As some of you mourn the passing of XRHD

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

I'd like to say that I really liked the XRHD shells, but I didn't buy very much volume of the product.  The 6's shot big numbers for me but didn't pattern as evenly as the HS products, and the 5's threw an even pattern but without the big numbers.  Still, they were better than Win Lead patterns at 40 Yards.

I was a Hevishot customer, who thought that maybe one day I'd switch over to Win XRHD 6's and get them choked right.  I was always put off a little by the 10 round packaging, but my local BPS always had them in stock.

I realize that this is/was a quality product, and I hate to see it go away.  Perhaps if more people like me would have given them more of a chance we could have kept them on the market?  But I fear that rising Tungsten prices, and the fact that 70%+ of the Turkey loads sold are still Lead loads, was just too much to overcome.

Perhaps HTL is still a high-end product for the few willing to pay a premium in the face of a never-ending down economy?  Maybe there is only room for 1 or 2 HTL companies in the market?

Hate to see XRHD go.  It was good stuff.

[WildSpur]

IMO they were their own enemy.  EM had various rounds offered and now has proven winners in their 3/2/6 and 3/2/7 loads.  Winchester from what I know only changed 1x and and it was not with the shot payload.  I really believe Winchester would still be making shells if they offered 7's and 1/4 oz. heavier payload.

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

They probably would have charged more for 2 ounces of shot, but either way, #7's would have been nice.  EM/HS and Federal had 7's, why didn't Winchester offer them?

[Neill_Prater]

My guess? HS is a small company specializing in basically one type of ammo, while Winchester is a huge company manufacturing rifle, pistol, and shotgun ammunition. Hevi Shot has to get it right to stay in business with a limited market for their product. For Winchester, it simply isn't worth the resources needed to manufacture and market what they probably considered a niche product.

[mudhen]

What Neill said - 110%

Niche at best, sells only for a few weeks of the year, price of all rare earth metals, etc. all spell 'no thanks' from Win.

Perfect niche for the geeks at EM!

mudhen

[3" 870 Shell Shucker]

But with Remington and Winchester getting out, will Federal hang in there?

[870supermagnum]

My first Hevi Shot shells were the old Remington Hevi Shot, and I initially bought enough of them to last me a few seasons (my 870 Supermagnum loved them).  When I ran out Remington had shifted to their own HD load that got negative reviews, so I switched to the Winchester Supreme Elite Extended Range shells and have shot them for a couple of years.  Now with Winchester getting out of the HTL game I'll start shooting 3.5" Hevi-13 in #7.  I've read a lot of good things on here about that particular shell. 

[EMSDJ2]

Glad I have 9 full boxes of XRHD #6's

[stinkpickle]

There is still a bunch of XRHD #4's still out there for the taking.   

[duckaholic25]

They are not going to stop making them. Talked to winchester myself.

[savduck]

They are great shells.

I think what everyone forgets about Winchester and even federal. Their HTL turkey loads are a very small fraction of their ammunition business, and it's seasonal. As large as they are, if they can't make money they are gonna get rid of it and it hasn't hurt them. I don't think them not loading #7 hurt them at all. These big corporate companies are run by money guys, bankers, finance guys. It's all dollars and cents to them. The cost of making their shells outweighed the effort and profit they made on a very SMALL section of their business. They are probably planning on doubling production of some rifle load with the current demand.

Now Hevi Shot is an ammo supplier that concentrates solely on HTL shot. I don't see them going anywhere. Making HTL loads is what they do, it is their business.

PS.. I heard Nitro is out of #7 shot. Rumor is that they can't get it for a while either.

[ccleroy]

They are not going to stop making them. Talked to winchester myself.

I thought and was told the  same thing..... But I'm pretty sure I'm wrong.....

[Old Gobbler]

If there was plenty on the store end-caps that one thing - but there is hardly any #6 left , and if there is , you post it up in a place like this and it will be gone in matter of hours

Ammo companies are swimming in money right now, they cant make .223 , rifle and pistol ammo quick enough - perhaps in a few years when things change a bit , some will come back to making these special loads , perhaps not ...... and that goes for all of them -   

[chatterbox]

It's too bad. I never thought 43.00 for a box of 10 3.5-2-6 was really a bad price for a premium shell compared to 35.00 a box for 5 Hevi-13 3.5-2.25-6's
I do understand why Winchester discontinued the XRHD, as they are a major player in rifle ammo industry and recent events have ramped up production in .223 ammo, and for them, that's where the money is. Not in a small niche in the turkey hunting industry. Couple that with having 2 excellent lead turkey loads, and there is no reason for them to waste their production time and effort with something that their numbers tell them is an insignificant part of their sales.

[Chris Downs]

Just heard from my uncle who was at the convention.  He said the Winchester rep said they were NOT cancelling Extended Range...take that for what it's worth, but that's what he was told.