WIN SX3 CODE BLACK TURKEY WIN LONG BEARD XR 3+1/2

[Stepnoutnb]

Went to the range today. Started off @20 yards free hand with ESTATE 2+3/4 #6 the gun has a 26” barrel and is my Waterfowl gun. I just used the bead and rib for sighting. Bearing down on a tripod the gun @ 25 yards shoots 8” high. It’s the type of gun I have to float the bird as in trap shooting.
The first rounds I shot were WIN SUPREME 3” #5 1185 FPS. Nice pattern but too high. Once I dropped the bead the 10” dead bird. I shot several shells @ 25 yards and with very good killing results.
Here comes the bad part, realizing the 3” shells were as much as this little man cared to experience I pondered do I really want to shoot those WIN LONG BEARD XR 3.5 #6 or do I want to return them for 3”. Well not wanting to be a quitter and quite a bit foolish I decided to try them.
Yes Don and everyone else you were right those 3.5 are IGNORANT. I’m returning the unopened box. I fired 2 shells not fun. The 50 yard shot was free hand so I was totally messed up and pulled the the right almost off the target LIKELY FLINCHED LOL. I must add the targets I printed off on an 8.5x11 paper the bead almost covers a turkey head. I won’t be shooting no 50 yards at a turkey head.

I see some posts in Jansey’s thread on the same subject questioning the validity of these super chokes and super loads. I will never be hunting with a 3.5 inch turkey load lol.
Another shooter showed up, I was on the 25/50 pistol range I’ll have to go back and try my different chokes.

Humbled Wayne

[Cardinalsfanforever]

I went to 20 ga., put a carlsons longbeard on it, tried some winch. XR longbeard, 3", 4 shots test was all I wanted after last years shoulder surgery. 2 with 5 shot and 2 with 6 shot, found out that was all the testing I needed, especially after taking into consideration the price. But my bird went down.

[janesy]

My 870 is a supermag. It kicked like a mule with 3" but it's tolerable as it fits me well. Put the Candlesticks in there and just forget it. And they have never patterned better for me in any combo I've tried. Always gets a donut pattern. 3.5 was only fun when your buddy wasn't paying attention shooting skeet and you slip a candlestick first in the tube.

I've since switched(although a shot a bird last year and the year before with the 870) to an autoloader and will probably upgrade again. I shot the 11/87 and the 870 back to back last week, and the autoloader does absolutely tame the beast. But the trick is you have to keep the tube full. If you shoot single you get the hold open face punch. You want the weight and action all happening to mitigate the forces to where they need to be.

[DuckHunt]

My younger brother gave a name to my 870 Super Mag shooting 3.5" magnum loads..."The Punisher". And he wasn't specifically referring to downrange.

I grew up duck hunting with a 3" 870 back before 3.5" shells or steel shot came out. The Winchester XX-Magnum with 1 7/8oz of copper plated buffered lead #4 was impressive on ducks. I was knocking them out cold dead long after the 2-3/4" autoloaders were out of shells. Ducks below the tree tops were close enough. Back then I was young and didn't mind the recoil price, though almost $20/box back in the mid-1980's was steep for a box of shells.

I've since upgraded back to an autoloader. The Remington Versamax greatly tames the recoil. It will make a 12ga 3" feel more like a 20ga. Light loads in a Versamax feel more like a .410. But, there's something about the 3.5" shells. Even in the Versamax, they are still not pleasant to shoot. I've since picked up a Remington V3. It uses the Versamax design, but is only a 2-3/4" or 3" gun. Its lighter than the Versamax and is the perfect gun to me.

I'll save the 3.5" shells for Canada goose hunting when anti-aircraft artillery is actually needed.

[Boo]

I'm the same as Duckhunt. I only use 3.5s for waterfowl. My SBE is not gas and it is light in weight so recoil is sharp. My SP10 has less felt recoil. When I'm out of 3.5" I think I'm going to 3". But in this day and age, the 20 gauge can do it all with the exception of geese. For deer and turkey a 20 is absolutely perfect, at least for me and they way I hunt.
Some food for thought. Check patterning using 2 3\4" and 3" shells. The shorter the shot column, the less deformed shot, the better the pattern density.
One gun I've never shot is the Beretta Extrema. It is supposed to be a really soft shooter. But then I like being able to hardly ever clean my SBE

[janesy]

I'm torn. I want the V3 turkey edition. But I prefer irons over a rib. So the versamax offers an iron sights turkey model. But I like all the other options the V3 has to offer.

Or, I could just use my 11/87 for the typical two shots a year it takes hahaha