I grew up shooting #4's but switched to #5's with the 3.5" longbeards since they came out. Now I'm considering #6's. Can anybody tell me why I shouldn't go to 6's? Experienced Opinions?
I use them. Gonna have to open my choke up a bit though, missed my first in a long time last year at 20 yards. They throw a really tight pattern.
Bummer on the miss! Are you saying the 6's pattern tighter than the 5's at 20 yards?
Personally if I could get the fives to pattern well I would use them. I like the energy down range better. 6's start to loose steam at 40 yards or so. I believe in overkill tho.
If I used lead I would use #6s.
Like you, I started out shooting 4's & 5's lead shot. I've killed more with lead 5's than any other shot type/size. Never shooting the Longbeards, I'd probably give the 6's a try based off of what I've seen posted as far as pattern density goes. Keep in mind your still using lead and the smaller the shot x longer the range = the faster you better go and put your boot on a flopping bird. As I stated I've never tried the shells in question, so keep that in mind. I will say that I can't remember killing a bird with lead that didn't flop. Since going to HTL many have hit the ground without a flop.
I've had great luck using Longbear Xr #6 shot, I've uses them for two years now with no problems at all. I would go with #6 if I had to pick.
I like the extra weight of #5 over #6 but with a 3 1/2in gun the #6s would more than make up for that with # of pellets hitting at 40 yards.
I doubt a gobbler 40 yards and in would be able to tell the difference either.
This was my best pattern with #5's at 35 or 40 yards. It's good. Just wandering if 6's be awesome
I've killed a lot of turkeys with Federal 3 in. 2 oz. number 5 shot....it's hard to beat that shell in a 12 ga.
Let me rephrase my question: if you shot 194 #5's at 40 in 10" would you still go to a #6? I can only afford one box and I'm going to buy a box of either 5 or 6 and can't decided. Thanks for comments!
Quote from: johnplesh on January 11, 2016, 03:33:24 PM
Let me rephrase my question: if you shot 194 #5's at 40 in 10" would you still go to a #6? I can only afford one box and I'm going to buy a box of either 5 or 6 and can't decided. Thanks for comments!
194 with 5's is strong. Stay
Quote from: dirt road ninja on January 11, 2016, 03:56:22 PM
Quote from: johnplesh on January 11, 2016, 03:33:24 PM
Let me rephrase my question: if you shot 194 #5's at 40 in 10" would you still go to a #6? I can only afford one box and I'm going to buy a box of either 5 or 6 and can't decided. Thanks for comments!
194 with 5's is strong. Stay
:agreed:
Quote from: johnplesh on January 11, 2016, 03:33:24 PM
Let me rephrase my question: if you shot 194 #5's at 40 in 10" would you still go to a #6? I can only afford one box and I'm going to buy a box of either 5 or 6 and can't decided. Thanks for comments!
Still give me #6s
I would not shoot one past 35 yards intentionally, so I prefer the extra pellets over added energy. Just me. I wish the manufacturers would quit touting extended range.
Here is my experience with lead 6's. I hunted with federal copper plated 2 1/4 Oz loads for years. These were pre flight control wad loads. I killed a decent amount of birds with that load and had somewhere in the 140 range at 40 yards if memory serves me right. Twice I shot birds at 40 and 41 yards. These were ranged distances and not a guess. Both Tom's folded at the shot but got back up and staggered around like they had been hit by Mike tyson. I got them both but I lost confidence in the energy of those shells. Switched to hevi shot #5's or #6's and never looked back. I get a better pattern and I know what happens when I hit a Tom with those loads. I am not shooting any further but I have all the confidence in the world with those loads. Winchester may well be pushing those loads with a higher velocity and you may be fine. Both patterns and energy deteriorate rapidly past 40 yards and ours is a game of getting in close and personal. Shoot what you have confidence in and that can only be gained by experience. Never pull the trigger "hoping" your shell is capable. Pull the trigger knowing what will happen when it connects. Good luck
#5s
Sent from the Strut Zone
Stick with the 5s.
