TSS Choke vs Reg Choke?

[Jack321]

So what's the special formula for TSS chokes vs Reg Chokes?

Two weeks ago my brother got a new red dot for his .410 and were taking my kids out turkey hunting for the first time this spring.

Initially we ran some cheap #7.5 loads thru it with the TSS extended turkey choke and the pattern at 25 yds was all over the 3ft x 4tf paper! (But a majority of the pattern was way low and left). We adjusted a each time and after 3 shots we had it "centered."

We switched to some 3" #7.5 TSS Federal and immediately got a solid pattern that would easily kill a turkey with 80% pattern in a nice 20 inch circle.

I was shocked that there would be such a difference between 7.5s target vs 7.5s TSS!

I'm taking the 7.5 target loads were ALL OVER a 3ft by 4 ft target! Then the TSS, boom all in a 20 inch circle.

Can someone explain this to me?

One more story that has me even more confused. Two yrs ago I went with my dad to shoot try and get one with my 20ga 1100. (I'd shot all my other birds with my 12ga). And I picked up some TSS and bought a Primos Xfull Choke, not paying attention to any size constriction, just whatever was cheapest.

Well dad and I doubled on two gobblers. One at 52 yds and one at 54 yds, bang, flop, both dropped like we cut the strings one em. (range finder confirmed as dad went out and stood next to each bird.)

But I wasn't using a "TSS Specific Choke Tube" which is why I was so surprised that the .410 had such a fee pattern with target 7.5s vs TSS 7.5s

So now this conundrum is living rent free up in my head....Because I'm now looking at my own 28ga SBE3 to turkey hunt this spring.

I need a Turkey Choke for it.

I have some 2-3/4" Rob Robert's 7.5" TSS Federal Custom shop ammo I was going to try. And I also got some 3" Winchester Super Pheasant 1-1/8oz loads of copper plated #5s. Then yesterday I see Winchester is making a 3" TSS load with 1-1/2oz load of #9s pushing 1150fps!

And now I'm not sure which Choke to look at with potential which load? And I'm only finding one Carlson Choke on Amazon, unless I'm missing something?

 

[Jason Snyder]

It’s most likely a difference in the wad quality and design. The wad is a huge factor in shot pattern consistency.

 

[j3h8]

Lead compresses in the choke tube TSS does not. TSS is solid like steel shot but much much denser. Therefore your choke was "tighter" forcing a smaller pattern at the same range.

 

[Kurts86]

It has to do way more with the wad design and pellet hardness in the shotgun shell than the choke. You can get a better pattern out of a high quality TSS shell through an old fixed choke than a cheap lead shell through a high end extra full choke.

Most TSS chokes are functionally the same as any nicer choke made in the last decade or so usually out of 17-4 PH stainless steel. The angles and geometry can vary a bit but it’s a tool steel funnel at its core.

 

[Jack321]

It has to do way more with the wad design and pellet hardness in the shotgun shell than the choke. You can get a better pattern out of a high quality TSS shell through an old fixed choke than a cheap lead shell through a high end extra full choke.

Most TSS chokes are functionally the same as any nicer choke made in the last decade or so usually out of 17-4 PH stainless steel. The angles and geometry can vary a bit but it’s a tool steel funnel at its core.

Ok, so it's not like the better pattern was because it was a TSS specific choke with TSS ammo? And if it had been a plain-Jane "regular XF" choke TSS would still be OK?

I was worried that if I got that 28ga Carlson Choke (that is NOT TSS specific) it might not work as well?

But in reading your posts I can get this Carlson Choke and be OK with TSS? (Or any other Turkey ammo option?)

 

[Kurts86]

You don’t have to have a TSS specific choke to shoot TSS but when in doubt ask the choke manufacturer.

A lot of the better patterning shotgun shells have pretty structured wads, lots of these like federal flight control wads probably have 5x more wad plastic than a typical dove load and it is much stiffer plastic. The loads tend to be almost blind to most choke constrictions like federal flight control buckshot loads which stay super tight patterning even from cylinder bores. Most If not all TSS loads use a wad like that.

Carlson’s seems to like to laser TSS on the side of their chokes but you don’t see that from higher end choke manufacturers like Indian creek or Jebs but their’s are more than adequate for TSS. There isn’t a standard spec for a TSS choke but most quality chokes will be 17-4 PH stainless steel. This is a really tough, hard abrasion resistant super alloy commonly used for crazy applications like fracking pump bodies.

A choke that says TSS plus TSS shot is going to probably work pretty well but it’s not a requirement.

 

[Jack321]

You don’t have to have a TSS specific choke to shoot TSS but when in doubt ask the choke manufacturer.

A lot of the better patterning shotgun shells have pretty structured wads, lots of these like federal flight control wads probably have 5x more wad plastic than a typical dove load and it is much stiffer plastic. The loads tend to be almost blind to most choke constrictions like federal flight control buckshot loads which stay super tight patterning even from cylinder bores. Most If not all TSS loads use a wad like that.

Carlson’s seems to like to laser TSS on the side of their chokes but you don’t see that from higher end choke manufacturers like Indian creek or Jebs but their’s are more than adequate for TSS. There isn’t a standard spec for a TSS choke but most quality chokes will be 17-4 PH stainless steel. This is a really tough, hard abrasion resistant super alloy commonly used for crazy applications like fracking pump bodies.

A choke that says TSS plus TSS shot is going to probably work pretty well but it’s not a requirement.

Thanks! So that Carlson Choke will be fine for TSS or regular loads?

I guess I never considered the wad. So maybe these Winchester 3" Super Pheasant 1-1/8oz #5s might not work.

I figured they'd be just fine because I've taken turkeys down with 5s a lot before.

Now I'm obviously going to pattern these things and see.

Appreciate the info!