I believe good 2 1/2 inch shells from folks like RST are the best you are going to do.
When the first "modern" 16-gauge load, the Super-X, came out in 1923 it was put up in the 2 9/16 inch case. The first real impetus for the 2 3/4 inch 16-gauge shell was when Remington introduced their autoloaders, the Model 11 and The Sportsman, in 16-gauge in the summer of 1931. They were chambered for 2 3/4 inch shells. The Super-X and Nitro-Express loads of the day in their 2 9/16 inch cases were 3 dram equiv. with 1 1/8 ounces of shot. Remington introduced a 2 3/4 inch 16-gauge shell called the Auto-Express loaded with 3 1/4 dram equiv. and 1 1/8 ounces of shot. The earliest Winchester/Western paper I have showing such a load in their shells is just before WW-II. Why that is so, when Winchester began chambering the Model 12 for 2 3/4 inch shells in 16-gauge in 1926, I don't know. In 1960 Winchester/Western still offered both the Super-Speed/Super-X and the Xpert/Ranger shells in 2 9/16 inch 16-gauge. By 1961 they only offered the Xpert/Ranger 1 ounce load in 2 9/16 inch 16-gauge. The 2 9/16 inch Super-X/Super-Speed is back in the 1962 catalogue and gone again in 1963. By the 1964 Winchester catalogue no 2 9/16 inch 16-gauge shells are offered. The 2 9/16 inch 16-gauge shells disappear from Remington paper between 1962 and 63.
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