16ga

[Mike of the Mountain]

Originally Posted by Andrew Sacco

I can find 16g ammo just fine. It's expensive and very testy so that pretty much rules out the vintage guns. With Longshot, Perfect Pattern and powders and wads available it isn't hard to grab a single stage press and load what you like, especially if you thought ahead and kept about six gazillion RST hulls like I did. That being said, BP usually has primed Cheddite hulls so the ammo argument never held water with me. If you're a competitive shooter perhaps but then again you'll usually have a modern O/U. As far as the 28g goes, I DO BELIEVE that is GOD'S preferred gauge. I love them. But I'm a sinner so don't have one (in a Parker) yet.

Andy, there was a time in the 80s-90s that 16g ammo was very hard to find. I couldn’t find it in any of our local hardware stores and gun shops. First time I found a quantity for sale was around 91-92 when Shawmut Distributors had some. I still have some of those boxes of hunting loads.