Winchester Unveils Long Beard XR Turkey Load

by
posted on September 19, 2013
** 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. **

Winchester Ammunition has announced the arrival of a potentially revolutionary new turkey load, with the unveiling of Long Beard XR.

Designed to provide increased lethality at longer ranges than other turkey loads, Long Beard XR is driven by the company's new Shot-Lok Technology. An innovative new design, Shot-Lok produces twice the pellets in a 10" circle out to 60 yards compared to traditional lead loads—giving Long Beard XR the knockdown power of popular heavier-than-lead loads at a fraction of the cost.

A hardened resin that completely encapsulates the lead pellets, Shot-Lok eliminates air space around the pellet load, preventing movement and nearly eliminating pellet deformation. As the shot is charged, the resin fractures, forming a micro-buffer as the shot pattern leaves the gun barrel. The end result is pellets that remain round and fly straighter and tighter, providing for a more consistent payload and plenty of knockdown power—at longer ranges than most turkey hunters will be used to.

"Long Beard XR is the most innovative turkey load ever developed in the history of Winchester and our engineers continue to raise the bar every year with new products across many categories,” said Brett Flaugher, vice president of sales, marketing and strategy for Winchester Ammunition. “We are very excited to get this product in the hands of the millions of turkey hunters across North America … they will immediately recognize a difference in performance.”

Advantages of New Shot-Lok Technology:
• Protects shot during in-bore acceleration
• Shot launches from barrel near perfectly round for extremely tight long-range patterns
• Twice the number of pellets in a 10” circle out to 60 yards
• 10 percent greater penetration over standard lead loads beyond 50 yards
• Devastating terminal on-target performances

Long Beard XR will be available in the following specifications:

For more information Long Beard XR, or any other Winchester product, go to Winchester.com.

Latest

Ledemule Deer Foundation Delivers
Ledemule Deer Foundation Delivers

MDF Invested $48.3 Million for Conservation in 2025

The Mule Deer Foundation (MDF) mobilized a total of $48.3 million for mule deer and black-tailed deer in 2025, its second-best year on record. Across 153 projects in 17 states, MDF helped restore more than 537,000 acres of critical wildlife habitat, benefitted 129 deer herds and eliminated or converted 149 miles of hazardous fence to restore safe movement corridors for wildlife.

Behind the Bullet: .17 Mach 2

Ever heard of the .17 Mach 2? Go behind the scenes on this hot little rimfire round with resident ammo guru Phil Massaro.

Tuo Curates Specialized Turkey Hunting Collection

For the 2026 spring season, Tuo has architected a technical system specifically curated to meet the demands of turkey hunters. While engineered for maximum versatility, the Tuo ecosystem has developed a particular following in regions where the early season isn't defined by green leaves and lilac blooms, but by the high-contrast skeletal timber and grey-scale of the early spring woods.

New for 2026: Savage Model 110 Rimfire

Savage Arms has expanded its Model 110 family of rifles into the rimfire world. Long loved by generations of hunters, the classic Model 110 will now include a number of full size, .22 Long Rifle offerings, making up the new Model 110 RF line.

Snow Goose Science: Hunting Tips from the Pros

Want to drop more snow geese during conservation season? Check out these tips, straight from the pro guides at Central Missouri Wildlife.

New for 2026: Apex Ammunition 28-Gauge SmallTown Hunting TSS Turkey Blend

Apex Ammunition is now offering a 28-gauge load in its SmallTown Hunting Blend line of turkey ammunition.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.