Jumping off the Longbeard XR train!!!

[WNY Bowhunter]

I decided to try the 3.5" LB #6's this season. Upon cleaning my KY bird yesterday I was shocked by the lack of penetration from them. My 835 patterns a bit low so I peppered his breast pretty good...much of the shot barely penetrated the skin with a few embedded in the breast muscle. Had I been using the H13 I would have ruined much of the breast meat. Now, I've killed a lot of birds with lead shot and never seen such poor penetration (30-35th yd shot). Back to Mag Blends...

[turkeyfeathers]

Dumb question. Were pellets entering one side and lodged in the skin on other broadside ? That's odd as at 40 yard on sheet of plywood the board jumped in the air  After my love for how XR's shoot so tight I think I'll be stuffing hvywt 7's or magblends. Too tight. Congrats on the bird .  

[WNY Bowhunter]

Nope...he was dead on coming at me. Hevi will drive feathers clear through the breast 

 

[Buckmaster7600]

What you're complaining about if what I look for. I hate eating pellets and the closer to the skin the easier they are to pick out. It's a lot easier to penetrate a brain than it is going through feathers.


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[G-Man]

They just pattern to tight for me ..like killing a bird with a slug at 30 yards.. I'll stick with my older xx loads

[Buckmaster7600]

They just pattern to tight for me ..like killing a bird with a slug at 30 yards.. I'll stick with my older xx loads

I'm in the same boat! For me a 2 3/4 high brass 6shot lead load has killed every turkey I have hit with them. Most of my shots are under 10yds and I don't want a slug size pattern.


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[turkeyfeathers]

42 minutes ago, G-Man said:

They just pattern to tight for me ..like killing a bird with a slug at 30 yards.. I'll stick with my older xx loads

Older xx loads by Winchester were probably the best turkey loads ever made. Used to shoot those in 2.75". Seldom a flop. 

[Uncle Nicky]

I guess that is the tradeoff you get with the LB shells. I've never tried them, but everything I have heard is that they pattern tight, just as tight as HD or TSS pellets. I didn't jump on the bandwagon, I just had a feeling they didn't have good knock-down, and this sorta confirms it for me. If I remember correctly, what I was told years ago was #6 lead is good out to 30 yards or so, #5 lead out to 35, and #4 lead out to 40.

I switched over to Hevi Shot about 7 or 8 years ago, I crippled a couple with lead shot, and knew there had to be a better way. I got the best pattern from Winchester HD #6s, but when they stopped making them, I went to Hevi Shot mag-blend; I haven't tried Federal HD in my gun. I am confident in taking a 50 yard shot with these shells (Hevi Shot Mag Blend). I keep hearing that TSS is even better, 50 yard kills with #9 shot, but since I don't reaload right now and they aren't available commercially, it's not really an option (yet).

One thing that has been nagging at me, I shot a dud Mag-Blend shell last month, luckily the bird gave me enough time to eject the shell and rack a new one in. Not sure if it's the gun or the shells, I had the same thing happen with a Winchester HD shell a few years ago also. I'll probably have a gunsmith look at the gun once the season is over.

 

[dbHunterNY]

I never jumped on the train. thought about it but for lead I always used #5 or 4. For a couple seasons I used federal heavy weight #5 that hit like a tank but didn't pattern as well. Ive used straight up Hevi13 #6 for a while now.

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[WNY Bowhunter]

I bought a box of mag blends last spring and every one of them opened on the end and spilled pellets in my pocket. Think I'm going back to them now though. 

[WNY Bowhunter]

13 hours ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

What you're complaining about if what I look for. I hate eating pellets and the closer to the skin the easier they are to pick out. It's a lot easier to penetrate a brain than it is going through feathers.


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I'd rather have pellets that penetrate both rather than just 6" of exposed head. Would you use a broadhead that only broke the skin and didn't reach the vitals? I wouldn't. 

[Buckmaster7600]

I'd rather have pellets that penetrate both rather than just 6" of exposed head. Would you use a broadhead that only broke the skin and didn't reach the vitals? I wouldn't. 

Killing a critter with a broadhead and killing a turkey with a shot are completely different. Pellets in the chest isn't what's killing the turkey a pellet in the brain/neck is.


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[turkeyfeathers]

21 minutes ago, WNY Bowhunter said:

I bought a box of mag blends last spring and every one of them opened on the end and spilled pellets in my pocket. Think I'm going back to them now though. 

Had a few 'rattlers" I put aside as they obviously bounced around in my vest for a while.  Used to shoot Nitro Co. triplex and those were notorious for spilling pellets in my pocket too. You'd think for $7 a pull they'd hold up a little better.

