Has anyone shot Winchester Longbeards thru a more open choke?

[turkey buster]

I patterned my 935 with ssx choke with the 3.5in #6's from 20-50 yards and yes it was tight but I added the truglo magnum gobble dot rifled sights and she shoots straight. Straight enough I filled both tags. My 2nd being at 8 steps and it wasn't too tight for him 

[BigAL64]

I shot them at 20 out of my Rem 887 with a ssx. They were 3 1/2 in #6's. The wad blew right through the target and my pattern was the size of a golf ball!! St 30 the wad bounced off the target and the pattern was the the size of a baseball. At 40 I got 261 pellets in the 10 in. circle. I am going to try and get out and pattern them out of my win. sxp with the invector+ full this week and I will let you know the results.

[bamagtrdude]

I shot them at 20 out of my Rem 887 with a ssx. They were 3 1/2 in #6's. The wad blew right through the target and my pattern was the size of a golf ball!! St 30 the wad bounced off the target and the pattern was the the size of a baseball. At 40 I got 261 pellets in the 10 in. circle. I am going to try and get out and pattern them out of my win. sxp with the invector+ full this week and I will let you know the results.

BigAL64, curious to hear your results with the Win SXP; I shot 'em thru mine w/a Primos Tight Wad choke tube, and they shot high & to the right -- barely on the target.  Let me know what you find; I didn't go back out & shoot 'em thru the factory choke tube.

[turkey buster]

Most every shell will have different point if impacts from other shells. With today's technology and these tight chokes you really need some aftermarket sighting system. I see way too many people on here judge a shell poorly because it don't hit where they aim. Buy tight shooting shells and chokes and your gonna have these problems. I'd like to know how many turkeys are killed with a 1/4 of the pattern even hitting close because the hunters don't even know!

[learn2hide]

I shot the LB 3.5" #5 out of a Invector Plus Sumtoy .675 today it was only 43 degrees but still put up 164 in the 10" and another 106 in the 10-20" ring.  That's what I've wanted with the LB's was not more 10" numbers but better 20" numbers.  Shooting them out of a Truglo .643 SSX and my Rob Roberts .660 it was so tight there was really no wiggle room at 40 yards...outside the 10" there was literally nothing but single pellets here or there...which I suppose would be great if you were trying to really reach out there but not good for hunting in the woods or on birds that like to not stand perfectly still.  Those tighter chokes shot as good as 197 #5's in 10" but as I said really missing any coverage 10-20"

[aimhard]

Sat. I shot LB 3" 6's out of a 28" BPS with a Patternmaster code black goose. It shot 105 in the 10 at 40yds. The Winchester 1 7/8 red shells also shot about 105 but had better coverage outside the 10". A .668 star dot gave 150's with the LB's and 120's with the reds in that gun. I like the pattern of the red shells with the Patternmaster as I don't shoot 40 yds..

[learn2hide]

sounds like the StarDot likes the LongBeards 150's in 10 is good was there still decent 20" coverage?

[aimhard]

Yes, good coverage outside the ten, but like many others reported, impact was way high.

[Longshanks]

Something I notice with LB's when I try to open the patterns up is the pattern has tight areas with quite a few gaps. These shells are just made to run tight. Best bet seems to be run a scope or red dot with the tight patterns. Another concern I have is I have shot several LB's that the pattern looked like the top half of it was cut off, all the shot in the bottom half. Don't know the explanation for this but I have read that someone else had these results as well. I'm shooting my HV 3" 5's/ 110 @ 40. (Old school)  20-35yd patterns with this set up are best for the terrain I am hunting. 4 of the gobblers I have killed in the last couple of years have been inside 20yds. Shot a couple at 35-38 with Pb 6's.

[akp]

Well, I just returned from a trip to Western Oklahoma a few hours ago.  Filled my tags with longbeards.  One of the three birds dropped dead.  I got to chase down the other two after emptying my gun on them.  I'm more athletic that I thought.  I killed one this morning at about 10 yards, but missed the first, hit the second...wounded and then I had to run him down.

The one I had to chase down a few days ago...I don't know what happened.  Had him at about 35 yards and missed the first shot.  Wounded the second.  I've been hunting turkeys for several years now and I can't say I've ever had it happen, let alone two times in three days.  It was WILD! 

