Which 16 Gauge Product Lines Are Most Common?
Current observed prices are in the 30-day price summary at the top of this page, recomputed from tracked retailer listings. Shotshells are compared per shell, the shotgun equivalent of cost per round. The table below lists common load types by shot charge and intended use. It is a reference list, not a ranking.
| Load Type | Shell | Typical Shot Charge | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upland / game loads (lead) | 2¾" | 1 oz – 1⅛ oz, #5–#7½ | Pheasant, Grouse, Quail |
| Steel waterfowl / upland loads | 2¾" | ~⅞ oz – 1 oz steel | Waterfowl / Non-Toxic Areas |
| Target / dove loads | 2¾" | 1 oz, #7½–#8 | Clays / Dove |
| Buckshot | 2¾" | #1 or 00 Buck | Deer / Hog where permitted |
| Rifled slugs | 2¾" | ~⅘ oz – 1 oz slug | Deer / Hog |
Manufacturers including Federal, Winchester, Remington, and Fiocchi load 16 gauge, though with fewer product lines than 12 or 20 gauge.
What Is 16 Gauge?
Shotgun gauge is an old English measure: a gauge number is how many lead balls of the bore's diameter make up one pound. A 16 gauge bore fits a lead ball weighing one-sixteenth of a pound, giving a nominal bore diameter of 0.662 inches (16.8mm) — between the 12 gauge at 0.729 inches and the 20 gauge at 0.615 inches.
The standard 16 gauge chamber in the United States is 2¾ inches, and most current shells are 2¾-inch. Some older European and early American guns have shorter chambers (2½ or 2 9/16 inches); firing longer shells in a short chamber raises pressure. Check the chamber length marked on the barrel before buying shells for an older gun.
Why 16 Gauge Has a Following
For much of the first half of the 20th century, 16 gauge was a mainstream American hunting gauge, especially for upland birds. It carries close to a 12 gauge shot charge in a gun built on a lighter frame — the "carries like a 20, hits like a 12" description long used by upland hunters. Its popularity fell after the mid-century rise of the 3-inch 20 gauge and the dominance of 12 gauge for everything from clays to waterfowl, and many manufacturers stopped building 16 gauge guns.
The gauge has never disappeared. Side-by-side and over-under upland guns, older pump and semi-automatic shotguns, and periodic new production — such as Browning's A5 "Sweet Sixteen" — keep demand steady, and shotshell makers continue to load it.
How 16 Gauge Is Used
- Upland bird hunting — pheasant, grouse, woodcock, and quail with 1 oz to 1⅛ oz lead loads, or non-toxic shot where required.
- Dove and clays with lighter target loads.
- Deer and hog with slugs or buckshot in states that permit shotgun hunting for big game.
- Waterfowl with steel or other non-toxic shot (lead shot is prohibited for waterfowl hunting in the United States).
Shot Size and Material
Shot size numbers run opposite to size: #8 is smaller than #6, and #4 is larger. Buckshot uses a separate scale (#4 Buck, #1 Buck, 00 Buck). Lead is the traditional material; steel, bismuth, and tungsten-based shot are used where non-toxic shot is required. Steel is lighter than lead, so steel loads typically use larger pellet sizes to carry similar energy. Some older guns, especially those with fixed tight chokes, are not rated for steel shot — the gun's manufacturer is the authority. See turkey loads compared for how dense non-toxic shot is used in hunting loads.
How 16 Gauge Prices Compare
The 30-day summary at the top of this page shows the observed per-shell price distribution for 16 gauge — the median, the quartiles, and how many retailers and listings stand behind them. Because 16 gauge is made in much smaller quantities than 12 and 20 gauge, the field of available loads is narrower and per-shell prices typically differ from those gauges; compare with the 12 gauge and 20 gauge pages to see the current figures side by side. Lead target loads sit at the lower end of the distribution, while slugs and premium non-toxic loads sit higher.
Boxes are usually 25 shells for birdshot and 5 to 15 for slugs and buckshot, so compare cost per shell rather than box price — the search button at the top of this page sorts current listings that way. Set a free price alert to be told when a listing crosses a price you choose. Shipping matters too: see how to buy ammo online.
Where to Compare 16 Gauge Prices
IronScout tracks in-stock listings across the retailers it covers and recomputes the 30-day summary daily.