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Anybody actally seen or shot longbeard 20 ga?

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nwsg76

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So has anybody actually laid eyes on the elusive 20ga longbeard's???
The sign at nwtf said sold out at the turkey shop. I went buy in the first hour. So wondering if anyone bought any and have shot patterns?
 
Ordered some form Mack's PW, still waiting on a turkey choke for my daughter's gun to arrive before I shoot them.
 
I got mine from macks today... so the test will be longbeards vs federal heavyweights 7.. any guess as to what I will be doing this weekend???
 

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nwsg76":1iu40604 said:
... so the test will be longbeards vs federal heavyweights 7.. ?
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Well, no matter how good a lead load the longbeards may be, you can't get blood out of a turnip.
No matter how uniform & dense the pattern may be, the per pellet energy will be pale in comparison to that of the HWT #7.

Your test might should include penetration, say at 45 yards.
You will find #7 HWT will penetrate deeper than those #5 lead.

Different users are opting for one shell vs. another for various reasons, so not sure what you're looking at most. :)
And suspect all you're comparing here will do well at 40 yards.

Penetration (not just muzzle "energy") becomes a greater comparative factor beyond 40 yards.
So keep in mind those #7 HWTs are leaving the muzzle faster, lose their velocity much slower,
and retain their downrange energy much better than lead.
 
Lead is still lead. Going to be several wounded birds with these due to people not understanding that they may hold a pattern but won't hold their energy like HTL.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
PickettSFHunter":3cpics23 said:
Lead is still lead. Going to be several wounded birds with these due to people not understanding that they may hold a pattern but won't hold their energy like HTL.
Click to expand...
I imagine some users are opting for them simply because they may pattern better than other lead shells, and are less expensive than HTL. Most users do praise them as great patterning loads.

But the initial "advertising" was promoting them as an extended range option, hence my and your concerns.
Maybe by going to larger pellet sizes, such as someone using a #4 instead of a #5, one could "extend" the range of lead pellets, but then by going to larger pellets, patterns become less dense and less reliable.

Also note the relatively low muzzle velocity ---- that's around 10-20% less initial energy than many other 1 1/4 oz lead 20-ga loads, and will translate to less downrange per pellet energy. I assume the 20 ga Longbeards were manufactured with lower velocity simply because that usually translates into more uniform & denser patterns.
 
nwsg76":mi2cw4ud said:
I got mine from macks today... so the test will be longbeards vs federal heavyweights 7.. any guess as to what I will be doing this weekend???
Click to expand...

I did not know these were only 1000 fps shells. I shot 6s when I shot lead, but I definitely whouldnt shoot 6s at that speed.
 
Southern Sportsman":2vc131jn said:
I did not know these were only 1000 fps shells. I shot 6s when I shot lead, but I definitely whouldnt shoot 6s at that speed.
Click to expand...
Be ok out to 40 yards, no problem.

By comparison . . . . . 20 ga turkey loads . . . . .
Winchester Longbeards are pushing 1 1/4 oz shot at 1,000 fps.
Federal Heavyweights are pushing 1 1/2 oz shot at 1,100 fps . . . . starting out 10% faster, plus with 20% "heavier" payload.

I'm not pushing any particular shell for the purpose of range extension, as am all for encouraging the merits, greater excitement of having strutting Toms up close & personal :) But when we mistakenly believe a bird is right at 40 yards, and it turns out to be 47, should I pull the trigger, prefer to be shooting a load that retains high probability of still killing that bird.

At some range, no matter how dense the pattern at that range,
#6 lead will not only have too little energy to break leg/wing bones, but will not even penetrate a turkey's rubbery head.
 
