What the heck do I know? I am just getting started at this TSS thing. I only know what I THINK I want.

Light and fast. Loads that improve upon my old standards and economize as much as possible to boot.

For example, I used to shoot 1 3/8 oz of nickel plated 5s out of a 12 gauge for pheasant. My tables tell me 237 pellets. Lots of Blue Dot as I recall, and recoil in spades.

5/8 oz of TSS #9 is 229 pellets if my tables are correct. Should be relatively easy to get going 1500 fps, and maybe a bit more . If my math is right, an 80% pattern at 40 yards will get you to 70-75 yards with 90 pellets in 30 inch circle ... see Tom Rosters CONSEP. I don't have KPY but I'm pretty sure the penetration is there as well.

That is a ridiculous pheasant load! 5/8 oz TSS with a similar pellet count as 1 3/8 oz lead 5s! 75 yards lethality. What?


For quail I liked fast lead 1 oz 8's, 1310 fps out of a 12 ga, when I could shoot them here in Cali. There is a 9/16 oz TSS 28-ga load that with 11s will get me 450 pellets (about 50 more than the 1 oz 8s) at 1415 fps, and at only 6000 psi, probably room to grow. I would really like to see some lethality data on the 11s. Again, from a ballistics angle, ALL upside compared to my fast 8s load. More pellet count, energy, range ...

And out of a 5 lb 28 ga. Again, ridiculous.

Thing is, the cost is virtually prohibitive. The 11s can be had from Hal (Hawglips) for $116/2lbs shipped ( $3.63/oz). It's going to take a paradigm shift to get guys to pay $100/box for upland birds. So no 12 gauge 1 oz loads! The 9/16 28 ga load brings the cost down to $2.04 in payload per shell. Still expensive, but much, much more palatable. I'd like to see 1/2 oz or even less ... out of a 28 or a 20. Where is this load data??

Light and fast out of sub gauges is what seems to make sense, from a variety of angles, for TSS.

Or, this is the road to duplex.

Pondering ...

If money is an issue, then steel duplexing can save some money.

As can bismuth.

An ounce and an eighth or ounce and a quarter steel #2 at ~1400-1450 fps will do for pheasants on the 90%+ of chances one will see on pheasants as they will be under 40 yards and more likely less. If your opportunities are mostly greater than that, look at your hunting practices and change them as you are doing something drastically wrong. At $10/box ($9 on sale) it sure beats out anything else for cost effectiveness. The flat I bought cost less than the 2 pounds of TSS you mentioned and will last me 3-4 years on average depending open how often I hunt non-toxic lands.

In the 28 ga I would go with bismuth as it is cheaper. Or, carry a light 12 ga and shoot steel 6s or maybe 5s. I've done that for 20 some years without problems. I can get these shells for $7/box regular price.

Or, use a 22 LR, 22 WMR, or 17 HMR if legal. >50 yards is the beginning of rifle territory.