Two 16 Gauge Fowling Pieces

[Heelerau]

Gents, my mate has a nice Manton percussion conversion single barrel 16 gauge and a nice J Egg double barrel percussion fowler. I normally use a W and Scott percussion fowler in 12 gauge so am quite familiar in their use. What is a good load for rabbits in the 16 gauges? I normally use No 4 in the 12 gauge as it carries better, so would likely use no 4 in the 16s. Just need some suggestions of powder and shot combinations. I will use goex F.

Cheers

Heelerau.
Both guns are in excellent shooting condition.

 

[Micah Clark]

Not sure how helpful my comment is, but my first thought is that #4 shot seems very heavy for a rabbit, at least for an American cottontail. I use 6 or 7 1/2 possibly even 8 as rabbits are so thin skinned that 4 seems like overkill.

 

[Feltwad]

Gents, my mate has a nice Manton percussion conversion single barrel 16 gauge and a nice J Egg double barrel percussion fowler. I normally use a W and Scott percussion fowler in 12 gauge so am quite familiar in their use. What is a good load for rabbits in the 16 gauges? I normally use No 4 in the 12 gauge as it carries better, so would likely use no 4 in the 16s. Just need some suggestions of powder and shot combinations. I will use goex F.

Cheers

Heelerau.
Both guns are in excellent shooting condition.

For my 16 bore percussion guns I use a load of 2.1/2drms of FFg Medium grain black powder to 1oz of shot
Most rabbits here in the UK are shot walking up or ferretting and taken at 20 to 35 yards . If this is the same down under then shot size 5 or 6 will be best.For the shot size it could be try and error but the sizes given is what I use
You mention a Manton conversion is it done by the drum and nipple ?
Feltwad

 

[Heelerau]

Feltwad, thanks the Manton has drum and nipple, I had to drill and re tap the thread and fit a new nipple, someone had half drilled out the old one. Gun is in lovely order, lock internals are really good, so obvious wear. Hammer I had to tighten as was a bit loose. Had been done before with a chisel and some punch marks, I did the same and you cannot see the adjustments. My first attempt to post photos with out photo bucket, please let me know if they work. file:///Users/wendyharrison/Desktop/P7140025.JPG file:///Users/wendyharrison/Desktop/P7140024.JPG
Cheers Heelerau

 

[Feltwad]

Feltwad, thanks the Manton has drum and nipple, I had to drill and re tap the thread and fit a new nipple, someone had half drilled out the old one. Gun is in lovely order, lock internals are really good, so obvious wear. Hammer I had to tighten as was a bit loose. Had been done before with a chisel and some punch marks, I did the same and you cannot see the adjustments. My first attempt to post photos with out photo bucket, please let me know if they work. file:///Users/wendyharrison/Desktop/P7140025.JPG file:///Users/wendyharrison/Desktop/P7140024.JPG
Cheers Heelerau

Most conversions were done with the drum and nipple most are solid but they have been known to blow out with serious injury for a person standing along side .Here in the UK if a new drum and nipple was fitted and to use the gun for safety sake it would have been submitted to the Proof House but I do not think you have one down under correct me if I am wrong
Has for the punch and chisel marks on the underside of the square I have come across hundreds of them on restoration it was a common practise which did follow later to the breech loader to punch the bites and tighten the action
No images yet I have left photo bucket when they asked for $399 and gone onto another web site.
Good luck with the rabbits a bit of rabbit stew goes down well.
Feltwad

 

[Heelerau]

Ditto re photo bucket, . The link to my desktop, should be able to right click on the link and will bring up open url,

 

[wattlebuster]

I think the 4s will work just fine out of a 16 ga. I use 4s for rabbit and squirrel simply because I dont have to pic the smaller shot out of either one. The 4 drives right on thru. Some say not enough shot pattern but it dont take much with the heavier shot. I would start with a 70 gn load of Fg an maybe 70 to 80 gn of shot an go from there.Like you I have 2 12 ga smoothbores both flint but no 16, but that load should be a good safe starting point. I also love the way the Fg shoots out of my 12s

 

[coloradoclyde]

Not sure how helpful my comment is, but my first thought is that #4 shot seems very heavy for a rabbit, at least for an American cottontail. I use 6 or 7 1/2 possibly even 8 as rabbits are so thin skinned that 4 seems like overkill.

