Most affordable TSS I’ve found

[dtrkyman]

Curious what you load for now? I have buddies that hunt turkey with .410 & I’ll soon be buying one for my girls to turkey hunt with until they can comfortably graduate to a 20. I can appreciate a 20 when wing shooting but for me it’s all 12ga in the turkey woods

.410 and 20ga. the .410 is legit to 40 yards, and the 20 far beyond what I would shoot. I have been hand loading the 20ga for about 10 years now, and just the past few with the .410

 

[Amos Keeto]

I agree, it is wild. I’ve been killing birds for 23 years with lead but there is no denying the obvious advantages of TSS over lead.

The way I justify it in my mind is I hunt 2 states each year, both with a 1 bird limit. I have 6 & 7 year old step daughters in softball & a 1 month old son. Momma allows me to hunt when I please but I know it’s taxing on her to hold down the house while I’m gone. If an extra $20 in shells every season will get me home sooner & allow more free weekends outdoors with my kids to take them fishing or to ball games instead of selfishly spending time hunting, I will pay it every time.
Obviously the name of the game is to get them close but now I don’t have to worry if that stubborn bird is hung up at 45 and if my shot is ethical & clean with lead because a properly choked TSS is more than capable at that range.

Yep! Been killing turkeys with #8 lead since '02. So, 24 years!

TSS
"IF" TSS were affordable, I'd go full TSS in a heartbeat.
BUT.....in today's economy, I have to be very selective about how and where I spend my limited funds. Six bucks a shell or +/- $20/bx for 25? (I'm not "cheap"! I'm a "tightwad"!)
If a bird hangs up out of range, well, that means I can come back and hunt him again tomorrow!
Sure! I want to kill a bird! But I'm not hunting because I'm hungry! I hunt for the joy of interacting with nature! A bird in hand is icing on the cake ! ....or gravy on the biscuit! ....syrup on the pancakes! LOL!
Kinda, sorta the same with my ammo. I just gotta get my bird in range of my ammo!
Like an archery hunter, you just have to deal with your limitations!

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Steel to me sounds like more wounded/unrecovered birds. I’d be curious what percentage of “missed” shots are later fatal for turkeys.

Not if you don't take shots over 25-30 yds. Pretty effective on ducks at that range. I would expect the wounded loss to be less for turkeys given the size, semi stationary target, it being on land, and the opportunity for a follow up shots.

With the way numbers have dropped here in the last decade I am open to any all suggestions. DNR has tried a bunch of different things here in the last 6 yrs. Still cut tags last year.

 

[Will_m]

We have all been trained to be great consumers. We get that warm fuzzy feeling knowing we have bought the most expensive item in a category. TSS, bows, golf clubs or whatever. The only place you see a difference in performance is in the marketing material. On the other hand it's your money spend it however you want.

My man, do you even read what you type?

That’s not even close to correct. TSS is demonstrably, and considerably so, better performing in every aspect. That is as undeniable as the outrageousness of the price.

 

[Amos Keeto]

Not if you don't take shots over 25-30 yds. Pretty effective on ducks at that range. I would expect the wounded loss to be less for turkeys given the size, semi stationary target, it being on land, and the opportunity for a follow up shots.

With the way numbers have dropped here in the last decade I am open to any all suggestions. DNR has tried a bunch of different things here in the last 6 yrs. Still cut tags last year.

In my opinion, "okie-hunter" is pretty close.
Phil Bourjaily of Field & Stream fame, wrote about testing some 3.5" magnum ammo. Whrn a gobbler hung up at about 65 yards, he said he felt confident enough to take the shot and DID kill the bird.
If you implant that data in Average Joe, you know dang well, HE'S gonna try it too!
I've taken 2 gobblers that had #5 lead shot in the back of their legs!
A "parting shot" from a "hopeful" (?) shooter!
Just another reason I wouldn't suggest steel shot for turkeys.
You need a dense pattern, NOT big shot!

 

[Amos Keeto]

My man, do you even read what you type?

That’s not even close to correct. TSS is demonstrably, and considerably so, better performing in every aspect. That is as undeniable as the outrageousness of the price.

I won't deny that TSS is superior to lead. I bought ten .410 TSS shells! SIX BUCKS EACH!
Ten of them was $60 plus shipping! That may not be that much to you, but to some of us old retirees, it can make a difference!
THAT, to me, is outrageous.
IF I were "moneyed", I'd probably swap to all TSS. But I'm not.
Not everybody can afford a Rolls Royce and a hand fitted Purdey shotgun.

P.S. - the .410 ammo I bought is #9 TSS. I would love to have a box of three inch .410 ammo with #9 lead shot, but the hoarders snap it up as quickly as it hits the shelf!

 

[dtrkyman]

I can kill most of my turkeys with a dove load, have been contemplating a season of killing all my birds with them? But when I can't or I misjudge distance a bit I have it covered.

I tend to agree a lot of guys are going to push the boundaries because of the shot, but at least they should kill the birds and not cripple them, cuz those folks are always going to push it!

 

[Huntingfanatic]

It's a game changer for turkey. I hunt with a 410 now with complete confidence. I have a lighter gun, lighter recoil, and amazingly lethal. I have personally witnessed 410/TSS kills past 50yds, stone dead.

This. Definitely a game changer for my grandkids. The 7 year old (oldest) will definitely get to hunt this year. I saw 7 birds killed last year from 35 to 52 yards with the full choke .410 with #9 TSS. I was a huge doubter but no more