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megalomaniac

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This hurts the wallet just a little bit :)

I was hoping to find some on clearance, but no such luck so far. I had gotten down to my last box after this season and don't want to take a chance I won't be able to find some for next spring, so I bit the bullet. Wife still can't believe I would spend $30 for 5 shotshells. 3 years ago I wouldnt have thought so either :)
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Those are my EXACT new favorite turkey shells.
$30 is not much for the shells to kill 5 longbeards?

But if I'm reasonably sure no shots likely beyond @ 30-35 yds,
still have some 1 1/8 loads that remain deadly up close,
and some older Federal Heavyweights that are deadly to 45 yds.

Really, don't even know why I bought the new #9 TSS loads yet.
The older Fed "Heavyweights" remains great extended range loads
and I'll continue using them until they're gone.
 
1 box at a time doesn't feel as bad as buying 4 boxes for $120 at once :)

But I'm not getting caught without! I burned through 11 this season, and 9 last season.

I've now spent more on shells than I have for the gun and choke itself! :)

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I'm good for years and years of dead turkeys. As soon as I settled on something that patterned like I wanted, snagged a bunch. In the past I've had problems with manufacturers changing the recipe and inconsistency between lots from year to year. I have far better luck when I buy several at a time.
 
Boll Weevil":2nbrldbj said:
As soon as I settled on something that patterned like I wanted, snagged a bunch. In the past I've had problems with manufacturers changing the recipe and inconsistency between lots from year to year. I have far better luck when I buy several at a time.
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Sage advice right here! Especially with turkey guns/chokes/shell manufacturers and as finicky as it can all be.
 
Not that these are your flavor but I grabbed these from Cabela's a little while back. They were 50% off with an additional 10% rebate from federal. I actually read either on here or another forum about them being on sale. The 12 gauge came out around $17 a box I believe
 

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I saw the Federals on sale at Cabelas the day the sale hit. They only had 20g in #7 shot. I did get a couple friends to switch from Apex to Federal in 12g at these prices. One bought 15 boxes, the other 10. You cant even handload them for 17 a box!

Basspro put theirs on clearance the next day, but again out of 20g in #9 shot when I tried to order. They showed that they were in stock for $14.99 a box on the website, I put 15 in my cart, but at checkout it wouldn't fill the order.

Midways best prices I've seen in 20g were 32/ box on sale. Natchez is 37 a box. Roger's is 36 a box.

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megalomaniac":fanofgk5 said:
. . . . . but again out of 20g in #9 shot when I tried to order.
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I was recently able to get about a 3-yr supply from Academy.
At the time, Academy had the best price.
Even with some pattern testing, I think have enough TSS #9's for at least 3 seasons now.

But still see no reason not to continue loading up with the several 5-count boxes of the "old" much HTL Federal Heavyweights for most of my hunts.

Most of us are just wasting money unnecessarily on new shells :tu:
 
I dunno... nice to have the 'insurance just in case.

My birds were at 13y, 28y, 40y, 30y, and 15y. Ethans were at 25y and 40y. Friends were at 10y and 15y.

I had zero reservations about shooting my Tom at 40y (the second of a double after the first bird was shot by a friend at 10y), and i had zero reservations about Ethan shooting his second bird at 40y (would have come to 15y, but was about to go between us and some cattle, so he needed to go while we had a safe shot). I haven't shot enough of the 13g/cc stuff out of the 20g gauge to have that kind of confidence the TSS gives me.

That being said, 40y is my max. In fact, we passed the 2nd bird Ethan shot the day before because he hung up at 45y before easing off.

I wish I could just chamber a LB XR lead, and have the tss as a backup if there was any way possible to cycle the first shell out without spooking him if the bird is hung up beyond 30 yds.

I don't know how much tungsten there is out there in the earth, but as popular as it has become and as effective as it is, I hope we don't end up with a shortage in the future!

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megalomaniac":14jrp6ox said:
I haven't shot enough of the 13g/cc stuff out of the 20g gauge to have that kind of confidence the TSS gives me.
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The first generation Federal Heavyweights (not Federal Heavyweight TSS) TheLBLman speaks of were 15g/cc (tungsten blend) and very solid for turkey hunting 40 and under, and likely further with that density. Hevi-13 shells are the only 13g/cc I know of that were offered recently.
 
I am the same way...stock up before something changes! I have 10 boxes of 20 gauge Hevi Shot #6. Painful but not as painful as the price for TSS. Too set in my ways to change. All three guns shoot the same stuff. You will be glad you stocked up. I find a pair of boots I like and buy a second pair for the shelf...
 
Andy S.":3tx3t272 said:
megalomaniac":3tx3t272 said:
I haven't shot enough of the 13g/cc stuff out of the 20g gauge to have that kind of confidence the TSS gives me.
Click to expand...
The first generation Federal Heavyweights (not Federal Heavyweight TSS) TheLBLman speaks of were 15g/cc (tungsten blend) and very solid for turkey hunting 40 and under, and likely further with that density. Hevi-13 shells are the only 12g/cc I know of that were offered recently.
Click to expand...


Fixed it for you lol
 
Rockhound":2m7y39pp said:
Andy S.":2m7y39pp said:
megalomaniac":2m7y39pp said:
I haven't shot enough of the 13g/cc stuff out of the 20g gauge to have that kind of confidence the TSS gives me.
Click to expand...
The first generation Federal Heavyweights (not Federal Heavyweight TSS) TheLBLman speaks of were 15g/cc (tungsten blend) and very solid for turkey hunting 40 and under, and likely further with that density. Hevi-13 shells are the only 12g/cc I know of that were offered recently.
Click to expand...


Fixed it for you lol
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Ha! Yeah, I'm very aware of the shenanigans Environmetal played with advertising 13g/cc and loading 12g/cc. To be fair, they did at one time load some quality 13g/cc slag.
 
Andy S.":2esde7a2 said:
megalomaniac":2esde7a2 said:
I haven't shot enough of the 13g/cc stuff out of the 20g gauge to have that kind of confidence the TSS gives me.
Click to expand...
The first generation Federal Heavyweights (not Federal Heavyweight TSS) TheLBLman speaks of were 15g/cc (tungsten blend) and very solid for turkey hunting 40 and under, and likely further with that density. Hevi-13 shells are the only 13g/cc I know of that were offered recently.
Click to expand...
The 1st generation Federal Heavyweights 20 ga were offered in a 2 3/4" 1 1/8 oz #7 load and a 3" 1 1/2 oz #7 load.
With most 20ga set-ups, I believe most would find the 1 1/8 oz load effective out to 35 yds,
and the 1 1/2 oz out to 45 yds.

Prior to the now "heavier" TSS, the 1st generation Federal Heavyweights were the best commercially available turkey loads on the market. They remain superior to Winchester's Longbeards, Hevi-13, or Magnum Blends. Those 1st generation heavyweights were also my go-to load in 12 ga, were I "liked" the 1 7/8 oz load of #7's (which had penetration comparable to lead #5's).

Now, the #9 TSS has penetration comparable to lead #5's.

Never mind I suspect most of us will still kill most our birds under 35 yds.
 

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