# Winchester Xpert Ammo, Anyone use Them?



## rbol121 (Dec 11, 2008)

Hey guys, just patterned my shotgun at 45yds with Winchester Xpert ammo, #2's. Was getting average of 95 pellets on 30 in circle, which has been better than anything I've shot besides Kent 3.5in #1's. Winchester Xperts are tremendously cheaper and very simialr to pattern as Kents. Just curious if nyone uses these shells? I have a Winchester SX3 and seems these shells shoot pretty dirty. Dont know if after a few days in the field how my gun will start performing without cleaning it every night. Any opinions are appreciated.


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## PJ (Oct 1, 2002)

That's pretty much all I shoot is Xpert 3 inch 2s. IMO Winchester has much CLEANER burning powder than Kent. Kent's are made by Federal, and Federal shells burn dirty through my SBE.


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## Sask hunter (Sep 11, 2008)

I use them for everything from teal to canadas. They also work good on the occasional duck hunting coyote.


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## jcnelsn1 (Oct 28, 2008)

i used to shoot the xpert high velocities a lot. always worked well for me. Cut them open and the shot is very non-uniform with several different sizes and shapes but they killed birds fine


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## winchestersx3 (Feb 3, 2010)

I have an sx3 as well. The experts shoot fine and dont have a high price which is nice. If you wanted to pay a little more for more quality try 3 inch 3 black clouds. I have never seen a better pattern out a stock modified choke. It skins the ducks and geese for you! Give em a try I think you will be impressed.


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## Firehunter (Feb 3, 2010)

I've had good luck with both xpert and Kent. I shoot Kent mostly because I feel they kill cleaner. I have a lot less cripples, dont know if i'm just getting to be a better shot but i think the flat pellets in the xpert slow down much faster then rounder more uniform pellets. For birds under 30 yards i dont think it will matter but shooting at snows or geese where you need knock down I would rather shoot a higher quality shell. Kent are about $3 more a box.


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## Original Goosebuster (Jan 12, 2006)

I love them but I did notice some cycling issues when it came to the 2 and 3/4 ones especially in my stoeger.


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## goosenoose (Feb 18, 2009)

Best bang for your buck!! When I'm not reloading that is what I shoot with confidence. Plus the hull is well built for reloading.


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## headshot (Oct 26, 2006)

Good ammo for the price. They patterened the best out of my gun so I have used them for years with no complaints.


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## rbol121 (Dec 11, 2008)

Thanks for all the reply's guys. Now I just have to sort out if I go with #2's or BB's. And I'm torn, cuz Kent 3.5 #1's are quite good outta my gun also, which may give me a little more knock down if their hanging up, versus #2 Experts. Any other opinions are greatly appreciated. Thanks to All.............


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## dacaller (Feb 6, 2007)

rbol121 said:


> Thanks for all the reply's guys. Now I just have to sort out if I go with #2's or BB's. And I'm torn, cuz Kent 3.5 #1's are quite good outta my gun also, which may give me a little more knock down if their hanging up, versus #2 Experts. Any other opinions are greatly appreciated. Thanks to All.............


All I ever shoot is experts.... I would go with the BB because if you cut them open you will find that the #2's are all different sizes where as the BB's are pretty uniform in size.
Just today I killed 5 giant Canada's in our late season here in Indiana. We had 20mph winds with gusts over 30mph so they do work in the wind as well..... But then again I don't skybust either.

Good luck with what ever you choose... Whack'em and Stack'em


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## SNOW DUSTER (Jan 24, 2009)

I'VE BLOWN A BARREL FROM A EXPERT SQUIB LOAD i WOULD NEVER SHOOT THEM CHEAP THINGS AGAIN!!    
After I blew the barrel I cut one open and found nothing but garbage they stuff in them all shapes and sizes nothing uniform!
Barrel blew on the third shot on opener of duck 07.


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## duckdogsroc (Feb 15, 2010)

never liked the experts seemed to lack the killing power useing black clouds 3 in #3 also bought a case of their new snow goose round 1635 fps in bb will try em this weekend


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## bud69652 (Feb 6, 2006)

SNOW DUSTER said:


> I'VE BLOWN A BARREL FROM A EXPERT SQUIB LOAD i WOULD NEVER SHOOT THEM CHEAP THINGS AGAIN!!
> After I blew the barrel I cut one open and found nothing but garbage they stuff in them all shapes and sizes nothing uniform!
> Barrel blew on the third shot on opener of duck 07.


Really? Really? Sounds a bit ridiculous


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## SNOW DUSTER (Jan 24, 2009)

bud69652 said:


> SNOW DUSTER said:
> 
> 
> > I'VE BLOWN A BARREL FROM A EXPERT SQUIB LOAD i WOULD NEVER SHOOT THEM CHEAP THINGS AGAIN!!
> ...


GO BUY SOME AND HAVE A BLAST! GOOD LUCK!


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## bluegoose18 (Jan 9, 2008)

I was standing next to snow duster when his barrel blew up
I am 100% positive that he hAd a falure in his shot shell 
which was a Winchester expert 
So after the episode of the explosion (very scary) 
we cut one open and that thing was filled with nothing but odds and end chunks of steel
I will never forget the sound of that barrel blowing up
I have told everyone with in shouting distance to NEVER use Winchester shells 
I swear the wad or the junk shot they used in that box of shells could have killed the snow duster
if you show up At my goose camp with Winchester shells you are sent home or you start coughing up the dough for my federals


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## jpallen14 (Nov 28, 2005)

Funny I had the same thing happen twice with two different types of Federal Shells.


