Who is stickin with older lead loads;aka not switching to longbeards

[dawei]

I've got enough Pb Winchester® Supreme®s to last me the rest of my life & the wife too.   IMHO Winchester® Pb Turkey loads are the standard which all other manufacturers aspire to.

[Longshanks]

I've got enough Pb Winchester® Supreme®s to last me the rest of my life & the wife too.   IMHO Winchester® Pb Turkey loads are the standard which all other manufacturers aspire to.

They are absolutely the most consistent shells on the market. I see variations all the time with HTL but with Winchester XX, HV and Super X, I know what I have when I drop the hammer on ole Tom. For this reason I'm hunting with Win Pb now.

[10gaugemag]

Old technology for me. I have about 60 12 ga. 3" and about 155 10 ga. so that gives me somewhere around 215 lead shells total so I wont be needing anything new soon. Certain ammo for certain chokes/guns depending on terrain and foliage. If I were to shoot all of this stuff up I would easily be able to buy 1 type of ammo for my pair of 10's and 1 type of ammo for my 12 and make life easier. Remington 2 1/4 oz. #4 for the 10's and Federal FC 2 oz. #4 for the auto 12.

[turkey buster]

  I'm gonna shoot a traditional lead load this year just like last year. I'm tempted to try the longbeards but really see no need. The shells are already 18-25 dollars a box. With so many buying them up and the popular reviews given I'm quite sure they'll be 30-38 dollars a box next spring. Might as well shoot hevi shot or other hd or hw load. But that's what I'm going away from. Don't get me wrong i think they're great if you need them and can afford them. Certain places I've been on away hunts i have more open field opportunities and the possibility to mis judge distance on a bird or birds so i have some hd loads stuck back for those hunts. But the other majority of my hunts will be in close range jungle like terrain so there's no need for me to keep over spending for hd loads when all i really need is a solid cheap lead load.

It's next spring and they cost the same

[ep427]

I have some longbeards but when they are gone I don't know if I will get any more. They really shoot great patterns but keep going up in price.

[turkey buster]

Cost the same as last year here where I am

[Wolfey]

Cost the same here also.

[lowoctane]

Shooting lead this year too. I have a 5.56 ammo box crammed full of it mostly in Win and another 10 boxes or so of Thugs in mainly 5's. I enjoy chasing #'s sometimes, but between the chokes and shells it gets expensive fast! Isn't it William at Sumtoy who says "how dead do you want them?"

[Ihuntoldschool]

Well, I switched to Longbeards but am switching back to older lead loads.  I think the Longbeards are more for paper and counting holes than for turkey hunting. I like a good hunting pattern, I will probably stick with Federal Strut Shoks if I can find them or Turkey Thugs, not much, if any difference between the two.

[WV TURKEY THUG]

im thinking about using paper shells on my next bird just to try it.

[owlhoot]

Well, I switched to Longbeards but am switching back to older lead loads.  I think the Longbeards are more for paper and counting holes than for turkey hunting. I like a good hunting pattern, I will probably stick with Federal Strut Shoks if I can find them or Turkey Thugs, not much, if any difference between the two.

Why? Yesterday morning sitting in the woods as a tom gobbled his head off i keep looking at all the places he could show up, was in tight cover so i could see myself missing. Had a Fed. hw 7 in the chamber which shoots more open at 20-25 yards, but thought if lead the old strut shok 4 or the thug 5 in my vest would be good. No place for a longbeard there, but have there place . I just think for the 40 yard shooting the Fed. Hw 7 give me what i like.
And are plenty cheap for the super henned up toms i been dealing with in Missouri ! LOL sure spending alot more on road trip hardees burgers than shells

[Ihuntoldschool]

Owl,
   I just think the Longbeards are more of a handicap for most hunting situations than they are a benefit.  Traditional lead is and always has been so effective at 40 yards.  The Longbeards can't kill any deader at 40 than a traditional load such as the Thugs, Strut Shoks, Kent Diamond Shot, Winchester Supremes.    All of these will pound birds at 40 yards but give a little more coverage for a close in shot than the Longbeards.    Also, I don't think you can overlook all the problems that so many people have experienced with the Longbeards with regards to inconsistency.   When you are shooting basically a slug at 15-20 yards, it better be consistent to point of aim.        You have to think about turkey head movement, the time you have to get a shot off, usually a couple seconds for me before the bird realizes the gig is up and he is out of there.    Just my opinion.

[owlhoot]

Yes , there seems to be a lot of inconsistencies with the long beards , i went back through some targets and with the 3" 5's noticed what longshanks had commented on about oblong patterns . I also have a few with good 10 counts but very strong to one side of the pattern out to the 15, other side has weak 15". Could be the resin you mentioned?Wonder if ported or un-ported chokes show a difference or constrictions?
too tight for me in some of the places i hunt or anytime a tom gets close. for some reason i can get a bit shaky when a tom gobbles at 20 yards in the fun zone!