Parker small bore classification

[Rick Riddell]

I know simple question, but its a curio of mine. What gauges fall under this classification? Is it 16, 20 and .410, leaving 10 and 12 as big bore?
Thanks guys!

[OH Osthaus]

Originally Posted by Rick Riddell

I know simple question, but its a curio of mine. What gauges fall under this classification? Is it 16, 20 and .410, leaving 10 and 12 as big bore?
Thanks guys!

what do you have against the 28????

the 16 was a small bore when it came out

i guess it depends on the reason for the question

i think in skeet rules a 16 has to play with the 12s, but some of the clays events i have been to include 16 in small bores


since i mostly have 10's and 12's - so 16 is small to me

[Rick Riddell]

Originally Posted by Rick Losey

what do you have against the 28????

the 16 was a small bore when it came out

i guess it depends on the reason for the question

i think in skeet rules a 16 has to play with the 12s, but some of the clays events i have been to include 16 in small bores


since i mostly have 10's and 12's - so 16 is small to me

I can't believe I spaced on the 28!! That's my go to gauge!

[C.O.B.]

In all the shoots I go to the 16 is grouped with the 12's but it is considered by many as a small bore. To me a small bore is from the 20 to the 410. I shoot a lot of 16's and always compete with the 12's which is fine by me. 7/8's is plenty of shot for a clay target or kill a bird.

[J. A. EARLY]

I believe historically 12 and larger to be big bore and 16 and smaller to be small bore. Where the 14 falls in is an unanswered question not to worry about.

[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.

[GH-16]

I've always and still consider small bores to be any gauge smaller than 12ga. Especially when you are talking about 16's on gauge appropriate frames like Parker 0-frames or A.H. Fox 16's sharing the same action with the 20ga.

[Randy Roberts]

Depends on whether I am buying or selling

Originally Posted by Rick Riddell

I know simple question, but its a curio of mine. What gauges fall under this classification? Is it 16, 20 and .410, leaving 10 and 12 as big bore?
Thanks guys!

[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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[Southpaw]

Agree with you Dean.

I really enjoy carrying and shooting a nice lively small bore when hunting and 99% of the time that is what I am grabbing when shooting upland style hunting. Can only really remember one time that I felt really under gunned and that was grouse hunting in MN carrying a 20 ga. Got into an area that was maybe timbered 5 to 7 years before and new growth was thick with 12 to 15 foot tall tree saplings about wrist thick and in some places spaced about the same distance as jail cell bars. It was so tight in there and most still had leaves on em and every 75 yards we beat thru that grouse maze we would hear or see a flush. Most of the time never saw dog but if did not hear his bell would move to last position we heard him and sure enough he would be on a bird. They would flush about 25 yards from us or further. Lost count of flushes but it must have been 30 to 40.

I don't know how many actual birds or reflushes we got but I only saw 15 of them. Had quick fleeting shots on 10 of them and scratched down 3 and felt damn good about it due to some incredible dog work. Only got those because they flew like pheasant or woodcock flying straight up to break cover then flattening out. I thinned the tops of a lot trees. We zigg zagged all through that just trying to follow dog. That was first time in my life I actually felt I had a legitimate chance to daily limit out on grouse and thought some extra shot would have been helpful. That is also first time in my life where I got so turned around somewhere with no landmarks that I needed my compass to orient out of some place.

Having a 12 gauge with open chokes and more shot in the pattern might of helped. In the immortal words of Jack Elam after John Wayne tells him his splatter gun is useless. "Don't mind if I shoot do ya? It makes me feel better."