I have three different loads I'll begin this thread with and I encourage others to add to it if you like.
I began with Hornady turkey magnum loads with VersaTite, 3" #5. After being really disappointed and getting a pattern I could only use to about 25 yards, I began looking for something else. The Hornady produced 100 pellets in 10" at 25 yards which isn't terrible but it's a definite handicap. Additionally, it doesn't work well at all through a ported choke tube.
The next load I tried was Winchester DoubleX, 3" #5. I found some turkey hunters on Instagram who highly recommended the combination of the DoubleX and Kicks chokes. I wasn't ready to get the choke but the ammo was readily available. The DoubleX produced far better patterns through a TruGlo ported choke tube. I was able to get more than 100 pellets in 10" at 40 yards.
After that, I began trying other chokes to tighten the pattern. What I found was that the TruGlo StrutStopper Extreme .670 was the superior choke tube but continued using other choke tubes to evaluate the ammo I was using.
So with another choke tube in hand, a Carlson's LongbeardXR .683 choke, I tried the DoubleX again. I was seriously disappointed again. For the hype of the choke, it produced a pattern of only 47 pellets in 10" at 40 yards.
To give the choke a fair shake, I figured I'd try the ammo that lends its name to the tube. Winchester LongbeardXR 3" #5.
This is really interesting! I began testing the LongbeardXR ammo through both chokes. Both chokes produced better patterns. The TruGlo choke increased about 30%, from around 100 pellets to more than 130 in 10". Get this, the LongbeardXR choke increased in pattern density by more than 100%! From 47 pellets to I think 105 in 10". Not as dense as the TruGlo choke but quite a bit improved.
I promptly exchanged the LongbeardXR choke for a Carlson's extended ported turkey choke with a slightly tighter constriction at .675 and tried the load again. A slight increase was observed.
The LongbeardXR load from Winchester is superior to the others I've tried. The combination is solid to 40 yards.
I began with Hornady turkey magnum loads with VersaTite, 3" #5. After being really disappointed and getting a pattern I could only use to about 25 yards, I began looking for something else. The Hornady produced 100 pellets in 10" at 25 yards which isn't terrible but it's a definite handicap. Additionally, it doesn't work well at all through a ported choke tube.
The next load I tried was Winchester DoubleX, 3" #5. I found some turkey hunters on Instagram who highly recommended the combination of the DoubleX and Kicks chokes. I wasn't ready to get the choke but the ammo was readily available. The DoubleX produced far better patterns through a TruGlo ported choke tube. I was able to get more than 100 pellets in 10" at 40 yards.
After that, I began trying other chokes to tighten the pattern. What I found was that the TruGlo StrutStopper Extreme .670 was the superior choke tube but continued using other choke tubes to evaluate the ammo I was using.
So with another choke tube in hand, a Carlson's LongbeardXR .683 choke, I tried the DoubleX again. I was seriously disappointed again. For the hype of the choke, it produced a pattern of only 47 pellets in 10" at 40 yards.
To give the choke a fair shake, I figured I'd try the ammo that lends its name to the tube. Winchester LongbeardXR 3" #5.
This is really interesting! I began testing the LongbeardXR ammo through both chokes. Both chokes produced better patterns. The TruGlo choke increased about 30%, from around 100 pellets to more than 130 in 10". Get this, the LongbeardXR choke increased in pattern density by more than 100%! From 47 pellets to I think 105 in 10". Not as dense as the TruGlo choke but quite a bit improved.
I promptly exchanged the LongbeardXR choke for a Carlson's extended ported turkey choke with a slightly tighter constriction at .675 and tried the load again. A slight increase was observed.
The LongbeardXR load from Winchester is superior to the others I've tried. The combination is solid to 40 yards.
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