Winchester Expert ammo. Don't BUY

[Ian F.]

f350ps beat me too it, you get what you pay for!

Experts are the bottom end of the winchester line. Myself I prefer to shoot kents, but have shot lots of experts and will in the future. Yes the pellets are mis-shapen, yes they are less effective then a premium shell, but not so significant to start a witch hunt against a reputable company.

Before you lynch the shell I'd first ask if you've patterned your gun? Do you get the birds decoying, or passing? Do you spend time at the clays range?

The number of variables in shotgunning is astounding, the surest answer to dead birds is getting them close and knowing what your gun will do!

and as a final note, I find #4's are the worst shot size for my guns and style of hunting, #3's are a totally different kettle of fish though..

Very best,

Ian

[835]

well i agree with spy and long shot
as for whining, knobody is. We found out the hard way that the shot is shit. You guys are comparing yourselves against the whole.
You guys that do a tonne of shooting ducks are of course way better than myself. 303 brit, pgk and f350ps. obviously are good shooters.
but stop and think of all the new or inexperianced fowlers out there thinking they are buying the right #2 shot or whatever and dont understand why all thoes birds go missing.
point is the stuff is crap, it is advertised as a specific shot size which it is not and birds are dying in the bush because of it.
so you guys that are arguing that this shot is ok stop thinking about what you do and look at the big picture. you are not it.
i spend the best buck i can on shot i can because i dont do this three days a week, i shoot 3 boxes at ducks a year i shoot at responsible distances but im not as good as you

[f350ps]

Ian hit the nail on the head! Patterning your gun is probably the most important thing there is. Next it would be learning to judge yardage. I've seen a ton of shots made where guys will say it was 70 yds. when in actual fact it was more like 45 yds. Seventy yards is a looong way! I would venture to say that most of my shots are inside 25 yds with the bulk of them closer to 15 or 20 yds. To top it off they are all with one of them cheap black guns with the plastic stock. K

[835]

you are right f350ps
these are the appropriate things to do.
my only point is the lack of proper advertising on the box of experts
i dont know how you would word it cuz "$hit shot" probably wouldnt work.
trouble is there are a tonne of people out there who dont take the proper steps who are proper stand up hunters.
what if my 130gr .270 was mixed with 140gr and 150gr
i go to the range and dont understand why they dont shoot?
that is what im getting at.

[Spy]

well i agree with spy and long shot
as for whining, knobody is. We found out the hard way that the shot is shit. You guys are comparing yourselves against the whole.
You guys that do a tonne of shooting ducks are of course way better than myself. 303 brit, pgk and f350ps. obviously are good shooters.
but stop and think of all the new or inexperianced fowlers out there thinking they are buying the right #2 shot or whatever and dont understand why all thoes birds go missing.
point is the stuff is crap, it is advertised as a specific shot size which it is not and birds are dying in the bush because of it.
so you guys that are arguing that this shot is ok stop thinking about what you do and look at the big picture. you are not it.
i spend the best buck i can on shot i can because i dont do this three days a week, i shoot 3 boxes at ducks a year i shoot at responsible distances but im not as good as you

835 This is exactly what Im getting at! It is unfortunate for the birds.I remember when I started wing shooting 100 rounds did not last a morning.

[Spy]

Not quite, that sounds more like a Marc number on the season.

I patterned a box of #2's and #4's (let the wife try out the shotgun as well)

I'd say I hit 65-75% of what I shoot at (rushed second shot, tunnel vision, etc), and that 10% of those required a follow up either to enable an easy retrieve (from the tall grass or tree line) or to prevent a cripple getting away.

I would say a further 10% of my hits are multiple hunters hitting the same bird or a killshot on a bird someone else drew first blood on. Birds I didn't take home.

So by that math I should have brought home 106-122 birds less three cripples, off the top of my head I could account for 73 birds. Those were the memorable shoots that have really made me want become an all round fowler. That would leave between 30-46 birds, and given general open season has been on for about a month and a half. I have gone out every other or every third day, and I've only been skunked twice. Those numbers make sense to me.

hope this is laid out in a logical format, I am pretty tired and the youngest does not want to go back too sleep.

I am flattered you think I have downed over 240 birds though

303

P.S I may have hit more, but I haven't kept a logor anything so I figure I put up conservative numbers. I know I have made a tonne of Goose Jerky and roast a lot of bird this year.

Thanks for been honest sounds like you are having a great season.
Mike. Ps. I hope you got some sleep & thanks for your 303 cents worth

[835]

I've opened a bunch of rounds. And have found this in almost all of them.
Kent and Black Cloud are the only ones i find are round and consistant.
so its what I shoot.
I can understand the cost factor these guys must have that shoot alot.
And i would love to hunt with them. I dont doubt they are doing what they say and i dont think they are out there crippeling birds.

So if any of you big shooters need a partner i'll buy the shot! just pm me!
good huntin

[416]

Interesting post.......l started water fouling 3 years ago and have used experts since l began. I hunt with a fellow who is what l would call an expert shot who up till this year has used Kent, but because it was unavailable when he was looking, he bought a case of expert. His shooting is as deadly as ever and its been my limited experience that the experts work fine as long as l do my part. The Winchester expert may be everything some are saying but when you can occasionally shoot your limit with as many shots, l don't know what you could buy for shells that would make it any better.

[Spy]

Far too many Variables involved for the beginner & novice. Allot of guys don't even know they have hit the bird.Ie if they were using premium rounds their success rate would increase.

[835]

Roger.......