Winchester Adds 20-Gauge Offering to Long Beard XR Lineup

by
posted on December 19, 2016
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
long_beard_20_gauge.jpg

Winchester Ammunition has announced that, at long last, it will be offering its popular Long Beard XR turkey loads in 20-gauge. Featuring the company's patented Shot-Lok technology, Long Beard XR delivers more power and tighter loads, and will now be readily available to hunters who favor smaller gauge shotguns.

The new 20-gauge Long Beard XR will come in a 3-inch shell loaded with either No. 5 or No. 6 shot. It will come 10 rounds to a box.

Not familiar with Shot-Lok? The gist is that it utilizes a proprietary resin, which eliminates air space between the lead pellets. As such, they don't smash into one another as the powder ignites, preserving integrity and largely eliminating fliers. It does wonder for preserving tight patterns at longer ranges.

“Long Beard XR has changed the game for turkey hunters across the United States, and now those hunters who use the smaller, lighter 20-gauge can enjoy the same extended range benefits,” said Matt Campbell, Winchester Ammunition vice president of marketing and sales.

Shot-Lok resin, which was award the 2016 American Hunter Golden Bullseye Award for Ammunition Product of the Year, first hit the market in Winchester's original 12-gauge Long Beard XR offering. It was later applied to upland loads and predator shells in the form of Rooster XR and Varmint X, respectively.

Long Beard XR-specific aftermarket choke tubes are already on the way, for the record, courtesy Carlson's Choke Tubes.

For more information, go to Winchester.com.

Latest

Lead Photo Supreme Long Range
Lead Photo Supreme Long Range

Range Review: Winchester Supreme Long Range Ammo

Winchester's latest ammunition line is the Supreme Long Range centerfire rifle ammo, and that line is built around its BC Max projectile. Using a thick, drawn copper jacket, steep boattail at the rear and a relatively oversized polymer tip, the BC Max bullet is built for resisting wind deflection and retaining energy downrange. Check out Phil Massaro's review of the new ammo line here.

First Look: Hunter Specialties Trio of Deer Calls

Hunters Specialties has announced an all-new lineup of grunt tubes for 2026.

Arkansas Has Best Turkey Harvest in Two Decades—a Product of Sound Management

Arkansas turkey hunters checked 13,591 turkeys during this year’s season, which ended May 10. It was the highest spring turkey harvest since 2006.

Hardware Review: Thompson/Center Encore ProHunter

Check out our review of the T/C Encore ProHunter, a new version of the legendary switch-barrel muzzleloader from Thompson/Center.

New for 2026: WRC Golden Estrus Scent Stick Formula

Wildlife Research Center has released its Golden Estrus Scent Stick Formula, a weather-resistant, long-lasting estrus scent designed to trigger the mating instincts of rutting bucks.

Screwworm Gains Toehold the United States

The New World Screwworm (NWS), which devastated wildlife populations and the Lone Star State’s livestock industry 60 year ago, has established two beachheads in Texas.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.