16ga

[fox-admin]

I copied these words from a post on FB page. What say U???
The 16-gauge didn’t disappear because it failed. It disappeared because the hunting world got louder. Caught between the brute certainty of the 12 and the easy handling of the 20, the 16 never begged for attention. It simply worked, quietly, season after season, teaching balance long before balance became something people talked about online.
This gauge was built for hunters who walked, not those who counted payload. It carried well, pointed naturally, and delivered patterns that rewarded timing rather than panic. With a 16-gauge, you couldn’t rely on excess shot to clean up late decisions. You had to mount clean, swing smoothly, and commit when the window was right. Miss the moment, and the gun didn’t argue with you. It reminded you.
That reminder is why many old hunters never let theirs go. The 16-gauge sits in a sweet spot where power is present but never overwhelming. Recoil is noticeable enough to demand respect, yet gentle enough to stay honest. It doesn’t encourage rushing. It encourages rhythm. It doesn’t flatten mistakes with force. It exposes them with clarity.
As modern hunting drifted toward extremes, the 16 gauge stayed centered. It never tried to be lighter than everything or stronger than everything. It asked one simple thing instead: that the hunter meet it halfway. Good footwork. Clean mounts. Real patience. Those who learned on the 16 learned to value flow over force, and judgment over noise.
The 16 gauge isn’t outdated. It’s unfashionable. And that distinction matters. It represents a time when hunters chose tools that shaped behavior rather than inflated confidence. In a world chasing edges and excess, the 16 gauge reminds us that balance is not a compromise—it’s a discipline.
The 16 gauge didn’t disappear because it failed. It disappeared because the world around it simplified. Hunters were told to choose sides—light or heavy, 20 or 12—and the middle was quietly abandoned. Not because it was wrong, but because it didn’t shout for attention.
What defines the 16 gauge is proportion. It carries more authority than a 20 without demanding the bulk of a 12. The payload feels purposeful, not excessive. Recoil is present, but measured. In the hands, the gun balances naturally, especially in classic field guns built before “modular” became a selling point. Nothing feels forced. Nothing feels trimmed down to make a category.
In the deer woods, the 16 gauge shines in places charts don’t measure. It moves smoothly through cover. It settles quickly on target. With slugs or appropriate loads, it delivers clean results at realistic distances without the fatigue that often follows heavier gauges. The experience feels deliberate rather than defensive.
The reason many hunters never tried the 16 is simple: it requires context. It doesn’t dominate a spec sheet. It doesn’t promise extremes. Instead, it rewards hunters who already understand their distances, their angles, and their patience. The 16 doesn’t rescue rushed decisions—but it doesn’t punish thoughtful ones either.
This is why those who discover the 16 late often ask the same question: why did we skip this? Not because it outperforms everything else, but because it fits so well that it fades from focus. And when a tool disappears, judgment takes over.
The controversy around the 16 gauge isn’t about effectiveness. It’s about relevance. In a world obsessed with fewer choices, the 16 reminds hunters that balance used to be the goal—not a compromise.
Choose the 16 gauge if you want the steadiness of a 12 without its weight, and the handling of a 20 without giving up authority. It’s ideal for hunters who value proportion over popularity and performance over packaging. The 16 gauge isn’t forgotten because it’s obsolete. It’s forgotten because it refuses to fit into simple arguments. And that may be exactly why it still works.

[Jeff S]

Very nice. Thanks for sharing that post. I love my 16’s.

[eightbore]

Yup, I have a few sixteens. Oh my gosh, I have way more than a few.

[ROMAC]

Nice article. Was referred to as the “Gentleman’s gauge “ by more than one sports writer.

[bbman3]

True!

[SPE33]

That’s a good write up on the 16.I knew that there was more to them than those purple shells!

[DarylC]

Got to give you credit Craig, you come up with some thought provoking posts. With a 16 Fox you can find them as heavy as you like or as svelte as you like. I love Parkers too, but they are just not the same in the smallbores except for the OO frames which are the same size as the Fox 20 and 16 frames. If only Parker made a 20 on a OO frame and Fox had made a 28ga I'd die a happy man.