Quote from: davisd9 on January 11, 2016, 10:47:12 PM
#5s
Sent from the Strut Zone
HammerTime!! :OGturkeyhead:
Quote from: johnplesh on January 11, 2016, 03:33:24 PM
Let me rephrase my question: if you shot 194 #5's at 40 in 10" would you still go to a #6? I can only afford one box and I'm going to buy a box of either 5 or 6 and can't decided. Thanks for comments!
Go with what you know works, the bigger shot , and 194 in the 10 is more than enough .
Cannot see any advantage to going with 6's other than to chase numbers,jmho.
The sixes will do all you need at forty and more.
#5 shot for sure but I use the Longbeard #4 shot!
From what I have seen so far, the XR's are FAR less sensitive to being "over-choked" than shells with a standard grex buffer.
First I tried the 6's............................ FREAKIN UNREAL !!! So I used them for a year and they dumped turkeys like sacks of potatoes.
Then I tried 5's and 4's on paper to some rather absurd turkey shooting distances and they turned in some AWFULLY wicked densities. In my test set-up (SX3, Indian Creek tube, 3.5" XR's) there is NO reason to use anything other than 4's for any sane turkey shooting distance. They pattern that densely.
That being said........................... I generally have 5's or 6's in it to hunt............................ JUST so I am not tempted to do something dumb.
I've always used 5 shot in lead or Mag blends in Hevi shot.
Never felt comfortable about 6's till last year.
I switched to XR 6 shot and dropped to a 3" shell over 3.5.
I was impressed!
4 dead turkeys to show for it. I'm going to try hard to kill with 5's and 4's this year if possible in the XR's just for the heck of it. The 6's work plenty good enough.
Sent from the barrel of a model 70 at 3300 fps
Quote from: Tennessee Lead on January 15, 2016, 01:10:51 PM
I've always used 5 shot in lead or Mag blends in Hevi shot.
Never felt comfortable about 6's till last year.
I switched to XR 6 shot and dropped to a 3" shell over 3.5.
I was impressed!
4 dead turkeys to show for it. I'm going to try hard to kill with 5's and 4's this year if possible in the XR's just for the heck of it. The 6's work plenty good enough.
Sent from the barrel of a model 70 at 3300 fps
why'd you drop from 3.5 to 3"?
Quote from: johnplesh on January 15, 2016, 01:40:35 PM
Quote from: Tennessee Lead on January 15, 2016, 01:10:51 PM
I've always used 5 shot in lead or Mag blends in Hevi shot.
Never felt comfortable about 6's till last year.
I switched to XR 6 shot and dropped to a 3" shell over 3.5.
I was impressed!
4 dead turkeys to show for it. I'm going to try hard to kill with 5's and 4's this year if possible in the XR's just for the heck of it. The 6's work plenty good enough.
Sent from the barrel of a model 70 at 3300 fps
why'd you drop from 3.5 to 3"?
Less recoil when patterning and less money per box.
I've always thought I had to use 3.5" to kill turkey's. I was wrong.
Don't know that I'll ever go back to 3.5"
Sent from the barrel of a model 70 at 3300 fps
Quote from: johnplesh on January 15, 2016, 01:40:35 PM
Quote from: Tennessee Lead on January 15, 2016, 01:10:51 PM
I've always used 5 shot in lead or Mag blends in Hevi shot.
Never felt comfortable about 6's till last year.
I switched to XR 6 shot and dropped to a 3" shell over 3.5.
I was impressed!
4 dead turkeys to show for it. I'm going to try hard to kill with 5's and 4's this year if possible in the XR's just for the heck of it. The 6's work plenty good enough.
Sent from the barrel of a model 70 at 3300 fps
why'd you drop from 3.5 to 3"?
Probably the same reason some guys have dropped to a 20g over the 12g. You don't need a 3.5" shells or a 12g to kill turkeys. 20g and 3" shells in todays world are more than capable. I like to go big but theres no reason to beat the crap out of your shoulder or carry a heavy gun to roll birds at 40 yards.
