UPLAND GAME 28
WHETHER PICKING OUT A QUAIL FROM A COVEY OR SWINGING ON A WILD FLUSHING PHEASANT, WINCHESTER HAS AN UPLAND LOAD TO HELP YOU FILL YOUR LIMIT.
t is among the haunts of forgotten orchards where grouse lounge, along the fringes of CRP where cack- ling pheasants dash about and beneath the wiry long grass of Southern pine plantations where coveys of quail drift that the full potential of the dog as man’s ultimate companion is realized. Muscles taut, tails tense and noses working feverishly, months and even years of training are about to pay off. A dog’s fierce determination pushes him enthusiastically forward and when birds flush and a shot presents itself you better not only take it, you better make it, lest you let down your hard-working companion. Now, it’s time to trust in Winchester. Just as our nation’s fields and forests are where a bird dog and his hunter’s mettle are proven, this is also where quality shotshell design is proven as well. Fast loads that pattern well and are capable of taking birds both flushing underfoot or flying wild at extended ranges are crucial. This is where Winchester’s Rooster XR shines. In 2014, Winchester introduced its Long Beard XR with Shot-Lok technology. It was a load that changed the accepted
SHOT-LOK The unique shot technology holds patterns tight enough and allows them
limitations of traditional turkey shells by extending the range a hunter could reliably down a gobbler by 10 and even 20 yards. It naturally followed that this technology would be an amazing benefit to upland hunters as well, but with a couple key differences. Unlike a turkey load that requires a heavier shot weight and lower velocity, an upland load requires lighter shot with higher velocities. And while patterns need to hold together with enough energy to take targets out to 40 and even 50 yards— particularly on pheasants, known to flush well before the hunter closes in—rather than holding exceptionally tight, the pattern needs to open up more while still taking down tough targets. The addition of Shot-Lok helped create this perfect upland load that does all of these things and today, is being used by serious hunters not only for the load’s moniker, the male pheasant, but also on grouse, quail and other game birds.
to fly with enough energy to take targets out at 40 and even 50 yards.
WHEN HUNTING TOUGH BIRDS LIKE PHEASANT OR GROUSE THAT TEND TO FLUSH EARLY OR IN THICK TERRAIN, ROOSTER XR WITH SHOT-LOK TECHNOLOGY SHINES .”
—David Draper Outdoor Writer
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