Winchester XR'=Junk??

[gatrapper]

Two years ago I made the switch from regular Winchester Supremes to Winchester XR. 

Pattern density increased a lot with the XRs and I bough several boxes of them.

Here is where my problem started.

Last year I shot a bird at 30 yards. I shoot, the bird does a black flip, and runs like 10 yards and folds up.  I go pick it up and move it to take a picture and it pops back up and runs off and I have to shoot it another time to kill it.

Fast forward to Kansas last week.  I have a bird come into 30 yards again.  I shoot him and he just hits the dirt and starts flopping.  I run up there and he pops up, I shoot again, he rolls, as I try to get up there again he pops up and runs off. 

My pattern is pretty darn good and I can/have rolled birds at 50 yards.  For example the next afternoon I shot a longbeard @ 45 yards and just swiss cheesed his face.

I called Winchester and explained my story to them and they were pretty snoody to me saying that they aren't there shooting with me so they don't what to say.

I will be changing ammunition, but still can't figure out why I would have this problem.

[drenalinld]

I have found it to be the most consistent on the pattern board of any factory load available and lethal on turkeys. If they made XR-7's or 7.5's, it would be incredible!!! If a turkey flips, I think it is a body shot.

[gatrapper]

Whole pattern was in his head. 

[stinkpickle]

Different lot #'s, maybe?  I don't know.  I experience weird things like that every once-in-a-while, but every time I go back and double check my patterns, they look just fine.  I chalk it up to my pounding heart and the adrenaline rush affecting the shot.  My knee ain't very steady.   

[LX_Trkyhntr]

I have had nothing but good luck with Winchester XR's so far.  I do check my pattern every spring and they are still loading the pattern sheet up!

[drenalinld]

Whole pattern was in his head. 

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but if you had to shoot one again and the other one ran off, how do you know the whole pattern was in the head? Lead kills them easy at those ranges it should be over with XR?? You have had some good experiences with them and know what they can do. Were the shells from the same box?

Just like you I switched from Win HV to XR when they come out, but now I'm shooting Hevi - 7's for higher pellet count. I didn't have any bad experiences with XR's, but that doesn't mean there's not some bad ones out there.

[gatrapper]

This seems like the pattern is hitting the head fully, doesn't it?



What about another?

[SumToy]

I would say to check the gun on paper with some junk shells at 50 feet. Try a few shots to see if it hit same spot. Then try the gun with the tk load.  I think it was something off in left field that happen that you have over looked.  That shell in any gun with about any choke at 30 yards should be DOA.   Check everything out before you buy new shells or buy anything. May be just something easy to fix.

[gatrapper]

I've done all of that.  My pattern is still good, but what it seems like is the pellets aren't penetrating deep enough.  I may have 25 hits in the head, but it seems that the majority of them are just under the skin.

[K9-Doc]

It's not the plane, but the pilot.
It only takes a little wiggle here or wobble t :z-guntootsmiley:here to make a bad shot.
I missed a standing, head erect gobbler at 40 yards this year.  I have killed well over a hundred mature gobblers and everyone excites me!!! 
It's not the plane, but the pilot.

[goblr77]

I've killed birds @ 50 yards with XR 2oz #5's but don't know if I could do it every time. The problem with them is not killing power it's pattern density, which shouldn't be an issue at 30yds. I switched over to Hevi 2.25oz 6's and then again to Hevi 2.25oz 7's and have had great success with both.

[SumToy]

Did I over look what kind of gun this is.  I ask this because I have saw this with buck shot before. 

[knotheadedfool]

lol @ you being sure that the pattern was centered on the head of the one that ran off.....really?


and the one you recovered, if you shot him a second time, don't you think THATS when you might have hit his head?

[Devastator]

my buddie just smoked a beauty this morning with xr at 50 yards.

[gatrapper]

lol @ you being sure that the pattern was centered on the head of the one that ran off.....really?


and the one you recovered, if you shot him a second time, don't you think THATS when you might have hit his head?

2nd shot was a body shot.  How do I know?  Because I shot him at about 8 ft and blew a hole threw him. 

Thanks for the comment.