So, I was starting to get the “itch” and was going through my gear for April 11th.
Noticed that I’m getting low on my supply of 20 gauge Federal 3” HWT 7s which made me start thinking about moving to 3” TSS #9s.
But those prices are brutal! ~$9/shot

Wondering if anyone reloads TSS and is it worth the cost?

Another option I have...
Found a guy selling some Federal HWT 7s at a “reasonable” price (~$4.60/shot)
Maybe I should just stick with those. Guns already sighted in and throwing a great pattern w/ that shell.

Any thoughts, comments, suggestions are appreciated

Tim

I know Hal on here and has been loading TSS for years.

My way of thinking is, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. But that TSS is some devastating shot. I know one always tries to make a humane and quick kill one just needs to know thier guns and ammo limitations.
But ammo has evolved from paper lead to where we are today with improvements in ammo, wads, buffers, crimps in shells and all.
Others are capable of better info then me and I could be wrong, but for the TSS one needs to make sure thier barrels, chokes can handle that shot. I have a couple friends that use it but because of its hardness they had to buy different guns and chokes so as not to score the barrels and chokes and diameters of such so as to prevent that from happening even with the wadding.

But reloading has always intrigued me but never got into it. Good luck on your adventure.


Earl

I thought about TSS for a time and someone on here or another site was selling TSS by the pound. I worked the numbers and just didn't pull the trigger. So, I just use lead. Maybe I am old and do old school things, but lead still does the job as long as I do mine.

The other side of this for me is I don't like biting into steel or even worse, Tungsten. Chipped one tooth and cracked another. Getting too expensive on that side of the equation too. Dang ducks and geese.

Anyway, find what works for you.

Vince

The other side of this for me is I don't like biting into steel or even worse, Tungsten. Chipped one tooth and cracked another. Getting too expensive on that side of the equation too. Dang ducks and geese.


Vic, great point, I know of 3 turkey hunters that have cracked or broke a tooth on TSS.
One of them was his wife, not good. That’s over a 4 year period. One can always purchase a small hand held metal detector to pass over the meat before cooking.

But to be fair I have bit into lead, fortunately with no tooth damage.


Earl

GG,
I bought a metal detector and it helps, but didn't discover them all. I use it then still cut the meat thin and feel for the shot. #9 shot is very small so that might not work either. Lead, though not great usually just deforms when bitten steel not. Lead hurts steel kills teeth. Another buddy got into making bacon goose burger. Totaled his wife's meat grinder when a piece of steel shot got stuck in the cutter. That isn't good either.
V

All, I appreciate the input, and after crunching some numbers for the amount of shots I’m gonna be taking at gobblers over the next 10 years, I’m gonna stick w the tried and true and buy some more of the HWT 7s.
My gun loves ‘em, it’s an awesome round, and I have limited out the last two years (first times ever in over 30 years) while shooting them out of my 20 gauge.

Again, thanks for the comments.
Tim

Load your own, and you enjoy the shell twice! There really is a higher level of satisfaction to the hunt when you kill him with one you rolled yourself. And it's a lot cheaper than buying the mfrd shells.

TSS 9s is a significant step up from the HWT 7s....

I just did an inventory check and I have 13 unopened boxes of Federal Heavyweight 20 gauge 3" in size 7. That will last longer then I will. Now, I do have a little 870 youth I just bought that I need play with and will probably use some of the Heavyweights for that to see how it does. I don't get crazy numbers like TSS seems to do with the Heavyweight 7's, but 150 plus in a 10" circle out of my Benelli with a Sumtoy choke is pretty good and it has laid down a good many gobblers over the past few years.

An underappreciated benefit of TSS is that, especially in the #9 size, it allows you to use a more open choke, maintaining an effective pattern at 40 yards while giving a more forgiving pattern on those closer shots that are so easy to miss with a "turkey" choke. I just patterned my new 20 gauge SXP using a Trulock standard full choke and at 40 yards got 149 in a 10 inch circle with a nice even distribution, and at 20 yards the pattern, although of course very dense in the middle was adequately dense at the periphery of a 10 inch circle. Although I don't intend to shoot past 40 yards I did shoot one more of the $8 shells at 50 yards and got an even distribution of 112 pellets in the circle. I was using Apex #9, 1 5/8 oz. I suspect this stuff would pattern adequately using a modified choke but of course that's going to put a lot more tooth breakers in the breast meat.

That is one issue I think that might exist with the TSS shot and the sheer numbers of shot. Most of the birds I've killed in the last 10 years have had at the most a few pellets in the breast as the majority were in the head. The more open pattern the more possibility of breaking a tooth. The smallest shot I've used is size 7 and thus I've had no problems with breaking teeth.

I reload tss for turkey hunting and for deer hunting. I have bought majority of my shot from Hal over the years and strictly use his recipes. The people who are having trouble with having TSS in the breast meat are taking to long of a shots. TSS has a effective killing power out to 76 yards in a 2 oz. #9 12 gauge load. So if you are shooting at 40 yards max with the rare occassion of misjudging and taking at shot at 50-55 yards the TSS goes all they way through the breast and at worst sticks to the skin on the other side. I have only taken one shot that was 50-55 yards on a bird that was running and all the pellets went clean through except a couple that were stuck under the feathers on the far side of the bird.

TSS is so lethal its crazy and it does give you some room for error. Especially when your adrenaline is pumping so hard your are shaking. After using it for turkey for a couple of years we got into loading BB size and T size deer loads for deer and the results are just as good. I will never go back to buckshot for deer or lead for turkeys.