# Very impressed with 3rd degree!!



## Camp18 (Mar 11, 2015)

I've been shooting magnum blend out of my Benelli SBEii for a couple years now.... Talked to some guys that were swearing by that Winchester long beard so I grabbed a box, while I was there I saw the 3rd degree, which is federal premium version of the mag blend, 5,6,7's!! Went home grabbed the shotgun and fired a few shots to compare everything, the long beard held a tight pattern at 40 yards I will say that, but the pellet count in a 10" circle didn't compare to the other 2... Mag blend shot great like it always does but the 3rd degree was just as good maybe a little better! All 3 were shot out of a SBEii with a primos jelly head maximum choke! 3rd degree was about $10 a box cheaper too! I think I'm going to give them a go this yr! Just sharing my results, it's not cheap to pattern a setup so I always like reading good reviews


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## 01Foreman400 (Mar 11, 2015)

Haven't heard much about folks shooting the 3rd Degree's.  Thanks for sharing.


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## Wayne D Davis (Mar 11, 2015)

Camp18 said:


> I've been shooting magnum blend out of my Benelli SBEii for a couple years now.... Talked to some guys that were swearing by that Winchester long beard so I grabbed a box, while I was there I saw the 3rd degree, which is federal premium version of the mag blend, 5,6,7's!! Went home grabbed the shotgun and fired a few shots to compare everything, the long beard held a tight pattern at 40 yards I will say that, but the pellet count in a 10" circle didn't compare to the other 2... Mag blend shot great like it always does but the 3rd degree was just as good maybe a little better! All 3 were shot out of a SBEii with a primos jelly head maximum choke! 3rd degree was about $10 a box cheaper too! I think I'm going to give them a go this yr! Just sharing my results, it's not cheap to pattern a setup so I always like reading good reviews





Its good to see I'm not the only one impressed with 3rd Degree.
I'm shooting a Moss. 835 with a Carlson .690 choke....
3.5 in. 2oz. and I really like the pattern...versatility is key. In 10 yrds....bunches a grapefruit sized pattern...at 40 plenty pellets without many openings. I am ready !


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## Wayne D Davis (Mar 11, 2015)

No openings over 2 inches I should say in the pie plate


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## spydermon (Mar 11, 2015)

I'd like to see these patterns and counts in the 10 vs the others


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## hambone76 (Mar 12, 2015)

Thought about trying the 3rd degree in my Nova this year but having a hard time giving up on the Longbeard XR loads after seeing the carnage from last season.


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## Camp18 (Mar 12, 2015)

Winchester long beard


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## Camp18 (Mar 12, 2015)

Hevi shot mag blend


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## hambone76 (Mar 12, 2015)

Nice. Was your actual point of aim the red dot on the neck?


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## Camp18 (Mar 12, 2015)

3rd degree


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## Camp18 (Mar 12, 2015)

Yes aiming at the dot im a little high, I don't know how to rotate the pics either


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## hambone76 (Mar 12, 2015)

You shouldn't have any problems with that setup. Hope it serves you well.


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## icdedturkes (Mar 12, 2015)

Great patterns the 3rd degree and LB look close for pattern density.. Kinda odd seeing the results from Federal themselves and the intention of the load.. 

Would love to see a comparison at 20 to see if the 3rd degree is working like it should and your forty yard pattern is not just an anomaly.


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## hawglips (Mar 12, 2015)

When shooting a small paper like that, you don't know if the pattern was better, or if the POI was better.   

That's why it's important to shoot a large piece of paper so you can see the whole pattern instead of just a piece of it.


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## Camp18 (Mar 12, 2015)

Poi was the same on all 3 the 3rd degree may be a little left than the others, I think all 3 would kill a turkey so it's really what you want to see on paper, they're all dead with any of those shots, I have yet to count the pellets in a turkeys head hahaha


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## sman (Mar 12, 2015)

Those are at 40?  All 3 look good.

I can tell you I patterned the 3" #7 Fed 12 HW this weekend.   It was junk compared to the others.   Which is sad, cause I love their 20 load in the same set up.


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## hambone76 (Mar 12, 2015)

sman said:


> Those are at 40?  All 3 look good.
> 
> I can tell you I patterned the 3" #7 Fed 12 HW this weekend.   It was junk compared to the others.   Which is sad, cause I love their 20 load in the same set up.


That's the load I shoot in my old Mossberg 500A. it patterns great and has killed a lot of birds. My gun has a 28" barrel and a .665 Star Dot choke. 
The tighter I constricted it the worse the pattern got so I backed off a bit on my choke. I'll buy the rest of them if you want to let go of them 12 gauge #7's


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## Wayne D Davis (Mar 12, 2015)

Mossberg 835 @ 20 and 40 yrds (Primos Tightwad .690)

Just got a Carlson .690 and plan on patterning over the weekend.

I'll see what it does @ 10, 20, 40 and 50....I now have 4 boxes to pattern with


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## Wayne D Davis (Mar 12, 2015)

Wayne D Davis said:


> Mossberg 835 @ 20 and 40 yrds (Primos Tightwad .690)
> 
> Just got a Carlson .690 and plan on patterning over the weekend.
> 
> I'll see what it does @ 10, 20, 40 and 50....I now have 4 boxes to pattern with



lost my photo


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## Wayne D Davis (Mar 12, 2015)

*Mossberg 835/3rd Degree*

At 20 and 40 yrds


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## goblr77 (Mar 12, 2015)

Good to see some guys having success out of 3rd degree. My brother shot some 3.5" 3rd degree through an 835 with factory ulti full choke last week. They didn't act right for his setup.


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