I hunt on a small WMA. The turkeys come and go as it’s an easy flight across the river to private land, including cropfields. Last year I heard zero turkey noise in two days, so it’s feast or famine. I want to make the most of my opportunities so use the best I can find. Like you said, ammo is the cheapest part. Plus, my only 12ga is pretty long and heavy. The .410 and 20 are lighter and shorter. No doubt someone will come along and make a crack about getting in shape blah blah blah, but exercise doesn’t make up for creaky old joints. Lighter guns make it possible to hunt longer and go farther. Lower recoil doesn’t mean much in the woods, but s nice when patterning. Lastly, as I said somewhere else, there’s a big difference between shooting hens or poults in the Fall and trying to head-shoot Spring gobblers.
Mule Deer’s article on hard shot stated that TSS for handloads costs about $3 a shell, so the price for factory isn’t surprising.
