The 16 Gauge is a shotshell standardised by SAAMI in ANSI/SAAMI Z299.2, which lists it in the 2 3/4 inch shell at a maximum average pressure of 11,500 psi. This guide sets out SAAMI’s published reference velocity for each shot weight in each shell length, for lead and non-lead shot, then its slug and buckshot reference loads, and compares the 16 Gauge with the 20 Gauge on the same basis.
16 Gauge ballistics chart: SAAMI reference data
SAAMI lists shotshell reference loads by shot weight within each shell length, and publishes a nominal mean instrumental velocity for each, measured at 3 feet from the standard test barrel. Rifle and handgun cartridges are measured at 15 feet, so a shotshell velocity is not measured on the same basis as theirs. SAAMI lists lead shot and non-lead shot loads separately and fires them in test barrels with different chokes, so the tables give them in separate columns. SAAMI publishes no energy for shot loads, so no energy is shown.
16 Gauge, 2 3/4 inch shell
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Shot weight | Lead shot: velocity at 3 ft | Non-lead shot: velocity at 3 ft |
|---|---|---|
| 7/8 oz | Not listed | 1,300 fps |
| 15/16 oz | Not listed | 1,350 fps |
| 1 oz | 1,165; 1,220 fps | Not listed |
| 1 1/8 oz | 1,185; 1,240; 1,295 fps | Not listed |
| 1 1/4 oz | 1,260 fps | Not listed |
16 Gauge slug ballistics: SAAMI reference data
SAAMI lists slug loads separately from shot loads, and for slugs it publishes velocity at both 3 feet and 15 feet from the test barrel. A slug is a single projectile, so its energy can be computed from its weight as grains × fps² ÷ 450,437, taking 1 ounce as 437.5 grains. SAAMI’s slug weights are nominal, so the computed energy is nominal too, and it is energy at the test barrel, not downrange.
16 Gauge rifled slugs
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Shell length, slug weight | Velocity at 3 ft / computed energy | Velocity at 15 ft / computed energy |
|---|---|---|
| 2 3/4 inch, 4/5 oz | 1,570 fps / 1,915 ft-lb | 1,540 fps / 1,843 ft-lb |
16 Gauge buckshot: SAAMI reference data
SAAMI lists buckshot by buck size and number of pellets, with one velocity measured at 3 feet from the standard test barrel. It publishes no pellet weight, so no energy is computed for buckshot.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| Shell length, buck size | Number of pellets | Lead buckshot: velocity at 3 ft |
|---|---|---|
| 2 3/4 inch, 1 buck | 12 | 1,225 fps |
What the numbers mean for a shot
SAAMI lists one shell length for the 16 Gauge: 2 3/4 inch. Its lead shot loads carry from 1 oz to 1 1/4 oz of shot and its non-lead shot loads carry from 7/8 oz to 15/16 oz. At 3 feet, SAAMI’s lead shot reference velocities are from 1,165 to 1,295 fps, and its non-lead shot reference velocities are from 1,300 to 1,350 fps.
SAAMI lists one slug reference load for the 16 Gauge: a 4/5 oz rifled slug in the 2 3/4 inch shell, at 1,570 fps at 3 feet and 1,540 fps at 15 feet. From the nominal slug weight and the 3-foot velocity that computes to 1,915 ft-lb. Its one buckshot reference load is listed at 1,225 fps at 3 feet, with 12 pellets.
None of the shot or buckshot figures is a pattern, range or energy figure. SAAMI’s tables give shot weight rather than shot size, measure shot and buckshot velocity at 3 feet, and publish no pattern or energy data, so they cannot say how far a load is effective or how hard it hits. The slug energy figures are computed at the test barrel only: SAAMI measures no further than 15 feet, so they say nothing about energy or drop at hunting distances. Each product in our 16 Gauge ammo range lists whatever its maker publishes for that item.
Shell length, chamber and pressure
The maximum average pressure for the 16 Gauge is 11,500 psi. Never fire a shell longer than the chamber of your shotgun. Check the chamber length marked on the barrel or given in the owner’s manual, and match the gauge and shell length printed on the box to it.
SAAMI’s lead shot reference velocities were measured in test barrels with a choke constriction of .031 ± .005 in (0.79 mm ± 0.13 mm), and its non-lead shot velocities in test barrels with .005 ± .005 in (0.13 mm ± 0.13 mm). Those are the barrels every velocity above was measured in, not a statement about your shotgun: your own barrel and choke can give different figures. Check the barrel and choke maker’s instructions before firing non-lead shot, and check the current regulations where you hunt, because rules on which shot may be used, for waterfowl in particular, vary by location.
