That’s why I like side-by-sides so much: They’re so damned intimidating! Freeze most sensible burglars in their tracks. Doubt they’d notice this one was only 16-gauge... it’d be like staring down three lonely roads that take you straight to Hell, lol.
The standard buckshot shell in 16 gauge is 12 pellets of #1 buck (.30 caliber). A 12 gauge 9 pellet load of #00 buck (.33 caliber) actually weighs less due to how the larger shot stacks in the shell.
I'm quite partial to 16's, I've got 8 at last count, including a CSMC RBL that I had built.