I'm thinking about trying the Winchester Long Beard XR 2 3/4 ", 1 1/4 oz. 5 shot loads in my favorite turkey gun. It's a J. Stevens Arms Co. 12 ga. single shot 2 3/4 " hammer type probably manufactured in the 1930s or 1940s. I usually shoot 1 1/4 oz loads in it. Has anyone tried that 12 ga. 2 3/4" load? What do you think about it in that old gun? I'm thinking about buying a box, tying the gun to a tree and pulling the trigger with a string from around the barn corner. I guess I could take it to my gunsmith buddy for his opinion but figured I'd ask here first. Any advice or opinions?
If I was that nervous about it , feeling the need to tie it to a tree ?I would not do it.
Did I miss something? Why would you be afraid to shoot a 2-3/4" shell in a 2-3/4" gun?
I would just load it and pull the trigger or does your gun have Damascus barrels? I would be very interested if it patterned better at close range then the regular LB #5. Should you survive please advise LOL.
You and the gun look to be in good shape. Shoot it!
I'd trust that before I would your average Remington, SHOOT!
If you are already shooting a 1 1/4 oz. load let er bark. If anything does happen as long as that barrel is you have a good chance your face will be a long way from much danger.... :funnyturkey:
"Did I miss something? Why would you be afraid to shoot a 2-3/4" shell in a 2-3/4" gun?"
Because I don't know if the Longbeard shells have anything different about them that might cause a problem. I'm thinking about the new shot cups in the Longbeards that give them such great patterns. I think I'll take one apart and look it over before shooting one. Probably not going to be a problem but I'd rather be careful. I currently shoot high velocity 1 1/4 oz. Winchester copper plated 6s. The box of twenty five is about 20 years old. I bought a couple boxes of them back in the '90s. They pattern well out to about 23 yards so that's my range limit. The factory choked barrel is about half way between mod. and full. I got this gun in 1957 when I was 10 years old. I've had plenty of guns since then and still have a good Ithaca 3" that I like but this one is very light and I just like it.
Nothing to be nervous about. You can rest assured those shells as factory loads are safe to shoot. To much liability.
You shouldn't have any problems with your smooth bored gun. The shot cup is built just like the wads we have seen in the past except it doesn't have the cushioned rearend like we have been accustomed to. It is designed to allow the resin to fracture when the shot cup gets that first initial violent push down the barrel. The shot cup peels back just as the older wads. It is the resin that protects the copper plated lead shot as it slides down the barrel and keeps the shot string tighter as it heads down range. Here's a website that should help with PICS, http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2013/11/daniel-zimmerman/ammo-review-winchester-long-beard-xr-turkey-loads/ This round should give that older 2 3/4 inch Stevens single shot shotgun additional yardage since the shot string should stay together longer with less flyers. I would say 30-35 yards but a patterning session should tell you more. Good luck and keep us posted.
Thank you for all the advice.
I tried out the loads today. No problem and a good killing pattern at 30 yards, not at 35. That's perfect. I like my turkeys at 30 yd. or less.