# Winchester Long Beard XR Stoeger M3500



## klemsontigers7 (Mar 3, 2014)

Stoeger M3500 Carlson's .640
Long Beard XR 3.5" #6
262 in 10" circle at 40 measured yards

I've come to the conclusion, that in this gun the choke that gives the best 10" pattern also gives the best 16" pattern, so I'll probably roll with this .640.  This shot was my last before sighting in, it's dead on now.

I would honestly shoot a choke giving 140's or so in 10" at 40 yards if I could get a ton of pellets in a 16" circle as well, but I haven't found anything that will do it yet.


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## Loder (Mar 3, 2014)

Nice!


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## icdedturkes (Mar 3, 2014)

Its amazing this shell does not seem to blow as it is choked it just keeps responding.. 

Well before the internet and the designer loads and chokes we have today.. A buddy of mine used to have full sets of hastings from 640-675 in .005 increments for most thread designs.. When we tested a shell or gun we would keep going down in .005 each shot. It would be interesting to do that with long beard with a basic choke and see the results of constriction alone taking out design features of different chokes.. 

On a sidenote digging through an old box of mixed shooting stuff I found two hastings for INV+ 655 and 665.

That .655 provides the same amount of constriction in the 740 bore of the INV+ as the 640 does in the 725 bore Stoeger.. Will have to give a go when the snow melts.


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## Reminex (Mar 3, 2014)

Thanks for all your info on the#6.  Very nice!


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## turkeykirk (Mar 3, 2014)

Looks like that will do the job


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## klemsontigers7 (Mar 3, 2014)

icdedturkes said:


> Its amazing this shell does not seem to blow as it is choked it just keeps responding..
> 
> Well before the internet and the designer loads and chokes we have today.. A buddy of mine used to have full sets of hastings from 640-675 in .005 increments for most thread designs.. When we tested a shell or gun we would keep going down in .005 each shot. It would be interesting to do that with long beard with a basic choke and see the results of constriction alone taking out design features of different chokes..
> 
> ...



Yep, the small bore Stoeger loves the tight chokes... but I also put up 207 pellets with a .673 Rhino.


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## Burney Mac (Mar 4, 2014)

I finally got around doing some patterning this past weekend. I've been anxious to try some longbeards through a few rigs of mine just to see how they stacked up against others testing. I havent done any patterning in some years due to the fact I shot the extended range (tungsten) with devistating results, but I'm down to two shells. These were the best with lead.

Benelli SBE I, Primos Tightwad .655
Long Beard XR 3 1/2 #6
224 = 10" @ 40 yds.

Benellis SBE I, Primos Tightwad .655
Long Beard XR 3" #5's
182 = 10" @ 40 yds.

* I've heard varying opinions on the # of shot in a 3 1/2 # 6. So for giggles I shot at 20yds. just to see how tight the pattern really was. There were only 34 pellets outside the 10 at twenty yards. 

This was through a dirty barrel.


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## FALCON z (Mar 5, 2014)

Dang it!  I don't think there would be any floppin after that shot.


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