Modern Equipment, Or Over the Top?

posted on April 15, 2014
feature_image_long_beard_xr1.jpg

More than likely you have already commented in your head about the picture below so please spare me the LOLs and let me jump right to the point-meet “FrankenFlex-XR.” Remember when Mossberg released the new rendition of the Model 500-the Flex? Well, I happen to have a few variants in stock along with all of the bells and whistles. And when we finished up testing Winchester’s newest premium turkey load, Long Beard XR, I realized we needed something more capable of firing out to those XRs (extreme ranges).

Now that we have the shotshell availability of harvesting turkeys from afar, why not put a magnified optic on top? Thanks to a Weaver mount I had laying around I was able to affix a KonusPro M-30 atop the Flex. With the added optical weight and need for precision accuracy I felt it was necessary to utilize the Picatinny rail sections available on the tactical forend for a bipod. At the flip and twist of a captured stock retention pin I also fitted a 6-position, adjustable stock-we should have no problem with gun fitment or added control via the pistol grip and not to mention, it now looks a bit cooler.

Since the local turkeys have been giving us a hard time about committing to close ranges, the bi-tone camouflage should help break up our outline and if that doesn’t do the trick, the MOJO Tail Chaser ought to help seal the deal on a 2014 longbeard.

With FrankenFlex-XR all put together and bore-sighted, I need to get down to the range and test my 50+ yard patterns to figure out whether or not I want to use No. 4s or No. 5s in 3 ½” Winchester Long Beard XR.

Not only is April 1 the beginning of this month but also when the above was written. On a serious note, Winchester's Long Beard XR did the job for me on Virginia's spring gobbler opener. My new Knight & Hale pot call, "Scarlet Fever," couldn't have sounded better either; luring a bachelor group of birds to roughly 10 yards.

Long Bear

It's too bad I didn't get to see how the Winchester load performed from afar, but I am sure I will be out again next weekend.

Latest

Breechloading Jenks
Breechloading Jenks

William Jenks & His Early Breechloaders

Along with John Hall, William Jenks was an early pioneer in the realm of the breechloading carbine. However, Jenks' breechloading guns didn't see the widespread acceptance or fame of the Model 1819 Hall Rifle and its later carbine variants.

MidwayUSA Foundation Raises Record-Breaking Amount For Youth Shooting Teams

In just a single day, a record-breaking $168,770 was generated to support youth shooting sports at the fourth annual Day of Clays hosted by the MidwayUSA Foundation in Minnesota.

2025 Handgun Of The Year: Colt Blued Python

For each of the past 23 years, the editors of American Rifleman have convened to select our top picks for the past year’s best and most innovative products. Here are the most recent winners.

Rifleman Review: Kimber KDS9c

Kimber's KDS9c is one of only a few double-stack, M1911-style handguns on the market that are expressly designed for concealed carry in mind.

New For 2025: CVA Optima V3

CVA's mid-point Optima muzzleloader got a refresh in 2025, and this third-generation model offers a number of additional features while still remaining affordable.

From Paper Cartridge To PMAG: 250 Years Of U.S. Infantry Ammunition

Any survey of military firearms isn’t complete without also discussing the development of ammunition across this past quarter-millennium. From a conceptual standpoint, very little has changed.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.