Home Forums Reloading Shotshells - TSS and Unleaded Is TSS shot worth the expense over Heavyweight shot?

I have been knocking the snot out of turkeys (as have my kids) with 12 and 20 gauge shotguns using Federal Heavyweight shot for about as long as it's been out. The heavyweight is tungsten iron blend I think. The Tungsten Super Shot is a litter denser with more mass.

I stocked up on #7 heavyweight shot at a great clearance price since it is no longer made, I think. Got it for less than 1/2 of the regular price and way less than 1/2 of TSS.. I dont reload shotgun shells.

Anybody else happy enough with Heavyweight shot? Killed birds out to 48 yards and that feels like a long poke with a scattergun.

Nothing wrong with the Federal HW ammo. I did switch to TSS and can’t be happier!! I’ve been loading my own for three years now. The cost to hand load is minimal. 1.5oz of 9.5 TSS is unbelievable at 50 yards in all three 20ga I shoot.

If you hunt wooded terrain like I do where shots are mostly 40 yards or less, the Federals will serve you well. Im not saying take longer shots but if you do, TSS is worth every penny in my opinion.

Why fix what's not broken. Use the heavyweight if you like it. I'm still using 12 gauge 2 3/4"---baby mags. 1 1/2 oz of copper plated 6's or 4's. I've killed @ 40 yards with no problems.

I would use what patterns the best.

That's the secret, and always has been. I've been experimenting with turkey guns and chokes for over 25 years, looking for that "perfect" combination. I've got a bunch of half boxes of all different brands of shells I've tried. Don't be fooled into thinking that you have to use expensive shells or some magic formula shot, because you don't. Plain old lead will do just as good a job.....providing you do yours. It's no different than deer hunting, as people have been killing deer for years with the old tried and true cartridges every bit as good as they have with the new ones.

As I said, I've experimented quite a bit with different shells.......Federal, Remington, Winchester, and Heavyweight. Long ago, I settled on Winchester Supreme's, and lately have started using the Longbeard's. I just killed a bird this past week with a 20 gauge Longbeard #5 at 48 yards, a much longer shot than I like to take with any shotgun. But, I'd patterned it and knew what it would do. Again, that's the key......pattern your gun with different shells, and different chokes. Also, don't be ashamed to shoot plain old lead, because I'll tell you a little secret.......it will kill them just as dead as shot costing 5 times more.

Having said all that, suit yourself and use whatever trips your trigger. Over the years, I've quit overthinking the turkey hunting game, and have quit guying new calls and decoys, and every other kind of gadget that comes on the market. You don't need all that to kill a turkey. What you need is patience and persistence. Everything else is just to spend money on needlessly.

The cost of the shell is the last thing on my mind. What we pay in taxes, tractor work, gas, etc....whats a few bucks more a shell...whatever it is. I recently went to tss after finishing up all my old winchester supreme elite extended ranges...man I wish they still made that stuff. 63 yards, by accident to some degree was my longest shot with that stuff.

I load #4 shot.

If I could get #4 shot to pattern as well as 5's or 6's I would use it. I've tried 4's and have killed turkeys with them, but have never been able to get them to pattern good enough for me.

Not the cost. I love federal heavyweights with my Trulock choke. That's why I stocked up on them. Could have bought anything for as much as I bought. The cost of factory TSS just ain't worth it to me. Dead is dead at my 50 yard limit.

I have to dig out all of my old lead shells and sell them cheap. I am sure I have some win supreme.

I used #9 TSS out of a .410 on two toms this season. One at 25 yds and one at 15 with very good results.

I think where TSS really shines is 20 gauge and below. In a 12 gauge it is really overkill and not needed. But it enables the sub gauges to be bona fide turkey killers at turkey killing distances. Look at how many people are knocking birds over with .410s now out to 40 yards. While the killing ability of the shot is great and it carries a lot of energy, I really like the pattern densities you can achieve with it. Higher pattern densities equates to less holes in the pattern and less chance of missing or wounding a bird. I patterned my little 20 gauge a couple weekends ago and got 333 hits in a 10" circle and another 186 hits in the 20" circle at 40 yards. That is 12 gauge performance in a lighter more compact package.