Needless to say, my confidence in the longbeards (and/or myself) is shaken.  I have until next April to figure out what my problem is!  They patterned pretty well for me, so I must have pulled the shot.  The one this morning was just too close, but I had no place to get where I could see him coming.  Oh well, I'll definitely remember this weekend.

I was shooting 3" # 5's.

Thinking maybe I should go back to the old school HV 5's or Thug 5's.  Having a load that's great for 40 yards doesn't make sense to me after this weekend when I couldn't hit them closer than that.

[bamagtrdude]

akp - first of all, congrats!!  I agree with your comments about a) confidence shaken and b) going back to old school HV 5's & retaining a good 40 yds & in pattern.  That's exactly why I'm not going to be a LB user; the pattern is simply too tight (w/out a scope on your gun) and it's easy to miss/wound when they're up close.  My brother shot my remaining LB's -- after he missed a bird @ 52 steps -- and took them off my hands.  I told him, "Good luck, bud!" 

Interesting enough, I picked up some Nitro's very cheap, and I'm loving the patterns I'm getting w/them, as well as penetration (it was blowing holes thru heavy gauge tin @ 40 yards), so I'm going to do a blended shell 1st, and back that up with a Nitro next season. 

[VanHelden Game Calls]

I use a remington superfull lead only thats .665

I patterned 3" #4 yester day and at 40yrds had 105 and at 20 more then I wanted to count.  But what I liked was the nice even pattern I got at 40 and at 20yrds nice pattern that fills a 15" circle.

It was not the dreaded slug hole I was concerned about.

With the 6's I got tighter patterns overall at both distances and the 20yrd pattern had most the pattern filling in the 10" circle.

I am going to be using the 4's.  I like the bigger shot and the patterns to 40 is exactly what I am looking for.

[jakesdad]

Wouldnt happen to have any pics would ya? Id like to see those.Be definetely worth considering going to the 4's in the LB if I could get patterns like you describe.Best of both worlds there;lots of punch and good pattern density without being golfball tight at closer ranges.

[Longshanks]

Well, I just returned from a trip to Western Oklahoma a few hours ago.  Filled my tags with longbeards.  One of the three birds dropped dead.  I got to chase down the other two after emptying my gun on them.  I'm more athletic that I thought.  I killed one this morning at about 10 yards, but missed the first, hit the second...wounded and then I had to run him down.

The one I had to chase down a few days ago...I don't know what happened.  Had him at about 35 yards and missed the first shot.  Wounded the second.  I've been hunting turkeys for several years now and I can't say I've ever had it happen, let alone two times in three days.  It was WILD! 

Needless to say, my confidence in the longbeards (and/or myself) is shaken.  I have until next April to figure out what my problem is!  They patterned pretty well for me, so I must have pulled the shot.  The one this morning was just too close, but I had no place to get where I could see him coming.  Oh well, I'll definitely remember this weekend.

I was shooting 3" # 5's.

Thinking maybe I should go back to the old school HV 5's or Thug 5's.  Having a load that's great for 40 yards doesn't make sense to me after this weekend when I couldn't hit them closer than that.

Those were my exact words after missing a turkey at 30 yds this year with the LB 5's..I don't know what happened..gimme shot with tru glo sights.. Went back to HV 5's and 6's that I have total confidence in and room for error when the turkey gets in close and Is moving.  Hammered a turkey at 30 yds Friday with my old set up. Gonna test the LB's through a PG .670 and Kicks .670 and my Beretta Urika and see what it looks like. Not sold on LB's yet for hunting. Super tight patterns but have seen some strange results.

[akp]

That was my problem this morning.  I spotted that bird across and down a fence line early.  Of course, I called to see if he was interested.  He was and I had to scramble to find a spot.  Typical Western Oklahoma. I had no tree.  I had to kneel about 5 yards from the fence and had one shot straight in front of me as he passed.  I couldn't see him coming and wasn't sure.  Sure enough, there was the blue head at 10 yards.  Too close, but all I had.  I shot a couple of birds with my old Win HV 5's very close.  Those longbeards are great at 40.  Now I think I'll stress worrying about whether or not I'm on him enough if he's inside that.  I've only killed a bird or two in my life that was that far out so I'm not sure why I got all caught up in this extended range stuff...

I'm using a Sumtoy .665.  I also tried the Longbeard 5's in a Remington Super Full and Extra Full.  It did open up with the Extra Full (.687-I think).  Of course, if you're wanting it to open up, why not just use another lead load?