[Researcher]

The fact that there was no 16-gauge event in NSSA skeet and the introduction of the 3-inch Magnum 20-gauge in the late 1950s mitigated against the 16-gauge, but 70 plus years later the 16 still has its advocates. For over 150 years rifle manufacturers have been able to neck down, blow out, add a belt, etc. and come up with some new product to sell. By 1912 we had all the smokeless powder high velocity rifle calibers to take care of anything on the North American continent -- .375 H & H, .30 govt' 06, 7x57mm and the .22 Savage hi-power. Poor shotgun manufacturers have been stuck with six bore sizes, really three more than we "need."

[Researcher]

The fact that there was no 16-gauge event in NSSA skeet and the introduction of the 3-inch Magnum 20-gauge in the late 1950s mitigated against the 16-gauge, but 70 plus years later the 16 still has its advocates. For over 150 years rifle manufacturers have been able to neck down, blow out, add a belt, etc. and come up with some new product to sell. By 1912 we had all the smokeless powder high velocity rifle calibers to take care of anything on the North American continent -- .375 H & H, .30 govt' 06, 7x57mm and the .22 Savage hi-power. Poor shotgun manufacturers have been stuck with six bore sizes, really three more than we "need."

[Foxnut]

I LOVE my 16 gauge guns!! Craig that was a great post. As I’ve said before the reason I hunt with a 16 the majority of the time is out of habit as that’s the gauge I utilized when I started hunting the farms behind the house I grew up in. I utilize a 16 gauge for grouse, woodcock, sharp tails and pheasant through most of the seasons. As to why it dwindled in popularity I think what Dave shared about not being recognized in Skeet had something to do with it as well as the quest for more power & payload! To me the 16 gauge is the quintessential upland woods gun!!

[eightbore]

I have a neat little sixteen gauge Parker bird gun that weighs nine pounds. I have no idea what the original owner was thinking. It was built on a #3 frame and was a sixteen gauge from birth.

[Upland Hunter]

Agree with most of what was written in the original post about 16 gauge shotguns and this was a fun read. The parts in the post about "teaching balance" and "pointing naturally" are poetic, yet true for only some 16 gauge guns encountered. Moreover, these attributes are not solely the domain of the noble 16. Proper gun fitting, overall weight for the intended usage and barrel length all do well to encourage balance and pointing naturally in any shotgun from .410 to 10 gauge. A couple 16's that were moved along as they didn't fit the descriptions in the post. A 16 gauge Spanish SxS was sold in hindsight with regret as it pointed naturally and was quite effective on waterfowl. The 16's that remain in my use are fantastic in the ways listed in the post. Especially enjoying a Fox 16 at present which will travel often afield this autumn.

[1steve7301]

I grew up loving the 16 gauge as my Dad hunted with his Ithaca Flues 16 gauge gun with 26" barrels factory choked Cyl/Full. The gun weighs 5.9 Lbs and is a joy to carry and hunt grouse and woodcock here in my home state of New Hampshire. When I graduated college he gave me his gun as a graduation gift. Whenever I hunt with it he is still with me.

[fox-admin]

I grew up loving the 16 gauge as my Dad hunted with his Ithaca Flues 16 gauge gun with 26" barrels factory choked Cyl/Full. The gun weighs 5.9 Lbs and is a joy to carry and hunt grouse and woodcock here in my home state of New Hampshire. When I graduated college he gave me his gun as a graduation gift. Whenever I hunt with it he is still with me.

You are a fortunate man to be able to hunt with your dad's gun. Great looking pup and shotgun.

[Sporrns]

Greatest grouse gun ever designed and built: Savage/Fox Utica Sterlingworth (aka "Ute Sterly") pictured here 16 ga. 26" SG SFE Savage SK|CYL - IC (.006\.011) chokes. Light, fast handling, and very deadly! Kevin