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Alright I’m making a change

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Setterman

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 31, 2009
Messages
5,095
Location
Knoxville, TN
After decades of raining hell on turkeys using a Kicks tube and the trusty HV Winchester #5's 3.5" 2 oz loads. I am bored and quarantine life drove me to deciding to make the switch to TSS. I ordered my Apex Ninja (8.5 shot size) loads in 3.5" because I'm glutton for punishment and can't give up a half an inch (compensating for lack of inches elsewhere lol). Also bought an Indian Creek .665 for the SBEII.

Any advice from the pattern gurus or mistakes I made or might make?

Kind of excited for something new and kind of scared. And no I'm not interested in long range sniping.
 
Dammit Jim, not you. I've held off long enough. After missing a bunch more turkeys last year, I actually considered trying tss. But this year I've killed 4 so far and not missed yet. I'm gonna stick with the winchester double X. I can't argue that tungsten shot isnt better, I know it's better, but if the turkey does what I want, and I shoot how I'm supposed to, there's no need for a $10 shell. After going from a bead, to a ghost ring, to a Burris, to a Truglo red dot, trying Longbeard shells, and still missing just as many turkeys, I realized it wasn't the gun, shell, or sight that was the problem.


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catman529":1ouvj9ix said:
Dammit Jim, not you. I've held off long enough. After missing a bunch more turkeys last year, I actually considered trying tss. But this year I've killed 4 so far and not missed yet. I'm gonna stick with the winchester double X. I can't argue that tungsten shot isnt better, I know it's better, but if the turkey does what I want, and I shoot how I'm supposed to, there's no need for a $10 shell. After going from a bead, to a ghost ring, to a Burris, to a Truglo red dot, trying Longbeard shells, and still missing just as many turkeys, I realized it wasn't the gun, shell, or sight that was the problem.


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Click to expand...
I have absolutely no reason to change. I don't miss much, knock on wood. I don't shoot past 30 yards.

It's simply out of curiosity.

Dead is dead, and the double X (black shells) have filled my walls with spurs.

I'm regretting this already as I've got no reason to switch.

So glad so far this year you're not missing them
 
Setterman":2zltkrif said:
catman529":2zltkrif said:
Dammit Jim, not you. I've held off long enough. After missing a bunch more turkeys last year, I actually considered trying tss. But this year I've killed 4 so far and not missed yet. I'm gonna stick with the winchester double X. I can't argue that tungsten shot isnt better, I know it's better, but if the turkey does what I want, and I shoot how I'm supposed to, there's no need for a $10 shell. After going from a bead, to a ghost ring, to a Burris, to a Truglo red dot, trying Longbeard shells, and still missing just as many turkeys, I realized it wasn't the gun, shell, or sight that was the problem.


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Click to expand...
I have absolutely no reason to change. I don't miss much, knock on wood. I don't shoot past 30 yards.

It's simply out of curiosity.

Dead is dead, and the double X (black shells) have filled my walls with spurs.

I'm regretting this already as I've got no reason to switch.

So glad so far this year you're not missing them
Click to expand...
fair enough. Let me know what you think of them. I know you shoot them the way I do, up close, and a lot of them in ridges and hollers. I'm curious to hear how you like them since you shoot better than I do. Lol


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Setterman":2h1uhujs said:
. . . . . in 3.5" because I'm glutton for punishment.
Click to expand...
I suspect you'll soon reduce that load ---- way overkill for your style of hunting,
and the punishment of a 2.5 oz load is brutal compared to 2 oz and less.

Setterman":2h1uhujs said:
I don't shoot past 30 yards.
Click to expand...
I know you.

Your kill pics will look better if the turkeys still have a head.

I'm more surprised you haven't switched over to a 20 ga, as it's such a greater pleasure to carry, especially doing all the walking you do.

This past week, I killed my 1st Tom of the season.
Killed him with a 1 1/8 load of #7's (from a 20 ga).
18-yd head shot.
Dropped in place, never wiggled.
Dead is dead.

I normally prefer a 1 1/2 load of TSS #9,
but knew this setup didn't allow a shot past about 30 yds.
No reason to dislocate a shoulder.
 
I'm asking myself all the same questions and am honest enough to admit that after several decades shooting candlesticks it's hard to mentally not load up one. I think I want to drop back to a 3" shell especially with the advantages.

I've got a M2 20 gauge that is collecting dust, I have a feeling if this goes as expected it'll be my last season lugging a 12 gauge. With my style I don't need to shoot far.

