So I know nothing about reloading shotgun shells but I do reload several rifle and pistol rounds.

Was looking at the price of turkey loads and WOW!!!

My question to anyone who reloads shotgun shells is can a man reload turkey loads. Max dram and max weight? What are powders to use? Which type of #5 shot to use? Wad? Primer? I know nothing but want to learn.

Fire away!! LOL!!

And thank you.

TSS is 12 bucks a shot for 12 ga. 3.5", you shoot what 3-4 a year, can you get set up to load cheaper?

if you get a turkey inside 40 yards you don't really need the 8-12 dollar a round TSS

in that case the stuff that a friend really likes for turkey and he uses it for coyote and fox also is Winchester Long beard #4 copper plated lead 3 inch 1 3/4oz from a 12 ga he had taken birds to 50 yards
he turned us onto it I patterned some and it patterns nice I haven't shot any turkey with it
it is only about 2.75 a round and it has a buffering material like powdered wax that I am not sure how you would load in your own , but it works.

Yes you can make turkey loads I’ve used blue dot powder. To be honest, with a 12 gauge I’ve probably killed more turkeys with 5 shot 2 3/4 pheasant loads then turkey loads. I haven’t got the TSS fever. That being said now I typically use the double 10 for turkey killing it kills em dead.

I use #5 nickel plated shot. Ballistics Products has a wad called Elite Ranger Wad. Get the unslitted one. If you use it with no slits which you cut by hand you basically have a slug. I experimented until I got the best pattern. I’ve killed turkey beyond 50 yds.
I just loaded 3 test rounds with the hull slit to deeper depths. The maximum payload of the wad is 1 5/8 oz and that’s what I experimented with.
My pattern at 15 yds was about 6” with almost no flyers. At close range you must be precise or you can miss. You won’t have a 12” pattern.
I have as scope on my Winchester for turkey

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Ranger-Elite-12ga-unslit-wad-100_bag/productinfo/32212REUS/

Federal used to make a 3” load of 2oz of #6 shot. Never tried anything better. Kicked like a mule.

those are mild loads compared to what is out there today, but they worked well for me for 40 years!
try the nitro 3.5" loaded with 2 5/8's oz of shot, it will give you a come to jesus moment!

If you do want to reload you can get a roll crimp die and a shell holder.Just buy new hulls from ballistic products.Lots of YouTube videos on it.I roll crimp my Tss 12gauge shells.

If you’re using TSS in a 12ga, you have more money than sense. TSS was all about anything smaller than a 12ga being able to hang with a 12ga. It became cheaper for us to buy shells than load our own. There are very few manufacturers that load TSS that doesn’t blow apart in my setup. Apex has the TSS shells down to a science. Every load I’ve got from them patterns absolutely perfect in my setup. Every other major manufacturer try’s to load them too hot.

What ever to happened to 1 1/8 ounce of #4 lead shot? Get close. 25-30 yards. I thought it was all about the hunt not the kill? Here in KS its cheaper to buy a bird ready to cook than just the license fee. So if its all about the hunt why do you need to shoot 50-60 yards?

I never hunted turkeys but tss can roll a coyote 60 yards with my 12 gauge.

I load Tss in a 12 ga for both coyotes and turkeys. One load I use is a 1&5/8 ounce load in a 2.75 inch shell. #2’s for coyotes and #9’s for turkeys. I can load these rounds for a hair less than $5 a round at the price I paid for everything. That is less than half the price of buying buying tss rounds and have some great patterns with them

Get some #4 buck. Put in a full choke and your good for 40-50 yards. And its cheaper.

The first and only turkey I shot was with a .410 and (0) buckshot at 25 yards.

Apex has the 12 down as Wanna Be said. Check out Boss ammo for the 20 gauge loads. They make a 2 oz 20 load.

Used a lot of number 4 over the years I’ll keep my TSS and have them dead at 60 yards vs a maybe at 50 with number 4 buck. Every one has there own take on it .

and it is not legal in WI

nothing larger than T-shot is

had to get the legislature to make it legal for us to even use buck on fur bearers again the DNR wouldn't do it

if your carrying even one round of buck you best only be fur bearer hunting

which it's self is sort of silly but it is all written to try and prevent you from slipping in the other shell and shooting the game bird at greater distance.

you can carry a pistol incase you have a unwanted company show up

Thats another, "because we say you can't"!

Great reasoning usually.

Falling back on some #4 bird shot with a full choke will do just as well.

I have fall turkey hunted and spring turkey hunted for the past 40+ years and have yet to find anything in the 25 to 35 yard range like long beard 3 inch number 4 shot. it is devastating just put it on the bird where his neck connects to the body and squeeze the trigger and take your bird home...It’s all about the love of turkey hunting and tricking the birds in to close range no need shoot at them beyond 35 yards

When I hunt multiple States or even countries during the Spring, I want a shell that patterns the same every single time. I could NOT find a manufactured lead load that did that. I’m more of a quantity guy when it comes to pellet count in a turkey load. 450 TSS loads flying out the barrel does the trick at 10 or 40 yards every single time no matter the state or country. And all that in a little 5# 20ga, I can walk for miles with that kind of weight.