fps. I've stayed with RST's or equivalent in my Philly Foxes and have a pretty good stock laid by, but frankly when those are gone I'll probably shoot the factory 2-3/4" stuff in those as well. The SBT's are the only ones that approach anything close to high volume shooting and I figure the guns will outlast me anyway.

Thanks for the replies. Is the general consensus that it is a safe to shoot 2.75 low pressure loads in 2.5 chambers?

Works for me.
 

Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t — I just cannot say for certain.

But, I sure have shot the 2 3/4 inch shells for 50+ years. The guns handle them with aplomb, in my experience.

Come to think of it, until I got into this forum, I did not even know where to go to get my 2 1/2 inch shells and that they were available in the US.

As I recall Sherman Bell found there was a slight bump up in pressures when the 2 3/4" were fired in 2 1/2" chambers, but it was only several hundred psi. When you start with low pressure shells it didn't raise the overall pressure too much. Everyone has to make their own decisions on what to shoot. When I shoot factory 2 3/4" in a short chamber I use Winchester low recoil, low pressure, AA shells in mine. They start off low in pressure and the recoil stays gentle on the wood.

Personally I like the rst shells because they are factory available in 7/8 and even 3/4 oz loads for higher volume shooting. leaving relative pressures aside, these definitely lower the wear and tear on the gun and body.

The lower pressure (equates to lower velocity and lighter payload) are much better for 100 year old stocks. I don't worry about the metal, but some of the stocks can't take a heavy pounding. I reload 2 3/4" and 2 1/2" shells for clays and for birds. No problems when you keep the loads "friendly".

I believe RST sold out of the 16g online last week. I think they still have .410 shells if anyone is looking for them.