Actually on another forum I was just reading about poor penetration of XR's  Interesting. What few breast hits I've had with Magblends. They push feathers all the way thru.

[WNY Bowhunter]

The brain is the intended target but pellets to the spine, esophagus and even the lungs are lethal too. A body shot turkey and a gut shot deer aren't too different. 

[Pygmy]

As  a person who is interested  in guns, loads, ballistics, etc., I have an academic interest in the new high performance loads, but at the ranges that I shoot turkeys I don't need them, and  feel that at least in my case, the super tight patterns are more of a disadvantage than an advantage.

I have a whole pile of 3"  shells in my cabinet...They are all  either Win XX or Federal Premiums with 1 7/8oz or 2 oz of either #4 shot or #6 shot...The markings are worn off many of them so I often don't know which shot size I am shooting.  They all will kill turkeys stone dead at the ranges I shoot as long as I don't close my eyes and jerk the trigger....I'm hoping I can use most of them up before I  pass on to that great turkey woods in the sky  ( or WHEREVER I end up going)...<<grin>>....

[Buckmaster7600]

The brain is the intended target but pellets to the spine, esophagus and even the lungs are lethal too. A body shot turkey and a gut shot deer aren't too different. 

You ever tried to track a turkey? If I don't hit CNS I would rather only have superficial wounds for the best chance of survival. I'm sure a BH to the lungs is deadly but the odds of finding a mortally wounded turkey are very small.


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[Doewhacker]

There goes Winchesters claim of better penetration at longer ranges. To me the XR's still hold their advantage at longer ranges in the patterns they throw. I will say that XR's do well with a more open choke like a full choke instead of a extra full but then we are back to performance of standard turkey loads.

Hit them in the head and you wont have to worry about body penetration no matter what load.

 

[Culvercreek hunt club]

30 minutes ago, Pygmy said:

 

I have a whole pile of 3"  shells in my cabinet...They are all  either Win XX or Federal Premiums with 1 7/8oz or 2 oz of either #4 shot or #6 shot...The markings are worn off many of them so I often don't know which shot size I am shooting.  

I have the same thing. I think it is the DEET bug repellent I use..lol. I know there is a mix of 3" Federal #5's" and about 15-20 of the old 3" 4x6 shells. 

[Five Seasons]

I shoot hevi-13's so you don't have to convince me, but I hate the price.

Only thing I would add to counter your post is that... the bird is dead. In the end, isn't that all that matters?

[WNY Bowhunter]

1 hour ago, Belo said:

I shoot hevi-13's so you don't have to convince me, but I hate the price.

Only thing I would add to counter your post is that... the bird is dead. In the end, isn't that all that matters?

This time it did the job. Bought some mag blends so issue solved. 

[turkeyfeathers]

Grabbed this out of Field and stream article

 

 When I tested Long Beard 6s versus Hevi-13 7s for penetration, it was no contest. Hevi-13 penetrated three times deeper into a duct-taped phone book. Based on that, I’d say Long Beard No. 6 is a load for 40-plus yards, not quite 50, since pellets still need to break bones and pene-trate skulls when they hit a bird. .

[Buckmaster7600]

I shot some 6's today and was very satisfied how perfectly even the pattern was at 20yds from a Carlson extended modified out of my 870 tactical. The most even 15" pattern you could imagine!


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[WNY Bowhunter]

26 minutes ago, Buckmaster7600 said:

I shot some 6's today and was very satisfied how perfectly even the pattern was at 20yds from a Carlson extended modified out of my 870 tactical. The most even 15" pattern you could imagine!


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The 6s patterned much better than the 5s out of my 835/Indian Creek combo.

[Buckmaster7600]

The 6s patterned much better than the 5s out of my 835/Indian Creek combo.

Honestly I'm splitting hairs, I have tried 4's and 5's before but just found 6's and they all shot equally as well. I'm setting up a shotgun for my brother so I have been trying some different loads. I will stick to my 2 3/4 #6 high brass game loads and modified choke for my gun but I won't shoot over 20yds. His gun is dialed in with LongBeards #5's the 6's shot the same poa and patterned about the same as the 5's in his gun. I am going to try to call for him so he might be shooting a little further than I ever will. Given how the #5's patterned and blew through plywood at 50yds I have full confidence in him shooting out to 40yds. He is terrible in the woods and won't be running and gunning like I do so I'm not too worried about him having to shoot one point blank.

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[maytom]

Never been a fan of #6 shot. But like you, I have bought several boxes of Winchester Long Beards, but in #4's!!!

Out of my Winchester 1300 they pattern awesome, and HAVE the knockdown power compared to #6's. I can buy a box of 10 for less than you can get a box of 5 in hevi-shot. That was the plus factor for me. The cost and the performance.