Rabbits are very tender and easy to kill...a single pellet can kill a rabbit...
That said,
The smaller the shot size the more pellets it takes to kill a rabbit...and the more holes that are in a rabbit the more damage.
Smaller shot sizes have to be driven at higher velocities to kill effectively.
Small shot is difficult to remove from the meat.
Small shot has denser patterns, this is bad for marginal shots...you either riddle the game with holes or wound it.

Larger shot works better for rabbits at lower velocities and in guns with little or no choke...

I've used #4 all my life it is the perfect for rabbits.

 

[azmntman]

:metoo:

 

[Feltwad]

Number 4 shot is not a common shot here in the UK mostly for geese but if we go back to the 1800s my research shows on several estates receipts that no 4 shot was the most popular and used for all different game.
Feltwad

 

[Claude Mathis]

My first attempt to post photos with out photo bucket, please let me know if they work. file:///Users/wendyharrison/Desktop/P7140024.JPG

This is the local path to the Desktop on your computer, it is not a URL. Nobody can connect to your machine, unless you set it up as a web server.

 

[Heelerau]

Claude thanks for that, I was a bit confused because I could click on the link and it worked for me, of course my computer !!I will go and find out how to do the url thingy.
I found years ago with my 12 bore percussion double that I seemed to get the best results with no 4 on both rabbits and duck on the wing. I have patterned that particular gun and it spreads evenly across a 30 inch circle with no holes in the pattern. This gun has no choke and handles really well, have even busted a lot of clays with it . I will be interested to see how the 16 gauge guns perform, even though they are well made they do not have quite the same handling of the much later W&C Scott percussion double I have used for years.
Thank you all for you advice regarding loads

Cheers

Heelerau

 

[19 16 6]

I found years ago with my 12 bore percussion double that I seemed to get the best results with no 4 on both rabbits and duck on the wing.
Heelerau

We have them same sort of flying rabbits up here.
Big ones.
O.

 

[ZUG]

I am in the camp of using #5 or #6 shot size on the bunnies for the pattern density & killing power at muzzleloading shotgun distances :v . Not all of those bunnies will be standing still waiting for you to shoot them :grin: .I've only use #4 on ducks & geese :v .

 

[Stumpkiller]

I like #5 in my 16 bore if expecting rabbits but will go with #6 if grouse are up. Trouble is, either can be up. So normally I head out with a load of #5.

75 gr FFg and 1-1/4 oz shot in any case.

 

[Heelerau]

These rabbits were as fast as snipe on the wing :rotf:

 

[Heelerau]

Gents. Woke up the Manton from its long sleep today, 2 1/2 drams of FFg and 1 1/8 oz of no 4 , had to use dunny paper as both over powder and over shot wadding. 4 shots and it worked a treat. Now for those snipe like bunnies. I will pick up a 17mm wad punch and then be able to load her properly.

 

[robinsroost]

I had to google it as I am not familiar with the term, but for the uneducated, like me, "dunny paper" is toilet paper in America.........robin :hmm:

 

[cynthialee]

oh toilet paper is a crappy choice
:haha:

I started a small grass fire with a toilet paper wad. Got it extinguished in a few seconds, but that was enough warning for me. Napkins, toilet paper and rolling papers all keep burning out of the barrel and might start a fire.

 

[Heelerau]

Cynthia-Lee, you are dead right dunny paper is a good way to start a fire, I will be getting the proper sized wad punch and loading the normal way. This was just a test fire, and it is the middle of Winter down here so fire is not a problem. Also dunny paper does not allow the load to develop max power because I guess the lack of friction.