Round Ball for 16 Gauge?

[DanLee]

I recently acquired a vintage Remington 1100 in 16 gauge that came with two extra barrels, one a smooth bore with rifle sights. I'm wondering what size ball to use in two loading scenarios: one with no wad cup and the second with a ball in the cup. Has anyone tried this?

Dan

[roverboy]

A 16 gauge is supposed to be .66 caliber, so a ball about that diameter might work ok. I've never done anything like this but, I'm a fan of 16 gauge. I really don't know what diameter to use with a shot cup. You could measure the inside diameter of a shot cup to get a good idea of what diameter ball to use. Have you shot your 16 much? I like shooting mine but, since I don't reload shotshells, I'm pretty much doomed to shoot factory, and there's not a whole lot available. I've looked for 1 1/4 oz. high brass for a while and can't find it. Everybody's out of stock. Good luck.

[elvas]

Another alternative is to make one or two push through sizer dies (like the Lee) and use the Lyman 12ga sabot slug sized down to match the bore of the barrel, no need for shotcups.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

If you go the shot cup route, which might or mightn't be the way to the best possible performance but is surely the best way to pretty good, it is indeed a good idea to measure the internal diameter. It is surprising how well round ball does if it is a good fit in a shot cup which fits the bore well.


If you use round ball without shot cup, it ought to be anything from exact bore diameter to about .003in. over. Apart from the obvious pressure implications, a ball which has acquired a cylindrical belt will acquire inaccuracy when it starts to roll in the air. A slug which won't (hopefully) roll or oscillate in the air can be as much over bore diameter as pressure permits. .662in. is the nominal bore diameter for a 16ga, but many guns, especially older ones, may deviate considerably, and should be measured. Many will be marked with a diameter figure, usually 9in. forward of the breech face. Over and immediately in front of the chamber is even more important, but easier to judge visually.

In European guns the bore diameter may be given in millimetres, sometimes with a comma instead of the decimal point. In British guns of some decades ago it may be given in figures like 12/1 and 12/2, which are larger than a true 12 but not quite an 11.

Where lead touches steel leading of the bore is a consideration. albeit not as much as with a rifle. Such a slug could benefit from tumble or powder coating with something, on which you will find plenty of information in the appropriate boards. A round ball, if slightly undersize, can be wrapped in a thin greased or waxed cloth patch. Keeping the centre of mass central in the bore is quite important, but not as much so as with a rifle bullet.

16 or 20ga is a fine choice for a deer rifle. Many people complain of recoil in heave 12ga loads - perhaps unnecessarily unless the gun is a light one, since you can have a good day's hunting with a shot or two. But those smaller gauges will be a big help with very little differences in killing power. They are all big.

[longbow]

Don't have a 16 gauge but do use Lyman 0.662" balls in my 12 ga. in shotcups. 0.662" is a 16 ga. ball so should fit well naked. The 0.662" is a standard size ball mould and weighs exactly 1 oz. in pure lead.

Longbow

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Nothing exceeds like excess! I think you might very well be right there. I have a large stock of unbranded but good 12ga wads which I bought so long ago that I don't remember what they are. But a .662in. ball is a very good fit, with just slight resistance when pushed through an improved cylinder choke.

[GabbyM]

There is no correct answer to ball size for your particular shotgun. You MUST measure the bore at the muzzle then calculate from there. This is why we will never see solid ball shells over the counter. If you try shooting a round ball and cup combination larger than your choke you will swag out the barrel choke. Not only size the ball. Due to the large bore volume for gasses by the time a ball reaches the choke. You will probably not see high pressure. Also take note. Chokes of the same name. Full Modified and so forth . Do not necessarily have the same bore diameter. Since length of choke and taper change the shot pattern. In the end. You want to be able to push your ball and cup down the bore by hand. Plus good quality control to be sure you don't load any oversized balls from a mold that starts to not fully close. I like the idea of a patched round ball muzzle loader style. Also in a plastic shot cup.

I'd call a calipers good enough to measure the bore. Plus the thickness of cup petals. Up to plus .003" bore diameter as mentioned above may be OK. I have not tried anything over bore diameter. I'd tend to keep them on size then reserve that .003" for a safety factor.


We have a 16 gage Remington break open single shot here that would make a great deer hunter. But I don't have a loader.

[BAGTIC]

A smoothbore barrel with rifle sights is going to be unchoked. A RB about .003 over bore will be just right. I shoot HTWW RB from both my rifled and smoothbore shotguns with no problem. I tumble lube them with JPW partly to prevent them from oxidizing in storage and there is no serious leading problem.

[DanLee]

A smoothbore barrel with rifle sights is going to be unchoked.

Are you sure? I have a 16-gauge 1100 smoothbore barrel with rifle sights that is marked MOD. The muzzle mikes at .655, so there is some choke.

[BAGTIC]

Are you going to be using a shotgun barrel with rifle sights for shooting birds or skeet? It was made for shooting slugs or buckshot. Usually a cylinder or slightly choked barrel is recommended for buckshot. I have never seen a 'modified choke' slug gun. Slug only guns I have seen have always been cylinder. Your gun may have been intended as a "buckshot gun".

I don't shoot 'slugs' in mine, only RB, and I have never noticed any choke damage when shooting .615 RB in 20 gauge with improved choke. That may be because there is so little bore contact with a RB. My 12 gauge 'ball guns', rifled and smooth, take .735 RB with no problem

[DanLee]

This is a 16-gauge Remington factory barrel with rifle sights. It is marked MOD. Whether it actually has that choke or was mismarked at the factory is another question. It shoots 2" groups at 50 yards with factory slugs. I'd like to try round balls in it and have acquired a .600" ball mold for that purpose. I have shot skeet with it just for grins and it works pretty well, but the swing has to be deliberate given the light weight.