Serious question for TSS users

Lot of extra full turkey chokes have stamped on them "NO STEEL SHOT " lead only . Do you guys still use them. I think the warning is because the steel won't flatten out enough to exit the barrel without causeing an unsafe pressure . Aren't you afraid to blow the barrel up or do you use just factory full choke?

Most that shoot TSS tend to be serious about their setup and have a custom choke made. I have one for turkeys and one for shooting buckshot for deer drives.

As far as the steel stamp, it’s generally to cya the manufacturer. Steel shoots completely different than lead anyways. A modified choke is basically a full when using steel shot. A IC is an Mod and so on. I shoot Mod for hunting out of a pit and Cylinder for the wood duck holes. Can’t afford TSS for duck hunting, lol.

When loading shells with TSS, I use Kool Aid as a shot buffer.
It lubricates the choke so shot slides thru easier, and smells GREAT!

Steel shot that is used for hunting tends to be much bigger than tss used for turkeys ( #2/BB vs 7,8,9). The larger size shot does not squeeze together very well.

Some have found that they like the patterns from a full choke better than the super full chokes. For example- my 20ga with a .555" indian creek choke will put 350+ pellets (#9) in the 10" at 40 yards. Same load with a .575" carlson will be 250-275. The big difference is the carlson has way more pellets in the 10-20" part of the pattern.

Did you ever get that awesome pattern done for us?

Apex Ninja 3” 8.5’s @ 41yards.


Apex Small Batch 3” 10’s @ 41 yards

Now why 41 yards? Because when I placed the target on the stump I was using as a back stop and opened my truck door to rest on, it ranged 41 yards and I was to lazy to move my truck to get exactly 40.

Yes, that’s an open pattern for those birds that tend to move a little right as I’m touching the trigger. Another reason is that turkeys get me shaking pretty bad when they’re coming in. I even have to remind myself to breathe, lol.

Haha, lol. Awesome.
I can't believe he's asking a question

Well crap forgot to . Been dealing with a health issue last 3-4 weeks hadn't been out and about until this past weekend. I went to my barn today and should have done it. I'll do it this next week when I mow around my barn I promise. You will be jealous !!! I 'm shooting those free shells I got from Winchester so I know you will be. But I'll get it ...

Once again stalker peeks his head out from under his rock ....

If I’m not mistaken a company did actually come out with a shell that used seasoning as a buffer. It would marinate your bird from the time you shot it until it was cleaned and cooked.

Found it…
Season Shot is made of tightly packed seasoning bound by a fully biodegradable food product. The seasoning is actually injected into the bird on impact seasoning the meat from the inside out. When the bird is cooked the seasoning pellets melt into the meat spreading the flavor to the entire bird. Forget worrying about shot breaking your teeth and start wondering about which flavor shot to use!

I guess if Taco Bell can call oatmeal a seasoning, I can call lead seasoning as well!

Sorry to hear about that.

I forget, what size shot are you using? My 835 with 3.5" longbeard #6s was giving me (if I remember correctly) about 226 in the 10 at 40 ( I forget what the #4 shot was doing but I know they kill way out there). The problem was at 25 yards the pattern is the size of a baseball.

I will admit, it is hard to beat free. But lets see if it is better than the 410 .

My Stevens .410 Turkey gun has a full choke, Federal ammo & Stevens developed the choke together. Federal's TSS is a number 9 shot made for this gun. Sad part is New York State will not allow anything smaller than number 8 shot, So I haven't tried to shoot it with that load. Best pattern I could get was with Winchester number fours.

I understand TSS in a 20 ga and .410. If you are using it in a 12 ga it is because you are wanting to extend the range. Plenty of non TSS 12 ga loads good for turkey at 40 yards plus. If you are shooting turkeys over 50 yards, you are missing the point of turkey hunting - in my opinion - of course.

All the excitement happens inside of 35 yards.

Spot on! This is what I've said from the start

TSS in a 12 ga is wasting shot. The 12ga has enough capacity for lead 5's to do just fine.

Where tss shines is in 410 and 28ga. I love being able to run and gun with a 3.5 pound gun that has no recoil and is more lethal than 3.5" 12ga

As far as chokes go I've shot somewhere around 5,000 rounds of tss loads and haven't ever messed up a choke. The chokes that say no steel are saying that because most steel shot is large pellet sizes like BB or #2. Small tss shot like #9 will not harm these chokes

I killed both my NC birds this year with my beretta 28ga and its factory full choke. TSS 9's

Well tss shines pretty good in 12 gauge on coyotes at least to 60 yards lol thats the longest I've shot one.

I was thinking about going to a 28 or .410 but man I got this little 20 set up absolutely perfect.

You really don’t think a .410 is more lethal than a 12 gauge do you?

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. At 56 I’ve killed my share of turkeys, for the next 5 years if I shoot 10 birds at 53 yards each I can assure you my experience will still be awesome!

I'm getting tired of having to explain this one. I wish I could make it a sticky at the top.

12 ga 3.5" lead shot #5 is a standard turkey load that myself and others have killed a pile of turkeys with. A 2oz load has 340 pellets

410 3" 1 oz of TSS #9 will kill at a further distance than lead #5. It is ballistically equivalent to lead #4 due to its much higher density. 1 oz of tss 9's has 365 pellets.

So yes, my 410 shooting 9 shot tss will penetrate further and have more pellets on target than a 12 ga shooting 3.5" lead shot

It is not a debate. It is simple shotshell ballistics

Well I have my setup that I am not changing anytime soon, and its a 12 gauge, 3.5" with TSS. So I will just take your word for it because I don't care enough to research it.

I was talking lead vs. tss. You will definitely have an advantage shooting 12ga tss vs. 410 tss

I just think its unnecessary and is only needed in the small bores

My ex-wife's cousin killed her husband with a .410 so yes they're lethal enough alright.

Yeh but if was past 50 yards did she get the true experience?

Nope......pretty sure it wasn't from 50 yards. Or 51 even. What's odd is that she got let off the hook by a hung jury.

I'm still wondering what made this "a Serious " Question.
Sounds like just an ordinary one

Cause and effect?

Some will never understand. But yet the manufacturers realized they could make a mint off those that know no better…and they are, lol.
It’s like buying a .375 H&H Magnum for Whitetails, lol.

I guess I'm just not into turkeys enough. I don't hunt t hem because I think a 24$ tag is to high. I take the kids and they kill then just fin with 20g, 3" #5s and a single shot or 870 with modified choke and they are expensive enough for me.

If I hit. Loto maybe I would experiment with it. Sounds like it works great and I could see more pellets being a really nice advantage.