SAAMI’s rifled slug data for the 16 Gauge is for loads intended to be fired from smooth-bore firearms. Check the choke maker’s instructions before firing any slug through a choke tube.
16 Gauge vs 20 Gauge: the SAAMI comparison
A figure from one maker’s catalogue cannot be laid beside a figure from another’s: each picks its own test barrel, choke and payload. SAAMI is the shared basis, because it fixes one standard test barrel and one way of measuring velocity for every shotshell it lists.
Scroll the table sideways for the remaining columns.
| SAAMI specification | 16 Gauge | 20 Gauge |
|---|---|---|
| Shell lengths SAAMI lists | 2 3/4 inch | 2 3/4 and 3 inch |
| Maximum average pressure, 2 3/4 inch shell | 11,500 psi | 12,000 psi |
| Maximum average pressure, 3 inch shell | Not listed | 12,000 psi |
| Lead shot, 2 3/4 inch shell | 1 oz to 1 1/4 oz; 1,165–1,295 fps | 3/4 oz to 1 1/8 oz; 980–1,390 fps |
| Non-lead shot, 2 3/4 inch shell | 7/8 oz to 15/16 oz; 1,300–1,350 fps | 3/4 oz to 1 1/8 oz; 1,100–1,425 fps |
| Rifled slug, 2 3/4 inch shell | 4/5 oz; 1,570 fps | 1/2 oz to 7/8 oz; 1,540–1,810 fps |
| Saboted slug, 2 3/4 inch shell | Not listed | 250 gr to 1 oz; 1,270–1,900 fps |
| Lead buckshot, 2 3/4 inch shell | 1 buck; 1,225 fps | 3 buck; 1,200 fps |
In the 2 3/4 inch shell, SAAMI standardises the 16 Gauge at 11,500 psi and the 20 Gauge at 12,000 psi, so the 16 Gauge runs 500 psi lower. The heaviest lead shot load SAAMI lists in that shell is 1 1/4 oz for the 16 Gauge and 1 1/8 oz for the 20 Gauge. A higher pressure limit is a ceiling on the load, not a measure of its power.
What SAAMI cannot settle is anything past the muzzle. It publishes no pattern, shot size or downrange data, so it cannot say which gauge is more effective at a given distance; that depends on the load and the choke. We stock the other side of this comparison too: 20 Gauge ammo.
16 Gauge ballistics questions
What is the maximum pressure of the 16 Gauge?
ANSI/SAAMI Z299.2 sets the maximum average pressure for the 16 Gauge at 11,500 psi.
How fast is a 16 Gauge shotshell?
SAAMI’s reference velocities for the 16 Gauge, measured at 3 feet from the standard test barrel, are from 1,165 to 1,295 fps for lead shot and from 1,300 to 1,350 fps for non-lead shot.
How fast is a 16 Gauge slug, and how much energy does it carry?
SAAMI lists one slug reference load for the 16 Gauge: a 4/5 oz rifled slug in the 2 3/4 inch shell, at 1,570 fps at 3 feet and 1,540 fps at 15 feet. From the nominal slug weight and the 3-foot velocity that computes to 1,915 ft-lb. SAAMI publishes velocity only, so the energy figure is computed, not published.
What buckshot loads does SAAMI list for the 16 Gauge?
SAAMI lists 1 buckshot reference load for the 16 Gauge, in buck size 1, carrying 12 pellets, with a reference velocity of 1,225 fps measured at 3 feet. It publishes no pellet weight, so no buckshot energy can be computed from it.
Is the 16 Gauge more powerful than the 20 Gauge?
Power is not a SAAMI measure. What SAAMI publishes is a maximum average pressure and the shot weights and velocities of its reference loads. In the 2 3/4 inch shell, which both list, the heaviest lead shot load SAAMI lists is 1 1/4 oz for the 16 Gauge and 1 1/8 oz for the 20 Gauge, at maximum average pressures of 11,500 psi and 12,000 psi.
What shot weights does SAAMI list for the 16 Gauge?
SAAMI lists lead shot loads carrying from 1 oz to 1 1/4 oz and non-lead shot loads carrying from 7/8 oz to 15/16 oz.
What is the effective range of a 16 Gauge?
Effective range is not a SAAMI specification. SAAMI measures velocity at 3 feet and publishes no pattern or energy data, so it says nothing about performance at distance; that depends on the load, the shot size and the choke.
Where to buy these loads
Hilltop Armory carries 16 Gauge ammunition from Federal, Remington, HEVI-Shot, Browning Ammunition, Fiocchi and Winchester. Browse the full 16 Gauge ammo range.
