Loading 16ga black powder ammo.

[Dick Dastardly]

I have, thanks to a very generous pard from this wire, a bushel of once fired 16ga hulls.  I load 'em on a MEC 600 Jr. with 55g FFg Schuetzen, a 1/8" over powder card wad, 3/8" fiber cushion wad, 473 g reclaimed shot (comes out to just over 1 oz. shot), an over shot card and roll crimp.  The hulls split every now and then when I inserted the wads.  So, I started using wad mica on the hulls and the problem went away.  I could have heated the hulls but the mica seemed to do the trick.  I now have 16ga bp ammo that has a trace of wad mica on the outside of the hull.  I'm wondering if the mica will ease extraction?

DD-MDA

[Mogorilla]

How Timely,
I just scored 10 brass 12 gauge shells.   Loaded them this weekend, 80 grains ff black powder and used the 11 gauge cards and wads from Track of the wolf.   I used my 80 grain measure to measure out an equal amount of BBs.  Fits perfectly in 2 3/4 inch shell.  I do not know about the mica, you will have to let us know how that works.

[Cohagen]

Dear Mr. Dastardly,

If you load them hulls cramed full by god the smoke will blind you.  course you see through all that soot anyway.  Just your old pard Cohagen sayin howdy..

Cohagen

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Cohagen!

Dang good to hear from you.  I hope we get to shoot together down the trail this season.  Reconing on the Rock put on by the Rock River Regulators is coming up in early June.  It would be a good chance to get together and swap lies.  Camping is dry but plentiful.  We'll be in the soft side colony on the SE corner of the RRR camp.  We have a good campfire and plenty of room for chairs around the fire pit!  Welcome!!!

DD-MDA

[bear tooth billy]

I loaded some plastic hulled 16 ga. for my old hammered Belgian dbl. The chambers are not
perfectly smooth and I usually had to pull them out. Then I tried some brass hulls and they
came out much better.


                            BTB

[TomcatPC]

After reading this, I think I need to load up some black powder 16 Ga. loads?  After my experience with .44 WCF in black powder, I could see this becoming addicting?
Mark

[Dick Dastardly]

As a gauge, 16ga seems to me to be the best balance of pattern, power and recoil.  The 16ga 97 has the SAME SIZE port for ejection and loading as the 12ga.  This gives the 16ga a slight edge in over the top loading.  I have yet to master that skill.  Anyway, I like the 16ga just because it's not a plain vanilla 12ga.  I am often accused of being a half a bubble off plumb and this mid size scattergun fits my Dastardly difference requirement.

DD-MDA

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

How Timely,
I just scored 10 brass 12 gauge shells.   Loaded them this weekend, 80 grains ff black powder and used the 11 gauge cards and wads from Track of the wolf.   I used my 80 grain measure to measure out an equal amount of BBs.  Fits perfectly in 2 3/4 inch shell.  I do not know about the mica, you will have to let us know how that works.

That is my hunting load, and for lots of flame and thunder. I gave my son some when he was running short at a CAS match and watched. Full sunny daylight and the flame was glaringly visible - about two feet long from a full length barrel.

My CAS load is more like 55-60 grains for 12 ga., and 45-50 grains for the 16 ga. It tightens patterns for loudly effective knockdown loads.

[Dick Dastardly]

Ho Sir Charles,

What wads do you use for your 16ga loads.  You may have said but I can't find it.  I'm using a 1/8" over powder card, 3/8" fiber cushion wad, 1oz reclaimed fine shot, over shot card, roll crimp.  I'm running around 50 grains of FFg Schuetzen powder and Nobel primers.  I'm getting good KD action with my full choke guns.

DD-MDA

[Crow Choker]

Sort of off subject as far as loading the 16 gu with black, but I've had a love affair with the 16 gu since old enough to hunt, since around 1964. Used my Dad's H&R 16 gu Topper single shot to down many a pheasant and stop rabbits. Also had a Savage 16 single until I bought a 12 gu Win pump around the time I turned 21. Still have both guns.
A lot of memories with one-would not minding having a Win Model 12 in 16 gauge, just for cause, factory shells pretty hard to find though. Still have a box full of hulls from the old days-reloading be the only way to go. Good compromise scatter gun.

