Look into Federal 3D loads its a combo of 3 different shots copper plated, Heavy shot and Flightstopper pellets I've had good luck with them and not crazy priced.

They're just birds. lol

Yeah, crazy thing, I shot at least 25 turkeys before they came out with "special" turkey loads and, even then, it was 3" copper plated #4 shot. Never had a problem killing them. Some of y'all will buy about anything. LOL. Carry on.

I was using Winchester Roosters, they were almost an identical load to Long Beard XRs, and pattered perfectly out of my gun. At a fraction of the cost, and more in the box... but they stopped making them. Thankfully I had stocked on the LBXRs years ago, so I should be good for a few more years.

I've killed a few turkeys over the years. I always used the same reloads: 12 gauge, 1 1/2oz of shot, 2 3/4 inch. Longest shot was 34 yards, closest shot was around 20 yards. Dropped every turkey in its tracks. Always shoot for the head.

One other thing is I always used #4 shot. One BB in the head will put them down.

Go talk to Swamp

Thanks I will

Killed over 100 turkeys with 3 inch 6’s , I don’t want to pay the price for the new super loads unless I was hunting out of state then it’s a no brainer

Longbeard xr wins again

I look at ammo and weapons like it’s a life and death situation. If I can only have one gun and one bullet/shell to kill and recover and my life depended on it, am I going with the cheapest I can find or am I going with the best combo I can afford? If using subpar is your way of life, then maybe certain activities just aren’t for you.
I treat EVERY hunt like it’s the hunt of a lifetime…

Well said!

100% agree^^^^!!!

X3. I have killed lots of turkeys with lead, mostly a Federal or Winchester in #5. I shot a mossburg 835/935 for most of those years. Then I decided to try some of those new loads. Found that I can carry a 20 ga and shoot better patterns with it, than I ever did with the 12s and lead. Pellets in the kill zone is what it’s all about. You get more pellets with a gun that weighs less.

Federal copper plated lead #5s have taken the majority of my birds.

Depending on the test and tester TSS 9's supposedly have the same penetration and energy as lead 5's. My 20 ga patterns at 50 yds were all lethal patterns, no exceptions. Are they worth $10 a shot ? That's up to the individual...

Federal 3 -1/2" # 4 for the 12 ga. & federal 3" # 4 for the 410

I was glad I patterned the affinity 3 I got for the boy. Thing shot high left enough at 20 yard I would not hunt with it and was going to sell it. But it was drilled and taped so I put a red dot on it.

I decided to spend a few hundred on the fancy tss in a few different loads and a fancy choke for it that came with the gun as a shop promotion. Both loads shot pattern tighter than I thought possible at 30 yards. But one load the federal had larger spaces in the pattern and less recoil the herters load bass pro brand I think has a very even pattern was smaller over all and more recoil


I also tested Winchester #5 plated turkey loads. patterns were double or close to double in diameter but good enough for 30 yards in thick spring turkey woods and a lot cheaper. I didn't want the boys shooting much more than 30 yards and I didn't want them to have a turkey move or their excitement cause them to miss with a close shot and gun/ load combo that shoots like a rifle up close so I chose that for them to hunt with That year. good thing because the action was close and fast after a long stalk in steep area. Both boys tagged out in 15 seconds one about 13 yards the other at 16 yards. It was so thick it was still hard to see them and so fast after the oldest put the first one down the 2nd ran off then u turned when I called and flogged the flopping bird. my youngest shot it without geting his gun to his shoulder more of pointing it like a pistol. so it was a good choice.


Yea it takes time and is expensive to pattern shotguns and I used to think it was a wast of time and never bothered with it. But wanting to see what the hype was about with the tss and the crazy cost I decided to pattern the new gun . I found out I was wrong all those years and patterning a gun could really be worth it if you get one like I dose not shoot where it's pointed. Is that common? I don't know maybe not or maybe it is and I'm just used to shooting things and not hitting them with the center of the pattern and think it's good. Won't know untill I test all the shotguns.

Depending on the shot distance supper shot and patterns can work against you or could be the difference in tag soup. So my solution Maybe not the best is the cheap lead wider but good pattern load in the barrel and have the tss avaliable to swap out one hangs up at long range. I figure (maybe wrongly) that the close bird will be fast action and better with the wider pattern and long shot in the open should have time to swap load if needed and make the lond shot and have the tight pattern needed for the distance.

I found out I was wrong and changed my stance on patterning shotguns and tss is incredible if it's needed. My time is valuable and if I'm making the drive and spending it hunting it would stink to put in the effort and end uo missing or wounding a bird because I didn't want to spend the time and money to pattern my gun. I mean honestly if I would end up missing a bird I would end up patterning the gun after to figure out why because my ego couldn't Handle missing . So may as.well pattern it first and not take the chance

I like knowing what the gun and the load will do beforehand.

To those of you that have never patterned a TSS load (with the right choke) against lead turkey loads.....you really have no clue.

The TSS loads are incredible. Are they necessary to kill a gobbler? No....but once you see that pattern density they instill a fantastic confidence level in all future hunts.

Incorrect. TSS 9's are leaps and bounds more effective than lead 5's

Lead 5's have 1.5" of penetration to 57.4 yards when launched at 1300 FPS, but aren't capable of holding a suitable pattern together to that range

TSS 9's have 1.5" of penetration to 70.7 yards when launched at 1300 FPS, and are capable of holding a pattern to that range if you so desire

The most equivalent TSS pellet to lead #5 would be 10 shot. TSS 9's are more like lead #3

This was just a sheet of aluminum. The top shot is a mossburg 835 with a Winchester LB #4 at 40 yards. Lots of dents but no pass through.

The bottom is a 20 ga with a load of Rouge 1 7/8oz of #9s. They all passed through. Not super scientific but shows the difference.