16 Gauge Shells

[Leighton Stallones]

I have been buying the Western 2 1/2 x 7/8 loads 1200 ft/sec, they are reasonable and work well, The Super X 1210 ft/sec are a little more expensive but still reasonable.
https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/win...ildCatid=28452

[C.O.B.]

I have had no issues with using the cheddite hull and reload RST hulls exclusively in 12, 16, & 20 all 2 1/2 inch. I use MEC 6000's in all gauges and haven't had any problems breaking clays or killing birds with 7/8th to 3/4 oz loading. If you go to some of the shoots like the Southern or the North East you can pick up a good supply of one fired cases in most gauges. I get what I consider good case life out of the RST hull and usually load them 6 times or so before tossing them.

[Joe Graziano]

I shot the RST paper shells with 7/8 oz loads at the Vintagers on Saturday. What a difference they made in a light 16 ga hammergun. The gun went from rather stout recoil with Federal 1 oz loads to a much more pleasant experience with the RST shells. They also broke the clays nicely. Yes, they are more expensive but now I agree, worth it. I bought a few boxes to take home and a box of 7/8 oz spreader loads for an upcoming quail hunt in Georgia.

[Leighton Stallones]

Fiocchis are excellent in the 16 ga. I have used them for years.

[C.O.B.]

I'll hunt with the RST and love the paper shells. My favorite is the two inch 12. I have gone mostly to a 3/4 oz load and still break targets and they are very effective on quail.

Joe where in Georgia do you go? Three of us have been going to Morrison Pines in Moultree for the last four years. Returning again in Jan.

[Joe Graziano]

This will be my first GA trip. We are doing a three generation hunt with my father and my son. We will hunt at Rio Piedra in Camilla. I’ll hunt with the Belgian 16 hammer and my 1881 Parker lifter. For that, the AA low noise/low recoil are very sweet. I’ll also bring the 1893 Ithaca for my son and my dad will light em up with his .410 Stevens. Add an after hunt cigar and bourbon. Ahhh, can’t wait. I’ll have to check out Morrison Pines.

[Southpaw]

Rio Piedra is an excellent place and had a very memorable experience there. I hunted there many years ago. Have been to many plantation hunts in South Georgia and they are all pretty good with some better than others and Rio Piedra is top notch and is a pretty place to hunt along the Flint River bottoms. A lot of times terrain on most of these places in South Georgia can be fairly flat and RP has some of that in their quiver of locations they maintain. Getting to hunt close to the river was special with its undulating terrain, dry oxbo draws and ancient river banks left over as the Flint has changed course over thousands of years. Topo was not particularly tough to navigate but it added to challenge of the hunt and not because we were out of shape, physically limited or hungover. It was because they had enough birds that had survived a season or two along with predation that they had figured out safe terrain and thick cover.

When we hunted they had already had established operations in several places but they were trying to get some new locations up to speed. Plenty of challenging birds that can be found in very easily accessible areas to get your bird limit in beautiful hunting areas endemic of what a managed landscape South Georgia quail hunt is supposed to look like.

The grounds and game management system they employ is top notch. I grew up hunting wild quail and as far as a commercial operation the birds at Rio Piedra flew and behaved about as close to wild game as you can get. We hunted there in early December so that can make a difference. All our covey rises behaved like wild birds and there were no stragglers, and if dogs got on point there was no time for a leisure stroll to get into position or birds may break on you even with some experienced well trained quality dog work. We actually had to hunt pretty hard to find covey's which I thoroughly enjoyed because of the excellent dog work that was required. It was hunting and not just shooting since you had to work to get your limit and that was part of the reward and value add part of experience.

It is not that there aren't a lot of birds but the areas we hunted were so big there were so many places for them to be. We averaged about 10 coveys per hunt over three days and 4 hunts. We covered a lot of ground but not all they controlled. Some places steer you away from chasing singles after a covey rise but we chased them and we really had to work together to mark birds to follow up on and I found out later why. Second flushes were challenging as well and that is when the solid dog work is really fun to watch.

After that first day we told guide that we wanted to hunt some areas less traveled. He got a gleam in his eye and said perfect since it would take some pressure off some areas. He took us to an area that they had just started managing near the river. The fields were in place but edge cover was thick and needed thinning. They put out a good many birds to get base population going but after being hunted a few times seems a batch of them had figured out the area and there were a couple of river coveys. That was reason after covey rises we hunted singles hard because if they got away they would merge into the river coveys that were mobs. Still remember the guide chuckling in a dead run as soon as dog got on point along the river bank. We had to sprint almost 75 yards and luckily the first covey held. There might of been 50 birds in that first one along the river and they would flush wild and then fly across the river. Now I have experienced plenty of large covey flushes but nothing like these. It was a sight to behold. We saw three coveys and only got a shot at first covey rise, the other two broke as soon as a dog got within 20 yards of them.

The food was great and what you would expect at a high end restaurant and I appreciated it even though I have a less demanding palate. The accommodations were top notch as well. Hanging out on the covered porches, then by the river and then later by the outdoor fireplace with a roaring fire and more than a few adult beverages really was satisfying. BTW we also saw some incredible deer and story at the time was that the chef was only one allowed to hunt the deer as part of the condition of his employment.

Sorry Joe got carried away remembering my time there. BTW not a paid advertisement. I don't think it will disappoint at all. Your 16 gauge will work serve you well there. Also when we hunted there they were about to get property on both sides of Flint for those river coveys that traded back and forth.

[Joe Graziano]

Southpaw, thanks for all the excellent info on Rio Piedra. I passed it on to my father and to my son. We can wait to go. Now that we are all adults, it’s not often we get to hunt together. I’ll post pics after the hunt.

[C.O.B.]

Joe you can do a search for Morrison pines and see some of the reports here. I don't think it's far from RP. Three generations sounds like fun and a good family outing. When are you going? I have to warn you this gets into your system.

[Joe Graziano]

I have no doubt about it getting in my system. We are going in late Oct. I suspect I will be back regularly.