Note: I should clarify my statement of the availability of 16 gu shells--they are available at some of the local 'big city' merchants (Walmart, Mills Fleet Farm, I suppose Cabela's up in Owatonna, Minnesota north of me), but the variety offered in 12 and 20 isn't there. I've never noticed them at the two gun shops I haunt, not saying they aren't there. Not many shot sizes offered, never any sales on them I've seen, and they are always a "much" higher price than even 12 guage. The space allotted for them is pretty small compared to 12's and 20's. Not really looking to buy, have around three boxes left over from who knows when, rarely shoot the 16's anymore.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Ho Sir Charles,

What wads do you use for your 16ga loads.  You may have said but I can't find it.  I'm using a 1/8" over powder card, 3/8" fiber cushion wad, 1oz reclaimed fine shot, over shot card, roll crimp.  I'm running around 50 grains of FFg Schuetzen powder and Nobel primers.  I'm getting good KD action with my full choke guns.

DD-MDA

That sounds about right. I usually load homemade card & cushion wads in Magtechs, but just as many plastic hulls the same way.

[Dick Dastardly]

Believe it or not Crow Choker, Walmart in Sun Prairie stocks 16 ga. Federal shot shells.  At least that's the last place I bought some factory loaded ones.

I have a goodly supply of plastic 16ga hulls, both once fired and new primed factory ones.  Ballistic Products stocks the new primed 16ga hulls.

I have good data for heathen fad smokeyless 16ga loads and plastic wads for same.  The 16ga is a fine game getter.

DD-MDA

[TomcatPC]

Where I live (North West Ohio) many of the local Walmart stores carry Federal 16 Ga., I think I recall seeing Remington 16 Ga. shells at a couple as well.
We have a store chain called Meijers around here and they carry Winchester 16 Ga. there.  Granted there is not a wide selection in shot size offered, but 16 Ga shells are not that difficult to find around where I live.
Mark

[Dick Dastardly]

I find that my 16ga guns take down the KDs with authority.  I know that the 12ga is more popular but I find the balance of power, recoil and force with my 16ga guns is everything I need.  Now and then we all encounter some out of calibration shotgun KDs from time to time but the 16ga is everything I need.  Since I load only black powder ammo and don't use plastic wads the loads I load up give me everything I need and make plenty of flames and smoke.  This is the same ammo I use for grouse hunting and the partridge fall dead when my aim is correct.

That,and the ejection port on my old Winchester 97 is the same size as the larger 12ga 97s.  If I ever master "over the top" loading the slight difference in the port size gives me a small advantage.

DD-MDA

[john boy]

Last month I had a German 16ga SxS fully engraved with left hand cheek piece, 30" barrels in approx 90% condition follow me home
Barrels are nitro proofed
Shot it last Sunday and was really pleased with handling and empties gravity dropped out of the chambers
Loading Data:
*73gr Cartridge
* 2 Nitro cards
* One 3/8" felt wad
* 1 1/8 oz 7 1/2

[Dick Dastardly]

That's a full strength load John Boy.  How does it pattern?  Will it see action at a SASS match?  Good to hear from another 16ga aficionado.

DD-MDA

[Coffinmaker]

Well      The OP questioned whether the "wad mica" smears on the outside of the 16Ga hulls would aid extraction.  As I would understand it, also would the hulls "shuck" easier/better in the CAS application, based on the Mica. 

Nobody has addressed this original question.  Everybody has sung praises of this and that the other of the 16Ga but ALL have ignored the original query   

SO:  I don't have a clue.  Dry Hole.  I don't shoot any kind of 16Ga.  I don't shoot any kind of plastic hulls.  12Ga All Brass Hulls in Hammer Doubles.  Which means this addition to the thread is of no real value with no added information.  You may, if your so inclined, completely and totally ignore this missive ... or not ... your call!!

I'm shooting tomorrow for the first time this season and it's going to be WARM!!!!

[Dick Dastardly]

I had forgotten about the wad mica.  Yes, I use it to aid extraction of plastic hulls.  The stuff makes the plastic hulls shuck out a lot better.  Thanks for the reminder!

DD-MDA

[john boy]

That's a full strength load John Boy.  How does it pattern?  Will it see action at a SASS match?

Dick, with an 1 1/8 shot, the square load is 83gr.  So, I'm on the low side.  Shot it last Sunday - patterns very good but being a light shotgun of 6 lbs - recoil is 'sharp'.  So am going down in 10% increments and see what happens

[Dick Dastardly]

I'm thinkn' that SASS main match distances you could back that load down to 7/8 oz and still have plenty of KD power as long as the choke is tight enough.

DD-MDA