If the main reason for considering the Winchester Longbeard lead loads is they're less expensive than HTL loads,
an alternative to consider would be the Federal Premium 3rd Degree turkey loads.
These particular loads contain a mixture of HTL & lead pellets, and do cost less than straight HTL loads.

https://www.federalpremium.com/ammuniti ... rd-degree/

In 20 ga, the "3rd Degree" has a 1 3/8 oz payload leaving the muzzle at 1,100 fps.
That payload is a "blend" of #5 & #6 lead pellets plus #7 HTL pellets.
So there's about a 10% greater payload leaving the muzzle about 10% faster than the Longbeards.
 
One more "aside" :)

Many of us have gone to a 20 gauge for turkey hunting because they're easier to carry, less recoil,
and we can get traditional 12 gauge lead-load performance (even better) from a 20 ga gun if we use HTL loads in our 20 gauges.

But at the same time HTL became available in 20 ga, it also did in 12.
By comparison, the Federal Heavyweight 12 ga load is pushing a much larger payload and a faster 1300 fps.
And in 12 ga, the Winchester Longbeard shell can push (in 3.5" mags) a much larger payload at 1200 fps (vs. 1000 in their 20ga version).

The 12 ga will always have a ballistics advantage over the 20 if we do a more apples-to-apples comparison with the payloads.
Just may not be necessary.
 
I'll put 12ga LB #4s against any HTL 12ga load.... The shot lok technology is awesome. I will not shoot HTL in 12ga again as long as I can get the Longbeards.

Sorry to hi-jack but it seems the conversation had already been shifting to 12ga.
 
Roost 1":16cjycbp said:
I'll put 12ga LB #4s against any HTL 12ga load.... The shot lok technology is awesome. I will not shoot HTL in 12ga again as long as I can get the Longbeards.
Click to expand...
:)
I totally understand how that works, and agree the shot lok technology is awesome, whether talking 12 or 20 ga.
But you're doing something with a 12ga (using #4 size pellets) that will not work so well in a 20 ga.

Have you compared the overall pattern diameter of those particular LB loads to other loads?
I know this technology is improving pattern density in part by eliminating "fliers" and pellet deformation,
but also in part by producing smaller diameter patterns?
Long-range advantage, short-range disadvantage?
 
Roost 1":1opdwx4y said:
I'll put 12ga LB #4s against any HTL 12ga load.... The shot lok technology is awesome. I will not shoot HTL in 12ga again as long as I can get the Longbeards.

Sorry to hi-jack but it seems the conversation had already been shifting to 12ga.
Click to expand...

I'll take that bet, but I get to bring my own HTL shells ;)
 
Roost 1":1baa8vds said:
I'll put 12ga LB #4s against any HTL 12ga load.... The shot lok technology is awesome. I will not shoot HTL in 12ga again as long as I can get the Longbeards.

Sorry to hi-jack but it seems the conversation had already been shifting to 12ga.
Click to expand...

I'll take that bet....
 
I shoot TSS too guys but not in 12ga...... So, let's say I'll put the LB 4s against factory loaded HTL loads...don't underestimate the power of a lead 4 and like I said the shot lok tech is awesome.
 
Roost 1":2awli58j said:
. . . . . So, let's say I'll put the LB 4s against factory loaded HTL loads ... .
Click to expand...
Ah ha :tu: backtracking a bit now ha?! :tu:

So is this here contest about penetration or pattern density? :D

Just ribbing you a bit, as I know those LB 4s must be working well for you.
But for no more shells than I shoot annually turkey hunting, even if that does cost me an extra $10 a year,
I'm happy just sticking with those Federal Heavyweights, whether in 12 ga or 20.

Now if Winchester would just come out with their "shot lok tech" using some HTL pellets, I'd be more excited about their shells.
A few years ago, until they quit making them, I loved Winchester's Extended Range HTL loads ---- they patterned more uniformly than anything else commercially available at the time.
 
Well these guys are prolly shooting 3oz of tss in a 12ga so I doubt I could shoot a better pattern BUT I would bet I can kill a turkey every bit as far as they can...I will bet on that!!!' But we prolly don't need to try that, coweye and setterman would frown on us. :tu:
 

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