Why isn't 16g more popular?

I think that if the 16 was as popular as the 20 and 12 gauges, we'd be lamenting the fact that no one offers a 14 gauge today.
 
I never realized there was any sweet spot between a 12 gauge and a 20.
There is NOTHING a 16 gauge can do that either a 12 or a 20 can't do better. Neither one may be able to overshadow it in all cases, but between them they surely can.
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Well, maybe the 16 is not a "sweet spot", but the OP was inquiring about the 16, insofar as if it "still packs a heck of a punch".

Whether you like or dislike the 16 insofar as comparisons between the 12 and the 20 (and you have to be talking about a 3" 20) matters not. The guy owns a 16 and wants to know how well it stands up.

I made my longest pheasant kill in 1972 in a Nebraska cornfield at 60+ yards using a 1932 Winchester Model 12 16 gauge full choke with 1 oz. of #7 1/2 shot. It was basically a skeet low-house bird at station 4 but at 3 times the distance. Feathers flew and the bird was badly shot up.

It was my father's gun and I used it while home on leave from the USAF. My main gun was a Remington 870 12 gauge IC choke left back in my home station in Kansas.

To the OP: if you can find suitable ammo for your purposes, the 16 will do you well unless you want to kill high flying ducks and geese.

When I was a kid, I hunted with a break-open single-shot 2 3/4" 20 gauge Springfield/Stevens and it worked just fine. Just have to make sure the first shot is good because it is a slow reload. :)
 
I love the 16 and my favorite is an early 70's Belgian A-5. The trouble is I don't seem to be able to find #5 shot in the 16g. I hand load for rifle and handgun, but not for shotgun shells.
 
Then maybe it's time to start! ;)
A MEC Jr. used runs anywhere from 50-100, wads are cheap; possible that one of your pistol powders might work for your loads, and shot has come down lately.......
 
The trouble is I don't seem to be able to find #5 shot in the 16g. I hand load for rifle and handgun, but not for shotgun shells.
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I am looking at getting a used Ithaca 37 in 16g so I went to look for ammo. It seems like it is everywhere. There are 7 types of #5 shot on Midway, over 60 total loadings. About half of it is out of stock. So I emailed Midway. They told me it sells well and they have a hard time keeping it in stock lately so they are increasing their buys. Brownells has 32 loadings in stock.
 
You might as well ask an Englishman "why isn't 20 ga more popular."
If he is a traditionalist, he will show you his 5 1/4 lb 12 ga and its 2 inch 7/8 oz shells.

As said, shotguns operate over a narrow velocity range. In the black powder - bulk smokeless era, they operated over a narrow shot charge range. The stairstep of gauges was needed to give a selection of loads.
Progressive dense smokeless lets us have the light shot high velocity loads seen at Cheapmart and International Trap, and also the magnums with heavy shot loads at standard velocity. Better powder, fewer gauges.
 
I have 8 long guns squeezed into a 7 gun cabinet. I need to get rid of one and the two prospects are single shotguns from 1948 and 1950. The 16 gauge is nicer than the 20 gauge so I went to Walmart (the only place in the county) to check on the availability of ammo. There was a fair amount of variety for the 20 gauge and lots of variety for my 12 gauges but the only choice for 16 gauge was 2 different brands of #6 shot. The cheapest 16 gauge shells were 50% more than the cheapest 12 gauge shells. I think I will sell or trade a very nice old 16 gauge shotgun even though that was the gauge my Dad always had.
 
I think military & police applications tend to sway the guns (and calibers) more than physics or actual merit. 30-06 and .308 are popular because they are military cartridges, even though it's proven that some 6.5mm or 7mm rifle calibers are flatter shooting, less recoil and provide most of the same oomph. Likewise for shotguns. 12ga is the standard for self-defense so 16ga is just too close to bother. Granted that doesn't necessarily translate to bird shooting, but it DOES explain why 12ga is king.
 
Runnings and Walmart still stock 16ga. shells, I was looking at them today. I love the 16ga., but for most people it's either equaled by modern 20ga. shells or exceeded by a HUGE selection of 12ga. shells.

The last listing I saw for a new 16ga. was just before New England Firearms went back to being H&R.

I don't shoot my 16s to full potential, I just shoot low brass 1oz. #6s, which are more expensive than their 12ga. counterparts. I actually see the 16ga. going the way of the 8ga., like the 10ga. is now going.

I mean in all reality, all you need is a 12ga. with a 3.5" chamber......and you can shoot 1.75" mini-shells all the way upto 3.5" magnum loads....and everything else is cancelled out.

But trust me, there are a lot of nice older 16s out there still. I have 2x doubles in 16ga. and I still shoot them.
 
Ah yes having a gun that shoots everything from 3 1/2 to the little short 1 1/2 inch shells might be great to some, but it is not a cure all.

Those big magnums handle like a 2x4 in a strong wind on a calm day. Heavy for the loadings used, after all 3 1/2 inch super magnums are not shot every day!

A gun, 16 gauge, no matter what kind will still out shoot one of those super mags any day of the week.

Just think of hunting very fast birds in heavy cover even with a short turkey barrel that super mag will over swing ever bird. And yes there are those that can handle the big gun, but wait till you are older and after a few shots your done for the day.
It is still best to match the gun to the game.
 
^^^^^^ Exactly. why swing a pig on a shovel when a wand is so much better? ;)
Heavy, slow-moving guns are great for clay targets, but no so much for fast moving live quarry; especially when you'll be doing a lot of walking.
 
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