Winchester Super X 20 Ga Turkey Ammo Review

When Winchester appear their new Long Bristles XR turkey loads a couple of months back, they made a very specific claim almost their latest galliform gouging shells. Thanks to their new Shot-Lok pellet packing idea, they claimed that their shot stays rounder coming out of a smoothbore than standard loose-packed loads. Just they didn't stop there. They as well claimed that because of Shot-lok, Long Beard "offers the tightest patterns and longest shot capability of any pb turkey load in history—with twice the pellets in a x" circle out to lx yards compared to traditional lead loads." I'g no ammo reviewer. I'll leave blending batches of ballistic gelatin, examining shot deformation and measuring penetration distances to experts like Shooting the Balderdash. But when it comes to an easily verifiable claim similar "twice the pellets in a 10″ circumvolve," I'm only the idiot to give information technology a try.

And there you have the secret to Long Beard XR'due south purported success. Shot-Lok'd shot. The wizards of Winchester don't just plop their pellets into a shell with some powder and a wad like everyone else. Where'southward the fun in that? Instead, they had a better, V8 forehead-slapping epiphany. Like an insect preserved in amber, they decided to encase their shot in resin. Picture your aunt Joan's assistant grape Clot-o surprise that she brings to Thanksgiving dinner every yr and yous'll go the full general idea.

Just why, you ask? What does petrifying copper-coated atomic number 82 shot do? Well, when the primer goes bang and the powder goes boom, the resin shatters and the resulting residual powdered resin forms a protective bulwark around each pellet. No really. Winchy says that accomplishes two things; 1) it keeps their shot from clanking around, knocking into the wad and becoming plain-featured before it leaves the cage of the gun, and 2) the resultant rounder shot means tighter, more authentic patterns.

One of the first things I noticed about the Long Beards is their size. Since the rounds they sent me are apparently early runs meant for testing and evaluation purposes, they let it be known they'd prefer I didn't photograph them because they hadn't been tube-stamped like the stuff you buy over the counter will be. Unremarkably I would, of grade, take complied with their request. So permit me first convey my deepest apologies to everyone in the greater Alton, Illinois surface area for the following photos.

I had to include this shot considering, as you tin can see, the Long Beard vanquish – these are all #4s – is, well, longer than competing 3″ loads past Remington (1/8″) and Hornady (iii/16″). The extra length is apparently necessary to suit the volume of the Shot-Lok resin, a fact that may interest only me. I can hear you mumbling a question at your screen and no, I had no problem at all cycling whatsoever of the rounds tested through my 3″ chambered scattergun.

And and then there's the crimping. Winchester isn't closing the superlative of the shell on a bunch of loose shot when they industry Long Beards. Instead, they pour the resin in, then some shot and let things set. So rather than using a traditional crimp, Winchester pops on a solid plastic meridian with channels molded in to let it to split when fired. You lot have to figure this non-conventional process not only costs more, but takes longer likewise and is reflected in the retail price. More on that later.

Anyhow, Winchester kindly sent 3 flavors of Long Beard (and some species-appropriate targets) for me to try, numbers 4, 5 and six. So to put the new wunder-loads to the test, I bought 2 boxes of competing turkey loads in each size for a steel muzzle ballistic expiry match.

Ammo in hand, I packed upwards my trusty Mossy 930 along with a shiny new Trulock turkey asphyxiate and traipsed out to the Busch Shooting Range in Defiance, Mo. to accept advantage of their patterning range. Read 'em and weep:

#four at xx yards, Long Beard (L), Hornady (C), Remington (R)

#iv at 40 yards, Long Beard (L) Hornady (C) Remington (R)

#v at xx yards, Long Beard (L) Winchester (C) Remington (R)

#v at twoscore yards Long Beard (Fifty) Winchester (C) Remington (R)

#6 at 20 yards, Long Beard (L) Hornady (C) Remington (R)

#six at xl yards, Long Beard (L) Hornady (C) Remington (R)

Once again, Winchester says their tighter pattern/more shot in a 10″ circle merits holds out as far every bit lx yards. The bummer is the range I was using only goes out as far as 40 yards. Still, I retrieve the results are good enough to draw some conclusions.

