As much as I love 16, I have to admit that while 16 ga is way more available the 2 1/2 shells, you can still trim any 2 3/4 inch shell down easily and reload and if you roll crimp (which has become more common for me as of late) you can use all the same 2 3/4 data in the roll crimped shell. 12 gauge components will always be more available and cheaper than 16 ga components....
But I order all my reloading components online and have them shipped in, whether 12 or 16 gauge. And it is just as easy to click my way through ordering my 16 gauge components as it is my 12. I have a couple of thousand of sixteen hulls and about twice that of wads. Same primers and shot go in both gauges, I have one powder for 12 and one for 16. I am set for life in sixteen reloading, excepting powder and primers.