I'll report back if conscious on how the recoil is lol
 
Four things:

1. TSS does not have to be choked like lead and HTL. For example, when I hunted with a 12G and lead or HTL, I used an Indian Creek .665 in my REM 12G with 23" bbl. When I started loading 3" TSS blended with lead shot (1 oz of each), I opened my choke up to .680. It was a $90 special order choke, not commercially available. I misjudged a turkey in the Missouri hardwoods one morning and killed him dead at 49 of my steps. I have long legs, and highly suspect it was a 50 yard shot, when I thought it was 43-45. The ONE ounce of TSS #9s did ALL of the work/killing at that distance. Take away message is the TSS shot column (all the individual TSS pellets) stay together over the distance of a shot and do not tend to spread out soon after exiting the barrel, like lead and HTL.

2. With your woods hunting, if you choose to shoot TSS, you can kill them out to 40 yards with factory flush full choke, an still have a very forgiving and open enough pattern to kill them when they slip in silently on your bad side and you have to swing and kill them at 10 yards.

3. Go with TSS #9s, and even 10s will kill them at 40 yards too. I would never shoot TSS #7s UNLESS the state I was hunting in required it.

4. Retire the 12G, get you a 20G, and never look back. Save the 1-2 lbs while walking miles in the mountains.

Good luck on your change, don't fret, they'll get the job done. There's plenty of guys on here who was hesitant and not sure about those tiny pellets, but now they're believers too.
 
Like Andy, I just don't see the reason to shoot more than 1.5oz of #9s TSS in a 20g.

And this is coming from a guy that shot 2.5oz lead from a 10g for over 20 years...

But the pattern density with the tss 9s in 20G was actually just a tad denser than my 10G with #7 HW and a LOT denser than #5 lead.

I cut my gun weight in half, now my shoulder isn't sore from toting an 11 lb gun all day long, and I think it made me a more effective killer. And I prefer to have them close, but won't think twice about stone cold killing one and not wounding him at 40 yards if he hangs up.

There is a major downside.... these tiny pellets are unbelievably hard. If you bite down on one, there is a good chance you will break a tooth. Most zip through the birds since penetration is better, and with close (25yds) or less, you shouldn't get a single pellet in the breast meat to worry about. But at 35 yards even with a perfect shot, you will have a couple go through the top 3rd of the breasts.

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Im in the process of doing the same thing setterman! In fact Ive got another page open to nitro company just waiting on them to open up. I inherited a sportsman 48 20 ga from my Dad and just for the sentimental value I think it would be nice to kill a bird with it. Its a factory modified barrel so I know I may be limited in range but that's not a big deal. If I can get it to pattern out to 30 yds I will be happy.
 
Not to hijack, but some sites say TSS likes tighter constrictions , while others say open it up. I also shoot a Benelli be2, and be3, and was wondering about the choke set up for 3 inch 1 3/4 oz tss 9's. I got some federals at a good price, so thinking bout switching. Carlsons and Tru lock seem to have chokes especially for federal TSS 9s, or would my factory full be ok? Hate to shoot a bunch of them since so expensive.
 
Andy S.":2x6w0r4p said:
3. Go with TSS #9s, and even 10s will kill them at 40 yards too.
I would never shoot TSS #7s UNLESS the state I was hunting in required it.
Click to expand...
I totally agree with Andy,
and should clarify an earlier post on this thread.

Last week I killed a Tom with an old Federal "Heavy Weight" #7 load.
For several years, these were the best turkey shells commercially available BEFORE TSS.
One version was a "reduced recoil" with only 1 1/8 oz of shot --- but still deadly out past 35 yards.
The 1 1/2 oz version easily goes to 45 yds (both in a 20 ga.).

I still have a supply of these, and see no reason not to continue using them
when I'm reasonably sure my only shots will be up close.
Otherwise, I'm loading up with 1 1/2 oz of #9 TSS.
 
TheLBLman":3h7mktfs said:
I'm more surprised you haven't switched over to a 20 ga, as it's such a greater pleasure to carry, especially doing all the walking you do.
Click to expand...
^This. For the first time EVER I considered the notion I might never again squeeze the trigger on my 12ga for turkeys between now and the grave. It's a joy to carry and kills birds dead as an anvil.
 
Can't believe what I'm reading. Next he'll be wearing a real tree bammer roll tide hat and carrying a mojo strut and scoot fan turkey.


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tickweed":rp9amgwo said:
. . . . . would my factory full be ok?
Click to expand...
Opinions vary, but this is mine.
YES, a factory full should work well for most with TSS #9 loads.

I believe many people are overly concerned about extending range,
and with that, they are compromising their margins for error
at the ranges they more often have good shooting opportunities.

Listen to the hunters who kill lots of turkeys, and note the average kill distance.
It is usually under 35 yards.

Many of the most ideal setups simply will not even allow a shot beyond 35 yds.

A very tight rifle-like pattern may be more likely to cause a complete miss at 25 yds
than it helps you kill at an extended range?

Seriously, at least with woods hunting, there would likely be more birds brought home if more hunters were just using a factory "modified" or "improved modified" choke, rather than the extra-tight after-market "turkey" chokes.
 

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