2.75" Winchester Longbeard

[bluetick78]

I have a specific need for some Winchester Longbeard shells in 2 3/4". It's for an old shotgun that is probably not suitable for TSS ( nor do I want to spend $80-$100 for 5 shells). The gun only takes 2 3/4". Winchester's website shows it as an active item, but finding any of them locally or online has proved fruitless.
Do any of you know where to find a box or 2 of these? Or have some you'd be willing to part with?

 

[eamyrick]

I looked and haven’t seen any either.

 

[LongWayAround]

Scheels has a few options for 2.75" 12ga turkey loads, but no longbeard xr.

https://www.scheels.com/c/shotgun-ammunition/?r=gauge%3A12%3BshellLength%3A2-3%252F4%2520in.%3BshotType%3ALead%3BhuntingSeason%3ATurkey

 

[Jack321]

Granted its not "Long Beard" but its 2.75, lead turkey loads:

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1161048857

 

[slatebuilder]

I have always wanted to try long beard xr 2.75”. If you can’t find that, Winchester superx 5 or 6 is great. The old Remington 2.75” nitro mags work pretty well too.

 

[Macintosh]

I used the longbeard xr stuff for years, but I havent seen it in a shop in forever. It does pattern noticeably tighter than any lead shells I tried. I dont know if its bismuth or some alloy, but it acts like its harder than lead. If you have access to try some, could be worth trying a bismuth waterfowl load in 6’s. Might be easier to find, and its not quite as pricey as tss. Being harder than lead it should pattern a bit tighter. Winchester offered some of the earliest bismuth shotshells I know of around the same time they introduced this…Id bet the xr is just bismuth shot.

 

[DuckDawg22]

I checked ammoseek and there is plenty of 3" but nothing in 2.75. If it ain't there, it probably aint anywhere

 

[bcv]

gunbroker

 

[eamyrick]

gunbroker

I’m sure you are a nice guy but I hope you get stung in the ear by a hornet because I just spent the last 5 minutes looking for it on gunbroker and there ain’t any there.

 

[bcv]

Fair enough.
You didn't put gauge so I had a 50/50 chance.
Turkey season is in or will be in for everyone soon. Most shells are sold out now but if you create a saved search... they'll pop up there...... eventually.

 

[huntineveryday]

Fiocchi Golden Pheasant Extreme would be a 2 3/4" load of nickel plated lead at 1485fps. I know it's not you you asked for, but my kids have dropped quite a few turkeys at 25 yards with golden pheasant 20 guage loads that are slower than those. Might be worth a look if you can't find the longbeards you're looking for.

https://www.scheels.com/p/76234470386?queryID=1ac1caf4df2275cd

 

[bluetick78]

Sorry, I didn't specify 12 gauge. It's for my father's Ithaca 37 12 ga. Beautiful gun, shoots great patterns with most 2.75 turkey loads. It does pretty decent with Federal Grand Slams in #5, but isn't a 40 yd turkey slayer. I really think the Longbeards could stretch it to 40-45 pretty easy. We hunt really open country, and it's a long ways between gobblers. Most stop and strut at 40 to 50 yds if you are really lucky, and it would be tough to take a gun that would cause him to have to pass most birds that we call in. Newer 12's with 3 or 3.5 inch lead loads work fine, but he's always wanted to hang a tag on one with that old gun.
I can't get him to hunt some other places I like, with tighter cover and higher turkey density. He's 74, and the thick stuff is tough for him to walk through.
I was excited to see a Longbeard XR 2.75" load on Winchester's website, but it seems like it's unobtainable currently. I've even tried to get him to shoot 2.75" TSS, but he's sure it'll mess up his gun.

 

[treydfoster]

Honestly, just go get a box of pheasant loads in the shot size of your choosing, I like number 5's. They'll be deadly as sin.

 

[dtrkyman]

TSS is loaded in a heavy duty wad, he is likely shooting a fixed full choke, the shot will never touch the barrel, unfortunately the economical Herters TSS is no longer made in 2 3/4 either.

Winchester double x in 2 3/4 were viable at 40 but with a turkey choke!

Grab a DSD decoy set and shoot anything, a bird will be right on the decoy at some point!

 

[bluetick78]

Honestly, just go get a box of pheasant loads in the shot size of your choosing, I like number 5's. They'll be deadly as sin.

The magnum pheasant loads work fine to 35 yds, past that they open up quick ( out of this gun). I need it to be tight to ~45 yds.

 

[bluetick78]

TSS is loaded in a heavy duty wad, he is likely shooting a fixed full choke, the shot will never touch the barrel, unfortunately the economical Herters TSS is no longer made in 2 3/4 either.

Winchester double x in 2 3/4 were viable at 40 but with a turkey choke!

Grab a DSD decoy set and shoot anything, a bird will be right on the decoy at some point!

I currently use DSD decoys, and sometimes the birds come right in close. Mostly though, they'll see the decoys and stop to strut for 10-15 minutes at 75-100 yds, then wander off.
It's really open country with a moderate amount of pressure, the birds get educated quick. Having a 40-50 yd gun is a must if you want to punch a tag once or twice a season. It's frustrating to think that a year or 2 ago there were a lot of good options in 2.75" 12 gauge loads, and for some reason they just evaporated overnight.

 

[dtrkyman]

Seems to be MIA, maybe contact Winchester, problem is it is only 1 1/4 oz of 5 shot, not going to get much more than 40 yards and likely not even without a turkey choke!

20ga Longbeard are 1 1/4 and with the right turkey choke are ok at 40.

 

[eamyrick]

I concur about the TSS 2 3/4. I’m using apex #9 2 3/4 out of a factory full in my Benelli ultralight and it hammers out past 50.

 

[Davyalabama]

Unfortunately, Winchester no longer makes them. How do I know, I reached out to them, because I'm in the same boat. Yep, checked all kinds of sights online, nothing. My old guns can't shoot TSS or this new stuff, and it won't shoot anything but 2 3/4' shells. Now, on another sight, I got lit up by some of these new ammo manufacturers saying that the new TSS shot never touches the barrel because of the new wads, blah, blah, blah ------ Yep, I'm not trusting that at all, sorry. I just know TSS is too hard on the older barrels, and I love running my old guns, not ruining them.

Just buy some Winchester XX or Federal Grand Slam and see which your gun likes the best. If you're trying to shoot 50-60 yards with 2 3/4, you might be best to stay with Winchester XX in #4's, that's a long ways for #5's. Now, if you're keeping it within 40 yards, you don't need longbeard XR anyway, a good XX or Federal #5 will be fine. Now, I have some buddies that swear by nickel plated shells, but they keep their shots very close, within 30 yards or so. Have one guy that only uses smokepole type gun, he's with 20 yards, lol. Crazy old coot.

 

[dtrkyman]

I have hundreds of rounds of TSS through chrome lined barrel, not a mark on it.

Stretching distance just isn't happening with lead in a lighter payload, you run out of pattern long before energy.

Go shoot a number four 2 3/4 load past forty and see for yourself, 40 will be a stretch.