I too shot #5's for the first 12-14 years until I switched to Hevishot 6's maybe 5 years ago or so. The HS 6's hit as hard as 5 lead with a much denser pattern, and I've taken some birds further than I can discuss here and #6's did the job cleanly every time. Pattern them at 40,50 and maybe 60 and decide for yourself, there's not one perfect one size fits all and either will do the job well. Actually, I switched to Longbeard 6's last year from HS 6's and was getting 30-50 more hits in a 10" circle at 40 and 50 yards, they're pretty amazing at half the price. Bottom line, both 5's and 6's will kill your gobbler at 40 yards, but beware, Longbeards are super tight under 20 yards and would be easy to miss a bobbing, jerky head.
I Like my #6 Shot have killed plenty at 45 to 50 yards with them.
Here is the long beard #6. Gave me 228 at 40 measured yards. I was only able to get 170 #5's today in the 10". I was surprised how much lower they shot on the target than the 5's. Took me a while to sight it in. From this pattern the POI was about 2"high and 3/4 right because I over adjusted the MOA in my red dot. So now it's 170#5 vs 228 #6?
Quote from: johnplesh on January 11, 2016, 01:27:48 PM
This was my best pattern with #5's at 35 or 40 yards. It's good. Just wandering if 6's be awesome
To me that's pretty darn tight for that range. If stick with what you already know. That's a dead bird for sure. I can't imagine why you wouldn't be good at 50 if that's at 35-40.
6s still for me.
Quote from: Gobble! on January 16, 2016, 08:29:57 PM
6s still for me.
you're nothing if not consistent! :z-winnersmiley:
#4 longbeards like I said in your other post.
I got a box of each a few years ago. 4s, 5s, and 6s and I said Wow, Wow, Wow. Pick your poison and rack one in the chamber.
For me, I see no reason to need any more numbers than what the big ol' 4s give me. They pack a wallop.
Quote from: Number17 on January 17, 2016, 09:47:15 AM
#4 longbeards like I said in your other post.
I got a box of each a few years ago. 4s, 5s, and 6s and I said Wow, Wow, Wow. Pick your poison and rack one in the chamber.
For me, I see no reason to need any more numbers than what the big ol' 4s give me. They pack a wallop.
What choke are you running with those #4s?
After speaking with Clark at allaboutshooting I think I'll try some 3" instead of 3.5"
Quote from: johnplesh on January 17, 2016, 11:04:36 AM
After speaking with Clark at allaboutshooting I think I'll try some 3" instead of 3.5"
Want something easier on your shoulder?
Quote from: Gobble! on January 17, 2016, 01:06:56 PM
Quote from: johnplesh on January 17, 2016, 11:04:36 AM
After speaking with Clark at allaboutshooting I think I'll try some 3" instead of 3.5"
Want something easier on your shoulder?
Not really that but my pattern isn't as even as it could be with a 3" shell. I've never felt the recoil shooting at a bird and on paper I use a chunk of high density foam to absorb some of it. When I put the 3's on paper I'll know for sure. I might as well put the investment in now and be satisfied....until I decide to start loading TSS I'm using longbeards
Im interested in seeing how big the difference is between the 3" and 3.5"
Here is the 3" LB #6 out of the same gun and choke at 11 degrees colder and windy as heck. there were 211 in the 10" at 40 measures yards. Thoughts?
My thought is you're ready to go. XR's changed the game for me first time I tried em. Been trying various loads over the years in a couple turkey guns, including a star dot choked 835 and now am done, took almost 15 years. Put them in your vest, you're ready! I have started with larger shot early, before green up and end up moving smaller later when foliage is dense and shots shorter. Just my .02
Side by side. left is the 3.5" LB #6 and right is the 3" LB #6.
Quote from: paboxcall on January 17, 2016, 09:52:10 AM
Quote from: Number17 on January 17, 2016, 09:47:15 AM
#4 longbeards like I said in your other post.
I got a box of each a few years ago. 4s, 5s, and 6s and I said Wow, Wow, Wow. Pick your poison and rack one in the chamber.
For me, I see no reason to need any more numbers than what the big ol' 4s give me. They pack a wallop.
What choke are you running with those #4s?
Cheapo Truglo GSX. 12g 3" 870 23" barrel.
I have no idea what the numbers are in a 10" circle at 40 yards. I quit doing that a few years ago.
All I can say is that it's better than anything I've ever shot and very consistent.