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## bluegoose18 (Jan 9, 2008)

Jpallen14
I think you are full of crap 
25 yes of shooting Feds and not one miss fire 
How long you been shootin?? 
R u even 25 yrs old????? 
Those types of accidents only happen once in a lifetime and if you had 2 of them then you must be throwing a20 in before a 12 or something pretty stupid. I just can't believe you I just can't I was standing right next to snow duster when his blew up so go back to Wally world and stock your shelfs and pretend that federals blew up twice on you


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## duckdogsroc (Feb 15, 2010)

been hunting with federal shells since i can remember 20+years, never had a problem


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## dacaller (Feb 6, 2007)

bluegoose18 said:


> I was standing next to snow duster when his barrel blew up
> I am 100% positive that he hAd a falure in his shot shell
> which was a Winchester expert
> So after the episode of the explosion (very scary)
> ...


 Thats a scary thought! But can a shot shell actually blow a barrel apart??? Or was there something in his barrel blocking the load and causing the barrel to come apart? That would be my guess but nobody will ever know for sure.
I have been shooting Winchester's since I started shooting in 1981 and when they made us start using steel I continued shooting Winchester's and when they introduced the Expert's I then started to shoot them and I have never had a miss fire or a shell jam in my gun.
There has been a few times that I did shoot Federals but for whatever reason I would have one hang up in my gun from time to time. 
So I stay away from the federals for that reason alone. Heck they pattern great it's just the fact I like to keep shooting while the birds are still in range.
Experts are very inconsistant on shot size. I've cut 4 apart 2 BB's and 2 #2's and the BB's seemed to be pretty consistant in size but the #2's WOW they were terrible. So I shoot BB's only.
I'am glad to hear nobody was injured from his accident. 
Stay safe and whack'em and stack'em


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## Commando (Jan 13, 2006)

I blew up the barrel on my 11-87 shooting experts but I can guarantee you after reliving that moment in my mind over a million times that the shell I fired before that last one sounded "funny". I am certain that something from that shell (I'm assuming the wad) got lodged into the barrel and I fired the next round into the obstruction. There is no way that a barrel can blow up by simply firing a round, regardless of the quality of the shot, through an unobstructed barrel. I still use experts because they pattern better out of my sbe2 than any other ammo and are easy on the wallet. I guarantee you that any time something even sounds or feels a little different I always stop shooting immediately and check the barrel for obstructions. I've personally fired over 4 cases of these since my accident and have yet to have an obstruction since but we all need to be alert and err on the side of caution, regardless of the brand of shell. They all have the potential to kill under the right circumstances and it's not worth the risk for one more bird. Be alert and willing to stop if something seems different when you pull the trigger.


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## bluegoose18 (Jan 9, 2008)

I do remember that second shot that he fired sounded weak 
I still think to this day that the wad got stuck 
believe me once you hear that sound of a barrel splitting like a banana you will never forget it :-?


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## mudhunter (Dec 10, 2007)

When my binelli split, the gunsmith told me it could have been a piece of anything in the barrel, from grass or whatever and it could split. :sniper:


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## SNOW DUSTER (Jan 24, 2009)

very well put commando!!! :thumb:


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## kingcanada (Sep 19, 2009)

my opinion of experts is that they are a real turd. this is the only time i have heard of good patterns. heck, the stupid pellets are not even round! unless that has changed this past year. comparing 2's to 1's is not a fair comparison either. anyway, non round pellets shed velocity faster and down range penetration is lost. a round pellet experiences less drag on penetration too, pulling fewer feathers in and penetrating better. don't get trapped into thinking pellets behave like rifle bullets either. there are some real bs. theories out there. last i checked, the cheap federals and kents cost about the same as the xperts any how. if you never shoot past 45 yards, shoot whatever. it really does not matter. at that range 20 ga. 3" 2's will kill giant canadas all day long. if you are shooting snows and reaching out past 50, use a better shell. you don't save a dime shooting a bird twice. :thumb:


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## NC Ducker (Feb 17, 2010)

My gun does not shoot them very well. As far as cheap shells go, I like the federals in the blue box. I also shoot a lot of fast steel and love me some hevi metal. I have never witnessed a barrel blow, but I've seen the results a couple of times. I have seen 2 brand new kent shells not go off at all and been in the blind when a weak shell was fired. All three people in the blind heard it and we were all three shooting. The third guy asked him to check his barrel and the wad was still in it. We were all luck he didn't fire another round. I don't remember what brand of shell it was but I do remember it had gotten wet on a previous hunt.


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## goldenpower (Feb 20, 2010)

I bought two cases last year 3.5 #2 and bb's. They seemed to burn really dirty and clog my gun. It got so bad that we were cleaning our guns twice a day in sd last year and that wasn't enough. I was shooting a remington spr 453 wasn't happy with the shotgun at all got rid of it and bought a sbe2. I wouldn't count the shells out totally like i said i didn't like the gun. I still have a couple boxes and im not going to throw them out. good luck


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## snowgoosehunter (Apr 15, 2009)

I have been shooting 3.5" #2 Winchester Xperts. I have not had any problems with them.


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