what to expect from lonbeards out my 870

[dzsmith]

so Ive been looking at trying the Winchester longbeard shells. I shot the last of my nitros this year, and Id like to give these a shot in the offseason to see if they are really up to hype. I couldn't find the 3" 13/4oz #6s anywhere but I did find one box of 17/8oz #6s at bass pro so I bought them. currently I sent off a new 870 express barrel to sumtoy and hes cutting it down to 21" for me and working the forcing cone. im also picking up a choke from him, since they built a choke for the longbeard shells. currently I still have my stock 26" barrel with a jellyhead 660. Ive no idea what kind of pattern to expect? but Winchester double X 3" 13/4oz #6s puts about 150 in a 10" circle at 40 yards. and that's not too terrible for a cheap shell, and will still kill a bird. but im used to getting 220-240 with the nitro 4-5-7s at 40 yards. my hopes is to be able to break 200 pellets at 40 yards with my new barrel. so this weekend im gonna shoot a shell or two through my old barrel with the jellyhead, what do you guys think its capable of? anybody patterned these through a stock 870?

[29810434]

I am getting  a average of 206 with the same barrel and wingmaster Remington turkey/predator choke.

[dzsmith]

that's what I was hoping to hear. if I can break 200 in a 10" im calling it good. I expect my new barrel and choke to this successfully, but im really hoping my stock one will as well.

[Longshanks]

If you are running 150 in a 10 with XX HV 3" 6's I would buy more of those shells. The long beards will give you higher numbers but will hurt you inside 30yds. XX 3" 6's have a better 10"-20" than the LB's. I have an 870 that will turn 160's with XX Mag 3" 6's and it is a much better hunting set up than the 870 I have that will turn 229 in a 10 with LB 3" 6's. I have hunted with both and much more comfortable in hunting situations with the XX where rarely is everything perfect like shooting off a rest at a piece of paper. Just my experience.

[Izzyjoe]

No joke, if you are getting that kind of pattern with the XX #6's I wouldn't worry to much about the LB's, unless you just want to try them for the thrill of it. I've tried a few different chokes with XX, and never come close to that, best I could get was an Undertaker choke, and it went 110 hits with the XX's!

[Longshanks]

No joke, if you are getting that kind of pattern with the XX #6's I wouldn't worry to much about the LB's, unless you just want to try them for the thrill of it. I've tried a few different chokes with XX, and never come close to that, best I could get was an Undertaker choke, and it went 110 hits with the XX's!

For sure, the 160's in a 10 that I get are with the 2 ounce XX Mag 6's. I can't get any of my guns to break 100 with the XX HV 1 3/4 6's. If I could turn 150's with that shell shooting 1300 FPS I would go with that. That is stout.

[Scout24]

I've been shooting 2 ounce,#6 Longbeards for the last couple weeks out of a 21" 11/87 with a HeviShot tube and super impressed. Five 40 yard targets have run high 230's to mid 250's, 2 50 yders were 140's and 150's and 2 60's were 97 and 109. I'm done with $5 Hevi13's! Don't know if your 870 will do the same but worth a try.

[gatrkyhntr70]

200 + should be easy with that shell.

[dzsmith]

so i finally shot the longbeards. i must say i was pretty impressed. first off it was rainy and humid, not good patterning weather for sure. i didnt have a good rest and was shooting too small of a target for patterning but it was all i had at the moment and i couldnt contain myself. my shot was sorta on the side of the target so i could have thrown some off the target. i managed to get 243 pellets in a 10" circle at 40 yards. this was with my stock 26" barrel and a jellyhead 660. im confident my new worked over barrel from sumtoy with a matching choke will do as good or better. but my ole stock barrel still threw a a sufficient pattern

[dzsmith]

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