16 Gauge Cart Recomendations

[a303]

So after picking up my first 16 bore, does anyone have a recommended carts for clays and pigeon?

 

Picked up a slab of RC 16's 28g 6's not used any yet but can anyone recommend anyone's else's carts ideally fibre wad 7.5s?

 

Secondly say for instance if I was to shoot 500-1000 carts a year, would it be cheaper to set up to reload for them from scratch or just to buy the carts? Never reloaded before.

[neutron619]

When I bought commercial, I quite liked Gamebore's Traditional Game 28g/#6. Very mild, patterned well in my gun. Killed some good rangey birds.

 

Now I load my own. Well worthwhile - I get a better cartridge for about £4.60 a box than the £7-8/box I used to pay for the Gamebores or the £8-9 I can now pay for Hull High Pheasant.

 

As far as I'm aware, there are basically no commercially available clay cartridges for 16 gauge. You could load your own, but the 16ga (in the UK) is basically the preserve of a handful of hunters who know and appreciate it. There are lots of #7, #6 and #5 cartridges for wingshooting and almost nothing else.

 

Stick with an ounce of #6. It's the quintessential British game load in the gauge specifically intended to fire it. Shoot it at the clays too - 270 pellets is plenty and having only one cartridge per gun makes a lot of sense in terms of consistent shooting, etc.

Edited March 31, 2017 by neutron619

[a303]

If you don't mind me asking?

 

What's your set up for reloading 16 bore?

 

Always fancied having a go at it, never really needed to for 12 gauge but now have a good reason to if a saving can be made. Not to mention the enjoyment of it.

[neutron619]

Very basic setup: Lee Load-All II converted from 12 gauge and an M6 washer to finish the crimps nicely.

 

I think the recipe for my cartridge is something like 3mm nitro and 20mm fibre in a 70mm case, plus 1oz (as opposed to 28g - it's whatever the Load-All throws which is a bit more than 28g) of #6 on top of Vectan A1. I don't have my books with me and since I can't remember the exact figure for powder, I'm not going to quote one - I don't want to remember it wrongly and endanger you!

 

I did try a 32g/#5 load as well, using A0, but I can't say I noticed the difference, particularly. The #6 load threw better patterns in both absolute and percentage terms. (It's mild like the Gamebore cartridge seemed to be, so it patterns well; faster loads - i.e. a 24g load I tried in the same gun - tend not to.)

 

Good luck.

Edited April 1, 2017 by neutron619

[a303]

Thank you very much for the info.

Time to start looking at reloading machines.

[Walker570]

The MEC 600 takes some beating at the price. I load 410s and apart from the feed on shot bigger than 8s is a bit iffy (small hole) it loads good shells. I've found the big deal is getting it set up right, then not messing.

I've shot Eley and Lylevale 16s and had no complaints on receipt from the customers.

Have fun with your 16 gauge. It will kill just as well as a 12.

[busbiter]

Longthorne guns sell an eley loaded 21gram 7.5 shot in 16g I believe, keep meaning to take a detour off of the a14 and pick up a slab! They also do some other bespoke loads in 16g including a 30 gram copper shot size 4, and a 30 gram shot size 7 lead, both sound like absolute winners to me!

 

http://www.longthorneguns.com/news/

 

I have shot most of the commercially available loads, favourites being paper case 3 crowns, high pheasant 28 gram 6's, anything rottweill if you can find them. Got a load of alphamax and hymax 32 gram which have bowled a few bunnies over recenetley, wish I had more!

Edited April 4, 2017 by busbiter

[rbrowning2]

16ga I always wanted to try but not wanting to reload for yet another gauge have avoided buying one.

 

Only ever seen a couple used on clays over many years so ownership of one puts you in a very small club.

[dodeer]

If anyone is in south England I have 200 odd RC 1oz 6's spare

[neutron619]

Only ever seen a couple used on clays over many years so ownership of one puts you in a very small club.

 

You'll have to forgive me if I allow myself a self-indulgent moment and claim that it is an excellent club...

[Paul1440]

I decided to try the 16g at clays. As there's a shot size rule st the club (no bigger than 6's snd zi only had 5s. I managed to find some clay loads at Malmo guns Cheddite drago 28g plas wad 8s. (Italian 8s so 7.5 english). Rrally good all round clay load and not too punchy out of my 6 1/2 lb gun. Plus not overly expensive for 16g

[busbiter]

Nice, how much were these? May take a detour next time I am up in the North West with work.

[shalfordninja33]

If anyone is in south England I have 200 odd RC 1oz 6's spare

Where in the south please mate?

[dodeer]

Where in the south please mate?

Dorset

[Farmboy91]

Bringing this one back from the dead.... 

What's the realastic cost on setting up to exclusively load 16 bore? 

I had a mix of eley grand prix 5,6,7's a box of Winchester carts and a box of Rc 28g 6 and the Rc's are by far the best but I can't source them locally. 

[AYA117]

Just Cartridges stock RC 28g for the 16!

[Farmboy91]

Yeah i did look on there, they're far from cheap though, granted I know all 16 bore carts are pricey when your compare them to 12 bore's, that's why I was considering home loads, only other cart which I have considered is the Hull 3 crowns purely because its in a paper case haha. 

