The shotgun I want

The old British game gun standard was that the gun should weigh 100 times the shot charge. A gun made to shoot the standard 1 oz 16 ga load would therefore weigh 6 1/4 pounds. But then the Brits don't go in for stuff like the 16 ga, that is more popular on the Continent. A common British load is a 1 1/16 oz 12 gauge, for which a Best Gun would weigh 6 lb 10 oz.

My old 12 ga Verney Carron is pretty delightful. It weighs 6 lb 6 oz. which is in the Game Gun ballpark, even a bit light. It would not be much fun for more than the 4 shots or so on a CAS stage. It was WWII Occupation loot. I figure a German took it away from a Frenchman and an American took it away from the German. I bought it from the American's widow. Armies love gun control.
 
Frame size

The 16 ga. model 12 is not built on a 12 ga. frame. Frame is either unique or it's the 20 ga. frame.
I have only handled one, do not own one yet.

The better American guns in 16 gauge are not built on 12 gauge frames AFAIK. Most I have handled feel like a wand vs. their 12 ga. brethern.

Really depends on the gun. I continue to keep my eye open for a nice 16 ga. Then will be the search for a MEC machine and hulls.
 
I have a Mossberg Pump 12g and an Ithaca 37 Ultralight in 16g. To produce equivalent patterns and density at a given range, the recoil is much more than any of my 12g shotguns. Sure, some of that is weight. But Light and Ultra (or Extra) Light target loads in 12g are just a joy to shoot.

If I had a 16g I liked for Deer and Turkey, I would go with that. If you want a new shotgun, sure, go 12g.
 
I am not a turkey hunter. But if you take a 12ga 1 1/8oz load of #6's and a 16ga 1 1/8oz of #6's what will be the difference? I'll tell you, the 16 ga will recoil a bit more in a 16 on a 16ge frame, that's it!
 
Here is a weight comparison from a high-end Scottish maker:

Here are approximate weights with 28” barrels.

12 bore 6lbs 6ozs
16 bore 6lbs 4ozs
20 bore 6lbs 0ozs
28 bore 5lbs 10ozs
.410 5lbs 4ozs
Click to expand...

With only 2 oz difference between their 12 and 16 the recoil would not be the deciding factor but the handling might be.

So it all comes down to fit, handling characteristics, and whether the "panache" of shooting a 16 appeals to you.
 
Don Fischer said:
I am not a turkey hunter. But if you take a 12ga 1 1/8oz load of #6's and a 16ga 1 1/8oz of #6's what will be the difference? I'll tell you, the 16 ga will recoil a bit more in a 16 on a 16ge frame, that's it!
Click to expand...
Agree, mostly. The smaller bore 16 will have a longer shot string, and that is not a good thing.
The 12 ga. should have a superior pattern, all things being equal.
Very few shoot a 16 or 20 ga. for trap tho the max legal load for trap can be duplicated in a 16 or a 20.
The quality of the pattern will suffer. Trust me, if it were as good or better, more folks would shoot them. The rules do not prohibit it.
 
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