Long Beard shells trrouble

[zeke632]

Long storys short, I missed 2 gobblers in 2 mornings in a row.  First one was about 30yds,  second about 25.

After the second turkey flew off without a feather misplaced, I stomped out to the road and hung a gatoraide bottle at about 25yds. Sat down and squeezed a shot off.  1 pellet hit the bottle. 

I drove home and shot at paper. First shot at 30 was way high & left, way high!  Next shot at 30, a tad low & left. Third shot was centered up and down but still left.  All far enough out to miss a turkeys head. 
The only difference in anything that was I had opened a new box of shells to hunt with?

I used LB shells last year, worked great.  Patterened my gun before season this year and things were set.  Shots were hitting where I pointed and was getting around 200 give or take in 10" at 40.

I've never read anythung but positive remarks about Long Beard shot shells & I was sold on them. Not so much now.

Has anyone hears of this before, or had it happen to them?

Oh yeah, yes my choke was tighti the barrell.

¿???

[wirtbowhunter]

Using any type of sight or red dot?

[Ihuntoldschool]

It reminds me of a sabot slug, the way the shotlok resin contains the shot.  I doubt if the shot is releasing in a consistent manner from shot to shot.

[NJGobblerHunter]

Maybe the new box of shells you used to hunt with was a bad batch. You should hunt with the box you patterned with.

[Bowguy]

My shells shot a tad low and very slightly right. Being off with turkey loads seems common, I put a fire sight on mine n it's pounding targets. Seems the 4s or 5s are equally centered w no deviation.,will say this. The pattern is brutally tight. No flyers at least in my gun. Any chance at the close range the pressure got to you some and you either pulled or rushed shot? Be honest now. I'm not saying this to dis you at all just trying to help you w solutions. We all miss and that round being its so tight makes it easier especially at close range

[snapper1982]

My shells shot a tad low and very slightly right. Being off with turkey loads seems common, I put a fire sight on mine n it's pounding targets. Seems the 4s or 5s are equally centered w no deviation.,will say this. The pattern is brutally tight. No flyers at least in my gun. Any chance at the close range the pressure got to you some and you either pulled or rushed shot? Be honest now. I'm not saying this to dis you at all just trying to help you w solutions. We all miss and that round being its so tight makes it easier especially at close range

I doubt it had anything to do with a rushed shot since he said he shot 3 at home and all were to the left far enough to miss a bird.

[strutnrut]

What kind of choke are you using. A buddy had an Indian Creek choke that had a broken port that did the same thing. Just a throught

[Bowguy]

My shells shot a tad low and very slightly right. Being off with turkey loads seems common, I put a fire sight on mine n it's pounding targets. Seems the 4s or 5s are equally centered w no deviation.,will say this. The pattern is brutally tight. No flyers at least in my gun. Any chance at the close range the pressure got to you some and you either pulled or rushed shot? Be honest now. I'm not saying this to dis you at all just trying to help you w solutions. We all miss and that round being its so tight makes it easier especially at close range

I doubt it had anything to do with a rushed shot since he said he shot 3 at home and all were to the left far enough to miss a bird.

Brother I've been at this a long time. Teach Hunter Ed, archery, ah lists go on. Heard some stories. Sometimes though people do mistake things. By no means am I saying this is the case here just asking.,I've seen no trouble w em n if they are having a problem I'd like to know too

[zeke632]

No sights, double beads.  I suppose I'm odd in that I don't like sights on a shotgun....even a turkey gun.   This gun, a browning maxus, shoots where I point it.  Uusually, I should say.....

Absolutly  yes, I could have rushed the first miss.  I'd been on these turkeys, two together, for about an hour & a half.  Come in to a certain place and back away, like they do sometimes.  When they faded away I moved and called. Due to leaves they just appeared, no gobble, no drumming that I could hear.  Surprised me .  I honestly just thought I blew it.  And maybe I did the first miss.
The second one, I'm positive that my head was on my stock, I aimed, & squeezed.  Same with the gateraide bottle and paper.

I would have used the shells that I patterened with but the box went empty.

[Cutt]

No sights, double beads. 

Can't say what the issue was, but to have a gun shoot dead on with double beads is a rarity. Not saying yours doesn't, but would find it hard to believe at 40 yards the beads are dead center of your best 10 inch circle pattern, most need a little tweaking to center your most dense's pattern in the 10.

[owlhoot]

I would hope that the same shells you shot last year would hit very close to those you used this year.
that hope being said , if you have shells left of another kind you used to use and were on. Shoot one of those and see if they are still on. If not you have a barrel and or choke problem.

Or maybe ageing eyes?  I started hitting left with shotgun and longbow, now with the longbow I can shoot pretty groups at 25 yards just 4" left, same with beaded shotguns i don't wish to red dot or sight like old single shots.
Good luck.

[yella yelper]

No sights, double beads. 

Can't say what the issue was, but to have a gun shoot dead on with double beads is a rarity. Not saying yours doesn't, but would find it hard to believe at 40 yards the beads are dead center of your best 10 inch circle pattern, most need a little tweaking to center your most dense's pattern in the 10.

Double beads on my gun shoot a foot low and right. It's obvious the rear bead is not on the center of the rib

[hootn]

is the choke tight in the barrel, not loose?

[zeke632]

The choke was tight, as I mentioned.

Ageing eyes, yep. Been killing turkeys on public land only for over 35 years, can't remember what year I started turkey hunting. 

The gun is an odd one, as it hits where I point it.  That's why I'm hunting with it.  I've gone through several to find one that does.

I find it odd that my eyes, choke, or sights shoot off target with one particular box of shells and not another.
As one poster said " I've been at this a long time"  well so have I!  I've missed turkeys for a number of reasons that fall squarly on me.  This wasn't me.

I am positive I'D have (had, I chunked the rest of them) a bad box of shells.   I was curious if anyone else had experienced this with LB shot shells.  I guess not.

Thanks guys!  & I appreciate the replies and possible causes of the problem.   

[davisd9]

Was the new box regular longbeards or the new magnum longbeards?  Would not think the velocity change would make much of a difference but hard to say for sure.