[redial]

I contacted Hull re paper cases last year and was told, they couldn't source a supplier of paper  cases so they couldn't produce any.

[Farmboy91]

11 hours ago, redial said:

I contacted Hull re paper cases last year and was told, they couldn't source a supplier of paper  cases so they couldn't produce any.

I was talking to the bloke in Radcliffes in Colchester and he said they same thing, sure he said they'd had some on order for 18 months +. 

Clarkes of Walsham have them advertised on the website might give them a call to see if the actually have any in stock. 

[busbiter]

On 04/04/2018 at 07:41, Farmboy91 said:

I was talking to the bloke in Radcliffes in Colchester and he said they same thing, sure he said they'd had some on order for 18 months +. 

Clarkes of Walsham have them advertised on the website might give them a call to see if the actually have any in stock. 

I reckon the ones clarkes have advertised are old stock plastic case OR high phesant , if they are paper case and have them for the price they are listed at, buy the lot!!! Over £3 cheaper per 25 than just cartridges.... I did pick some of these up last year from just cartridges and have in the past also, first batch were in a black case, ones last year in a blue case. They are a lovely cartridge to shoot.

Interesting to see clarkes have SAGA 16bore loads for under £6 a box too, 7 shot would be ok for clay baching at that money although from memory, they are very punchy.

Anyone bought any of the new hull pro sixteen clay loads? If so, what are prices like? I was tempted to call in at just cartridges or Ian coleys on way back to essex this afternoon out of curiosity more than anything but then the thought of another 6 hour journey like last week put me firmly off so carried on driving!!!

[Saltings]

anything other than 12g you will save money reloading  a nice pass time as well and you can tailor your loads to your needs a lee loadall and a powder scales a good place to start components from clay game  Folkestone engineering or siarm  if you go on the mec site calculator and put component costs etc to check if worth while or buy ready made cartridges before spending any £  American site so 2.2lbs to a kg for powder and shot uk      reload the way forward 

Edited April 5, 2018 by Saltings

[Farmboy91]

11 hours ago, busbiter said:

I reckon the ones clarkes have advertised are old stock plastic case OR high phesant , if they are paper case and have them for the price they are listed at, buy the lot!!! Over £3 cheaper per 25 than just cartridges.... I did pick some of these up last year from just cartridges and have in the past also, first batch were in a black case, ones last year in a blue case. They are a lovely cartridge to shoot.

Interesting to see clarkes have SAGA 16bore loads for under £6 a box too, 7 shot would be ok for clay baching at that money although from memory, they are very punchy.

Anyone bought any of the new hull pro sixteen clay loads? If so, what are prices like? I was tempted to call in at just cartridges or Ian coleys on way back to essex this afternoon out of curiosity more than anything but then the thought of another 6 hour journey like last week put me firmly off so carried on driving!!!

I'm gonna ring them at lunch time today as I'll be that way tomorrow and if they are papers I'm gonna pick a box or 2 up along with a box of those saga ones to see what there like, really enjoying shooting the 16, the only other gun that's had a look in since I brought it is the semi and that's only cause it was raining lol. 

When I've been through them all I'll get a 1000 if which ever and stick with them, should be enough to see me into the start of the season..... 

[busbiter]

24 minutes ago, Farmboy91 said:

I'm gonna ring them at lunch time today as I'll be that way tomorrow and if they are papers I'm gonna pick a box or 2 up along with a box of those saga ones to see what there like, really enjoying shooting the 16, the only other gun that's had a look in since I brought it is the semi and that's only cause it was raining lol. 

When I've been through them all I'll get a 1000 if which ever and stick with them, should be enough to see me into the start of the season..... 

Let us know what they say. Have often found in the past that gun shops advertise cartridges then sell out and dont update their lists accordingly. It would be a result if they do have three crowns paper 16's in stock though and at that money also!

 

[Farmboy91]

On 06/04/2018 at 08:56, busbiter said:

Let us know what they say. Have often found in the past that gun shops advertise cartridges then sell out and dont update their lists accordingly. It would be a result if they do have three crowns paper 16's in stock though and at that money also!

 

That was exactly the case. 

Called yesterday and they told me they had 15 boxes in so i thought I'll have 2 then let everyone one know. Paid up, the lad went off to get them and came back with pheasant extreme or something. 

Turns out they have none. The bird who was working said she was calling Hull on Monday to place another order and would let me know, not holding my breath after what I was told at Radcliffes but you never know. 

[busbiter]

21 hours ago, Farmboy91 said:

That was exactly the case. 

Called yesterday and they told me they had 15 boxes in so i thought I'll have 2 then let everyone one know. Paid up, the lad went off to get them and came back with pheasant extreme or something. 

Turns out they have none. The bird who was working said she was calling Hull on Monday to place another order and would let me know, not holding my breath after what I was told at Radcliffes but you never know. 

Sounds about right! 

Radcliffes is less than a mile from my house, last time I went in they only had High Phesant in stock but that was a fair while ago to be honest. When they were in town (back in the day) I did buy winchester and eley in 16g but not sure what else they stock these days. Loved a trip to radcliffe's, the old shop in town was like a gold mine!