My first takeaway is, if I always really go turkey hunting, there'due south no way in hell I'g buying any Hornady Heavy Magnum Turkey loads. Whether my item gun/choke combo doesn't similar them or because they're just awful, it's obvious that – especially at longer distances – the Hornadys only don't put plenty pellets on the target. And yep, I'm aware that the Hornadys have a little less shot (1 iii/4 oz. for the Long Beards vs. one 1/ii oz. for the Heavy Magnums) but that pocket-sized difference doesn't account for how amazingly sparse the Hornady patterns were at 40 yards.

But back to the existent story. To exam Winchester's claim, I needed to tote upwardly the number of hits. Given how tight the patterns were for all the rounds at twenty yards, I figured that counting the shot on the 40-yard targets would be the most meaningful. Just nearly annihilation you feed your smoothbore ought to impale ol' Tom at xx yards.

I selected the best-performing competitor at each shot size. And to compensate for my sometimes questionable aim, I drew my own ten″ circumvolve from what appeared to exist the heart of the pattern on each target. Then I gridded them out, took off my shoes and socks and commenced to counting. Here's what I came up with:

	Long Beard XR	Remington Premier Magnum
#four at xl yards	94	83
	Long Bristles XR	Winchester Super-X
#5 at 40 yards	135	74
	Long Beard XR	Remington Nitro Turkey
#6 at 40 yards	220	120

At present if you lot await at my pathetic #4 target at twoscore yards, above, you lot can see that I probably didn't give the Long beards a fair shake. Translation: I barely hit the side of the barn on which the target was hung. So I'm thinking information technology's fair to throw that 1 out. Be that every bit information technology may, based on the results for the #five and #half-dozen targets, sure enough, just nigh twice the Long Beard pellets hit my 10″ circles compared to the competing loads.

And that's not all. While I didn't tote up the hits on the 20-yard targets (all the hits await lethal as hell), check 'em out, higher up. The #four and #v targets show conspicuously tighter, more giblet-perforating patterns than the competitors. The but load where the Long Beard was bested was the #6 at 20 yards. The Remington Nitro Turkey clearly looks to have done better at that distance. Though as the 40-yard comparison for the same ammo shows, the Long Bristles XR was about twice as skillful equally the Nitro at the longer range.

So what does all this mean? I recall it's fair to say that Winchester'southward claim that their Shot-Lok'd shells make for tighter groups at longer distances – more holes in your gobbler – isn't but a load of marketing malarkey. If you plan on lying in wait to nail your own Thanksgiving dinner this yr, a box of Long Bristles XR loads seems like a good fashion to go. But what volition this new exotic round run you?

For reference, I bought all of my competing ammo on line through Cabela's. Here'south what it price me before shipping:

Hornady Heavy Magnum Turkey #4 – $13.99
Remington Premier Magnum Copper Plated Turkey Loads #iv – $15.99
Winchester Super 10 Magnum Turkey #five – $10.99
Remington Hi-Velocity Magnum Copper-Plated Turkey #5 – $15.99
Hornady Heavy Magnum Turkey #6 –  $13.99
Remington Nitro Turkey Loads #6 – $9.99 each

Cabela's price for 3-inch Long Beards is $18.99 so you're definitely looking at more bucks for your bang for the new stuff. But if that means a better chance for a make clean kill at greater distances, a few actress samolians seems a pocket-sized cost to pay.

Specifications:

Gauge: 12
Length: 3 inches (three 1/2 inch loads available, likewise)
Sizes: #iv-6
Loads: 3″ – one 1/2 oz. (3 1/2″ – two oz.)
Price: 3″ – $18.99 (3 one/2″ – $22.99)

Ratings (out of five stars):

Pattern: * * * * *

In almost every case tested, the Long Beard XR loads clearly resulted in tighter, more lethal patterns, particularly at longer distances.

Value: * * * *

Yep, they'll toll you more for a box of 10 shells than competing copper-plated loads. But unless you're sure you're going to be shooting from nearly bad breath distance to your would-be dinner, the Long Beards requite you lot a improve chance of making a clean kill.

Overall * * * * 1/ii

Over again, I'm not a turkey hunter. And even with the Long Beard XRs, I'm non certain of the ethical advisability of pulling the trigger if you're lx yards abroad. Merely given the fact that judging your altitude out in the bush tin exist tricky, as long every bit your aim is true, Long Beards would seem to requite you a improve chance at a make clean kill than whatsoever of the other brands I tested. Salvage the dark meat for me.

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Source: https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/ammo-review-winchester-long-beard-xr-turkey-loads/