Parker small bore classification

[Southpaw]

What is the old saying... 16 gauge.... Hits like a 12 shoots like a 20. I think 16 is gray tipping point between big bore and small bore ideaology.

Recall reading some sxs expert that would put his customization to some newer guns coming out. He defined that 16 gauge and smaller were considered small bore guns and most adequate for upland hunting. Not trying to start a debate or argument but that was his position. BTW there have been plenty of times when grouse hunting I would not have minded carrying a light 12 with open chokes to sling more lead at grouse in thick cover.

[Dean Romig]

Originally Posted by Todd Poer

What is the old saying... 16 gauge.... Hits like a 12 shoots like a 20. I think 16 is gray tipping point between big bore and small bore ideaology.

Recall reading some sxs expert that would put his customization to some newer guns coming out. He defined that 16 gauge and smaller were considered small bore guns and most adequate for upland hunting. Not trying to start a debate or argument but that was his position. BTW there have been plenty of times when grouse hunting I would not have minded carrying a light 12 with open chokes to sling more lead at grouse in thick cover.

And when I was a kid cutting my 'hunting teeth' on pheasants I shot a 20 and did very well with it. Even after my friend took his Trojan 12 (that I had been using for three solid years) with him when he moved to Idaho I gladly went back to my twenties for pheasants, puddle ducks, and grouse. Never seemed to make much difference what gauge I shot but the twenties were always lighter to carry. My first 16 was a Parker in about 2005.





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[Tom Flanigan]

Originally Posted by Dean Romig

And when I was a kid cutting my 'hunting teeth' on pheasants I shot a 20 and did very well with it. Even after my friend took his Trojan 12 (that I had been using for three solid years) with him when he moved to Idaho I gladly went back to my twenties for pheasants, puddle ducks, and grouse. Never seemed to make much difference what gauge I shot but the twenties were always lighter to carry. My first 16 was a Parker in about 2005.





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I've used 20 bores extensively and believe that the best all around upland gun is a 16 bore shooting an ounce of shot. My grouse guns are 20 bores and a 28 bore, but I shot a 16 for years on grouse and it was damn near perfect. The only disadvantage that I see to the smaller bores, 16 included, is that, from a practical perspective, they are limited to size #6 or smaller, in my opinion, after patterning many small bores. You can get away with 5's in the 16 bore if you feel you need them, but my guns threw much more effective patterns with smaller shot.

I have taken many close range ducks in Saskatechewan playing with a 28 bore taking only ducks at 25 yards or under. Size 6 shot is a bit large for a 28 bore but the gun patterned them reasonably well at 25 yards. It was a real kick taking ducks with the little gun.