2.75" Winchester Longbeard

[Davyalabama]

I have hundreds of rounds of TSS through chrome lined barrel, not a mark on it.

Stretching distance just isn't happening with lead in a lighter payload, you run out of pattern long before energy.

Go shoot a number four 2 3/4 load past forty and see for yourself, 40 will be a stretch.

Chrome lined is a modern barrel, TSS is perfectly fine in those.

The OP is asking for older barrels, the new stuff is too hard for our older barrels.

My model 12 and A5 will definitely handle #4's past 40. Now, is it as tight a pattern or as good as TSS, no sir, it is not at all, as good. However, some of us old timers enjoy hunting with our older guns, and we for sure do not want to destroy them.

 

[bluetick78]

I did a bunch of testing with different loads over the weekend. A gun shop in my area had Federal Grand Slam, Winchester Super X, and Remington nitro turkey in 2.75" on the shelf, all #5 shot. The Nitro Turkey shot the best, which I found odd. It's the cheapest shell by far, isn't copper plated, and may not even be buffered. It managed 11 pellets in a turkey splatter target kill zone at 40 yds. The Super x had 4, the Grand slam got 0.
For fun, I tried a 1 1/8 oz load of #5 Kent Fastlead. It put 19 pellets in the kill zone. No copper plating, probably no buffer, no fancy wad with Mylar....not even a picture of a turkey on the box. Go figure. I tried it twice to make sure it wasn't a freak shot, 2nd time was 18. Pretty consistent. I guess that's what will get used for turkeys. The special "turkey" shells can be used for pheasants or jackrabbits.
The Grand Slams did pattern really well out of a 3" 870 with a Carlson's XR choke. 32 in the kill zone at 40. When my youngest decides to make the switch from 20 to 12 ga he'll have those waiting. If TSS 20 ga shells keep climbing in price, he'll be switching sooner than anticipated!