Have any o fyou guys tried the new Winchester Blind Side ammo?

John Bourbon

John Bourbon

Well-known member
I don't know anybody thats personally tried it, but I've read a few guys on Shotgunworld.com that have and speak highly of it. I heard from a guy I know that there have been quality control issues with it, and what with the various opinions, all rumour based, that I've heard, I figure I would turn to the group of hunters whose opinions I trust most.....

Anybody have any 1st person experience with it?

John
 
It seemed to get the job done just like any other ammo, dont use it on teal though... hehehe its a little overkill (i put the wrong shells in the gun) but on mallards and geese it seems to work well... i agree about the black cloud though, that gets the job done too...

The only options I hav seen are 2's and BB - for bigger waterfowl... if that is what your going after, i dont see why not to use it, but it will break the bank a little bit more then some other ammunitions...


The style I hav is 12 gauge 3" #2 shot 1 3/8 oz... 1400fps
VS
Blackcloud 12 gauge 3" #2 1 1/4 oz... 1450

As long as you can hit a duck, your in good shape!!!
 
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A lot of this new steel shot is a gimmick I think. I shoot Winchester Xperts, $12 a box and everything I shoot over the decoys dies. If a duck is more than 40 yrds, the ethical sportsman won't shoot. Thats just my opinion. Shoot'em in the face over decoys and you'll rarely get cripples. If you can't get'em over the decoys, you're not doing it right.
 
I agree with Davey. I also shoot Xperts. I tried a box of the Blind Side and didn't notice that much of a difference. I also bought a box of Heavy Metal. Can't wait right try those.
 
Agree I shoot Estate shells 11$ a box #1's gun patterns
them well at 30 yards and I dont often take shots past
that range.

Marketing gets us all, Shot shell companies have to come
up with new and "better" this day and age to try and
capture the duck hunters dollars. Look at the decoy
market...... how real do they need to be? Long, longer
and LONGEST range choke tubes even made to match
your shells! We are all just a test market in seeing what
sticks.


And yes I had one of these as a kid.. never caught
a fish on it......


 
Hi guys. Thanks to all who responded, especially those that have tried it. I freely admit to being a sucker to trying something new when I see it. I've tried Hevi-Shot, Hevi-Steel, and Hevi-Metal, Hyper Velocity,Fast Steel and Black Cloud in my Citori. I've tried Tungsten Matrix, Bismuth, and Classic Doubles in my older guns.

I'd like to try the Blind Side, but I can't find any locally, and before I pay the exorbinent shipping fees for a box, I thought I'd pick you all's brains for an idea of how you like it.

I figure if I can get ahold of a box before late season whistler hunting picks up, that'll be the test.

John Bourbon
 
Thanks Dave. Dick's in Williston advertised them on sale, but they had so few boxes they sold right out.

John
 
I've thought about trying Winchester's Blindside, but I keep finding myself comparing everything to Black Cloud. So that's what I'm sticking with. I just bought a Carlson's Black Cloud mid range choke tube and it's a deadly combo. It makes me wonder though that on the packaging it says tight patterns to 60 yards. What do they consider LONG range?

I've tried the Wincester Experts. They were ok on teal, but it doesn't take much to kill a teal. I just seemed to have more cripples with it. My dad shoots Experts and he doesn't have a problem. We only shoot ducks over the decoys. Without a dog you have to be able to drop them in the water. They hit the meadow and the odds of finding them are slim.

I say find ammo that patterns well, only take shots at reasonable distances, then stick with it. Just my $0.02!
 
buddy of mine used some this week, overall I was not real impressed. On almost all the birds he shot we found most of the pellets lodged in the bird (that is odd to see those square/cube deals), while most of the birds I shot were through and through. He was shooting 3.5" and I was only shooting 3". All were decoying birds, none greater than 40 yards.

so, for my money, not worth it, yes he still killed the ducks, but for what cost?
 
A lot of this new steel shot is a gimmick I think.
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This is nothing new. Remember "Duplex" shells...two shot sizes in one, neither size of shot had enough pellets to create a good pattern at any range?
 
John, the Dick's here only has #2 shot. Still want a box? I got myself Winchester x-perts for $11 a box in 4 packs! Got my ammo for the season.

Dave
 
Kevin the manufacturers are doing a diservice to duck conservation by creating all this long range horseshit any body shooting ducks at those ranges is not a real duck hunter it takes lots of knwledge and different skills to consistantly bag ducks and long range shells are not the answer. hunters who cant bring them in close need to take up another sport and go away
DELTA and DU should write letters to the Shell companys and print some ethical stuff on their adds about shooting long range
all they are doing is creating a new army of skybusters the SCOURGE of the marshes
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Like those clowns we encountered last week. Maybe they were shooting the new HyperSonic Hex Blind Super duper rocket propelled laser guided duck missle shells at those Black ducks that were flying at FL230. Unbelievable. The worst part is that they ruined the hunting for everyone else in the area. You couldn't have a single bird work the decoys because these wankers would skybust. Every duck in the marsh did an F-16 climb to the flight levels and got out of there. Thats why I look forward to day time temps in the teens and ice, because these clowns stay home.
 
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Hi Dave. Blind Side only comes in 2's and BB's. So yes, I'd like a box of 3" number 2's.

I believe that there is some truth to what some of you guys have said about marketing hype. I also believe that marketing hype has probably led some duck/goose hunters to think that they are using guided laser shells guaranteed to seek out and destroy ducks on their own. But without companies coming out with new products and gamblers like me willing to try them, innovation slows to a crawl.

I remember the first generatiion of steel shells. Holy smokes, were they bad. Then advances in wads, increases in velocity, different types of non toxic pellets came out. Some worked better than others. Some, like duplex loads didn't work at all well for me, so I stopped using them. For the marginal investment that is a single box of shells, I'll try them. Then I'll know for sure what I think of them. At the end of the box, I'll write about it here and the next curious hunter will have one more opinion on which to base his purchasing decision.

John Bourbon
 
Haven't used it and probably won't. I do enjoy reading what others had to say about it. I only shoot Nitro or Xpert steel and rarely do I shoot anything other than 2 3/4 shells. I am like others who have posted when it comes to shooting ducks.........over the dekes, within range, not many cripples. Most things out there seem to be a gimmick, I'm sure they kill ducks, but when you are talking a buck per round or more, I can't see the return on investment (ROI) when purchasing high dollar shells. I don't hunt with anyone who shoots expensive shells who is killing more birds than I am with cheap ones. It's kind of like turkey hunting........I had a guy tell me that the ONLY way to kill turkeys is with a gun that shoots 3 1/2 inch shells. I asked him if he knew that kids were rolling turkeys with 2 3/4 20 gauge guns?


dc
 
A lot of this new steel shot is a gimmick I think. I shoot Winchester Xperts, $12 a box and everything I shoot over the decoys dies. If a duck is more than 40 yrds, the ethical sportsman won't shoot. Thats just my opinion. Shoot'em in the face over decoys and you'll rarely get cripples. If you can't get'em over the decoys, you're not doing it right.
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+1!!!
 
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