You are correct that the Fed. Heavyweight is no longer made. It was replaced with a TSS shell.

TSS is bada$$ by all accounts, but there is no way I would swap over until I used up all the Fed. HW #7 I had in my stock. I have been using the Fed HW in my 20 ga for the last several seasons and they flat work. Unfortunately, I'm down to 6 or 7 shells. After those are gone, then I'll move to TSS of some flavor I guess.

You are correct and Fed. HW does the same to a slightly lesser degree, but still is very deadly to any reasonable distance. I tried a 20 ga out on a whim about 6 or 7 years ago after using a 12 ga for my whole life and after shooting 2 birds, I knew I would never go back. My 870 youth model now weighs just over 5.5 lbs, is short and easy to handle, and kicks MUCH less than most 12 ga turkey loads.

Video link below is a bird I shot this year at +/-49 yards. I intended to let him get closer, but he hung up for over 10 mins and then got skittish, so I let it roll and you can see the results.

Slowmo turkey shot 2019

I bought a bunch of the 20 ga Fed HW 3” in #6 some years ago. I have not tried any TSS loads but the HW loads in my 20 are pretty amazing compared to any number of “turkey loads” I’ve tried out of my 12 with a special turkey choke, beating them all at the board out to 40 yds. With a MOD CHOKE!

Edit: those 12 loads are conventional lead loads.

+1

Not a turkey alive walking away from good load of lead 5’s or 6’s out to 40 yards even from a 20. The federal flight control lead loads get it done.

I’ve got a decent stash of heavyweight 6’s and 7’s,plus different heavier than lead loads from Winchester,Hevi shot and Remington but I’ll probably save them for where non tox is required. They are pretty great for jump shooting geese.

I did the math on reloading 12 gauge 7/8 and 1 oz loads, and with all new components, including the TSS from Reloader 7RM, I came up with roughly $3 per shell. There is a 7/8 oz load at 1625 fps that is well under $3 per. We are talking #9 shot.

At $44 a pound, before shipping, the cost of the TSS comes out to $2.75 per ounce.

Just throwing that out there.

My needs are a little different than most. We are completely lead free in Cali as of this coming season, so I am comparing TSS to other lead-frees. I have a lot of lead that’s going to need to be shot outside of Cali, as I don’t do very much clay.

I have components en route and will report once I get to loading and shooting.

Pretty excited at the prospect of 1625 fps 7/8 loads, but we’ll see what patterns.

Yes. A 3.5# .410 will smoke them. I'm talking dumps them straight down. They might wiggle a wing once or twice. I see a lot of these birds shown that looked like they fell in a creek while being dragged behind a truck, they flopped around so much. Those people are not using TSS and it shows.

I've done as well with the old heavyweight, but they discontinued the load and I had to use a gun that weighed twice as much. Bump that. Bump also loading up a couple ounces of TSS in a 12ga and shooting birds at 70+ yards. That's missing the point.

TSS #4’s are pretty tough on coyotes out to about 70 yards.

The longest shots we have taken was witj a youth Browning 20 ga with a 20" barrel using the Fed HW in #7 shot. It was a lasered 48 yards. Also did a 42 yard shot with same. I say again, why switch to TSS? Heavyweight is the next best thing to TSS as far as mass/density is concerned. I was more than happy to restock Heavyweights at less than 1/2 the original price. According to Federal, the #7 HW hits at 60 yards equal to a #5 lead at 40 yards.

I will go TSS when my newly restocked HW cache is gone, but I may die of old age first. 50 yard pokes is plenty long for turkeys. I have killed enoughto let tjem pass now