Winchester ammo sucks!...?

[rascalgto]

A few of my friends/coworkers have Mossbergs and 870s, all their shotguns hate the cheap Winchester stuff, my s12 and 870 hate that stuff too. my s12 and 870 will run federal all day no issues. just stay away from the Winchester. No need for Dremel.

[.300 Weatherby Mag]

I have guns that are other wise flawless that will start hanging up when fed the Winchester Universal ammo... It doesn't matter whether its a pump, semi, o/u or sxs they all start acting up when fed this ammo.. My solution is that I haven't purchased any of this crap in about three years.. I would rather pay .50-$1 more a box and avoid all the BS... And most other ammo you go with will be cleaner, so less time cleaning and more time shooting... I go through 500-1000 rounds of 12 gauge a month.. I go through thousands of Winchester shells a year.. Winchester universal ammo does suck, but I am very happy with their Supertarget, Super-X and AA lines... A more appropriate title for this thread would be "Winchester Universal Ammo Sucks."

I have absolutely nothing against cheaper ammo as long as it works!!!!

[compulsivegunbuyer]

These Winchester rounds buckled at the bases just sitting in the magazine tube of my 870. Winchester shells with the short steel bases and red hulls are the only shells that I have ever seen do this. They are garbage, plain and simple. The QC between batches varies. I've had some batches work fine, and others with nothing but problems. The other Winchester ammo is fine, Super X, AA's, ect. If you go to a gunsmith and say my gun works with every ammo but this, you know what he's going to say.

[350skylark]

I was more curious to see if others were having similar problems with this ammo normally i wouldn't have bought this and would have just bought federal again because if it isn't broke why fix it? but they were out that so i didn't have much choice.

[mike100]

I vote for polishing the chamber---QC at Remington has been dismal for several years now---that's why there is such a demand for older used 870s---the older guns simply chew thru all different brands of ammo, cheap or expensive. My older (20+) 870s have ALWAYS worked even with the cheapest bulk ammo. Can't hurt to polish the chamber!

Exactly...explain why my unfired wingmaster I found a few years back will extract the crappy winchester promotional bulk pack shells, but my express wouldn't.

Like mentioned. Improve the chamber finish or use better ammo. From my experience with different 870 models, I feel it is better to make them more tolerant on ammo selection. If one will shoot and the other won't, improve the gun with the problem.

[Hamilton]

I agree with J.D.. If there were no problems until the OP used Universals, stop using Universal loads.

Most Winchester ammo is very good or great. Not so with the cheap stuff. The Universal loads shoot very dirty, the hulls can't be reloaded, and the pellets are irregular. I've shot several thousand rounds of Universals and of the cheaper Federal 100 paks through my Wingmaster but switched to AAs because my average scores improved immediately. Both Winchester and Remington have offered $2.00 per box coupons on AA's an STS premium loads. Three of the ranges I've shot skeet at occasionally offer big discounts for case purchases ($80), so with the coupon, my cost of a box of AAs is close to $6 and reasonably close to the Walmart prices for 100 pack Universals and Federals.

While I had no gun issues with the Universal loads (but loved the price) they shot very dirty compared even to the Federals loads - this means your shotgun, your hands, and your clothes will be dirtier. The better ammo gives better shooting results because the pellets are near perfect, the wads and hulls are better, and I'd bet the powder is a better quality.

As you get better with clays, your scores should be better with higher quality loads.

[Jazeronthelaser]

I had the same problem with my new 870 express and the winchester universal bulk stuff. Action hung up so bad I actually had to slam the butt on my buddy's 4x4 tire (carefully of coarse) to eject the spent shell. Naturally I was worried. Went out the following weekend with some better ammo and it ran flawlessly!! Now I know that I can't run that ammo anymore. I'd rather pay a little more then have to deal with that crap. I'll give the 80 shells I still have to my buddy and his mossberg. It eats it up!!

[compulsivegunbuyer]

Bingo. If your actualy shooting at something the AA's and STS work leaps and bounds better.

I agree with J.D.. If there were no problems until the OP used Universals, stop using Universal loads.

Most Winchester ammo is very good or great. Not so with the cheap stuff. The Universal loads shoot very dirty, the hulls can't be reloaded, and the pellets are irregular. I've shot several thousand rounds of Universals and of the cheaper Federal 100 paks through my Wingmaster but switched to AAs because my average scores improved immediately. Both Winchester and Remington have offered $2.00 per box coupons on AA's an STS premium loads. Three of the ranges I've shot skeet at occasionally offer big discounts for case purchases ($80), so with the coupon, my cost of a box of AAs is close to $6 and reasonably close to the Walmart prices for 100 pack Universals and Federals.

While I had no gun issues with the Universal loads (but loved the price) they shot very dirty compared even to the Federals loads - this means your shotgun, your hands, and your clothes will be dirtier. The better ammo gives better shooting results because the pellets are near perfect, the wads and hulls are better, and I'd bet the powder is a better quality.

As you get better with clays, your scores should be better with higher quality loads.

[CGT80]

My benelli super sport eats anything that walmart sells, from universal winchesters to AA's and heavy bird loads. I also runs federal 12ga 1 oz loads just fine. I would be unhappy if my gun was picky. I have run thousands of rounds through mine so far, without any problems.

As I get better at skeet, I will have to try some more sts's or AA's to see if they help my game. When I first got the gun, I had only shot informal clays and couldn't tell a difference in the more expensive loads.

[CK_32]

As long as my rifle pistol or shotgun shoots the majority of the ammo I feed it I'll live.

If it doesn't feed one type of ammo or a few $20 a 1000 loads I can live with that too. Go grab a ferrari and run 87 Arco and tell the car guys their cars unreliable. Pretty much the same arguement you guys have against the 870 or any gun that doesn't run with certain type of ammo. If it doesn't run in spacific conditions that's a different story but there are other options and it's pure choice on what you feed it. Don't run what it doesn't feed simple. But if your gun doesn't shoot in certain care/weather conditions or several types of ammo then you have a problem.

[Mana4real]

I've noticed that the Winchester universal bulk packs, some of the hulls aren't exactly the same size when they are loaded and crimped. Some would not properly eject (extract fine) out of my 870, but my O/U's will shoot anything and extract with no problems as long as it fits in the chamber.

[razr]

CAll them and let them know, they'll make sure it gets fixed.