Are tungsten turkey loads worth the money?

[schmalts]

I have never had a problem with copper coated lead. So it is a no for me

 

[Sheltowee]

I appreciate very much everyone's input on something I have no real experience with. I was always chasing fish in the spring instead of chasing turkeys.

I have decided to go ahead and cough up the money for TSS. It's difficult because I am an incredibly cheap SOB, ask my wife.
The reason is, on this hunt, we are allowed to take feral hogs and coyotes. We are only allowed to possess birdshot though. I'm pretty sure that TSS will likely be more lethal to a hogs noggin than copper plated shot. If you agree or disagree, let me know. This has been a good discussion.

Can confirm it’ll knock the fire out of a smallish Kansas coyote at about 35 yards.

 

[Mallardsx2]

My daughter shot a gobbler last spring at 35 yards with her 20 gauge using lead Winchester #5’s.

Prior to the season, I tried several different lead/choke combinations and I settled on one that was “meh” at 30 yards.

That gobbler was soaking up that 20 gauge load like nothing I have ever seen and I’ve killed a pile of turkeys…

Long story short, after a reload or two and a bit of a foot chase, we finally got the bird killed and when the smoke finally cleared I decided that I was 100% switching her to tss#9’s next season or she is going to have to start using my turkey gun. That 20 gauge with lead shot was very underwhelming.

Opportunities simply don’t come easy to us where we live and I want her to have clean kills.

I can’t blame anyone for using or wanting to use tss.

 

[Sheltowee]

I should add: for best results, don't choke TSS too much. I get better patterns with a factory full than I do a tighter turkey choke.

What's your set up this year ?

I'm still packing the cannon 3.5" Remington 12 ga. with Holosun RedDot, Shooting 3.5" TSS with a TSS chock. I did by a 410 Stevens 26" with a Holoson Red dot. TSS chock and TSS shells. This is set up for my Granddaughters 1st hunt. I do travel to 6-7 States most years and cannon has dropped some...

www.hunttalk.com

 

[Wvhuntandfish]

The increased range just isn’t worth the cost to me.

 

[Zootownelk]

I shoot 3" #9 TSS out of my 12 gauge. As few shots as I take on turkeys, i justify it to myself as a 'just in case' a bird hangs up at 50 yards. Is it necessary? Absolutely not. Prior to TSS I shot a bird at 40 yards with Winchester Longbeard #5's that died instantly. I think about going back to them to save $ as I'm getting low on my TSS.

 

[Bigjay73]

I mean , you only shoot 1 to 5 shots a year depending on how many tags you buy, is cost even an issue?

 

[Greybeard]

FYI, starting January 1, China is severely cutting back exports of tungsten (along with silver and antimony). This could lead to a rise in the prices of those metals. TSS turkey loads might be getting more expensive soon.

 

[RealMuddyboots]

Camo at $$$, calls at $$$$, shotguns, chokes, scouting trips gas at $$$$, drive distances at $$$$, trip hotels, trucks at $$$$, food, gas, camping, RV's at $$$$. The one thing where rubber meets the road that can increase possibility of success always seems to be ammo.? We spend a lot of money on our pursuits of critters, why not use the best ammo too? We reload not with the cheapest components to get the best performance either. One arrow with decent broadhead and lighted nock is far more expensive and after running thru deer, not so much.

We all do things differently to chase feathers and fur which makes the world go around. Use what floats your boat (that is worthy of 25 pages too). Better to be in the woods than not at all. The woods is the universal vaccination for better health.

PSA: Shooting 3 1/2's is just a reminder to see your ortho doc for cortisone shot.

 

[Bonasababy]

If you need tungsten to kill a turkey you should work on you ability to hide stay still and call. Spend the money on a quality decoy and box call. I’ve stoned plenty of turkeys at 40-50 with a .410 #5 like 11/16 oz of shot. If a 2.75/3”/3.5” 4/5/6 don’t kill it you probably shouldn’t have been shooting at it. I’ve actually missed quite a few turkeys on the first shot in Montana with “special” turkey loads cause they get in close and between specialized shot, cups and chokes I’m essentially trying to hit it with a slug,

Yep.

Just like sighting in a gun, everyone should pattern your turkey shotgun. I have shot turkeys with short 20 gauge shells from 15 yards to 45. Need patterns that work at close range and TSS is not ideal for loads that pattern so tight...and maybe move while shooting, may be behind some brush you didn't see that will deflect some pellets, etc.

I do like the high density stuff in small gauges but it can be had cheaper than TSS. Last I saw federal TSS was near $70 a box!!

Once patterned you dont need a lot of ammo though I would buy 3 to 4 boxes in case they stop making it.

I am still shooting some old hevi shot loads from back when Remington was selling them.

 

[Bonasababy]

I should add: for best results, don't choke TSS too much. I get better patterns with a factory full than I do a tighter turkey choke.

What's your set up this year ?

I'm still packing the cannon 3.5" Remington 12 ga. with Holosun RedDot, Shooting 3.5" TSS with a TSS chock. I did by a 410 Stevens 26" with a Holoson Red dot. TSS chock and TSS shells. This is set up for my Granddaughters 1st hunt. I do travel to 6-7 States most years and cannon has dropped some...

www.hunttalk.com

Be carefull...TSS and the steel in some barrels dont work well together...barrel damage. Same with some other HD shot.

If you have interchangeable chokes or barrels proofed for steel you are generally OK.

 

[Jnasa]

I think TSS can be great. I just haven’t used it. I have had no problems using my copper plated lead loads. I’m not shooting past 40 yards and most of my shots are working 25.

If people want to use tss I don’t blame them. However, I’m sick of people saying “it’s the ethical thing to do”. I don’t see how my turkeys could have been any “deader” with the lead loads than anything else. I would argue it’s more ethical to call them in closer than take a long shot with TSS.

I think it is better. Not worth it to me for how I hunt turkeys. If you want to reach out further or hunt with a sub gauge it is the way to go.

 

[OldManOnTheMountain]

I have to admit that TSS is the best load on the market. Nothing drops turkeys faster. After watching a hundred or more turkeys shot with lead roll over and flop for a few minutes after the shot, I was amazed to see those shot with TSS often just drop and lie relatively still. I cannot explain the reason for that. TSS is all my son ever shoots, partly because I am buying them and partly because he is still at that stage where he does not want a single bird to walk away except by his choice. In fairness, he also has fewer opportunities to hunt. On the other hand, I like calling them up right into my lap. My Thanksgiving bird was killed with a model 42 (.410 bore) at 8 yards. He had no trouble dying. I would love to shoot TSS through it but resist the temptation because I do not want to damage the old, softer steel barrel. No sweat. Lead or bismuth 7's work just fine out to 25 yards. i aim a bit higher to put more pellets in the head rather than the neck.

In the end, TSS is expensive, but what does the price of a few shells amount to over the course of a season compared to the price of fuel, etc? I would shoot it exclusively if I could. That said, it certainly is not necessary. People killed turkeys for a very long time before discovering tungsten shot, and why send money to China if at all possible when you know it will someday come right back at Americans in the form of missiles? If you do decide to go with TSS, buy the right choke. It does not shoot well through the same chokes as lead or steel.

 

[OldManOnTheMountain]

Its ok for the turkey to win sometimes.

Absolutely. And besides, you want turkey season to last a while, don't you?

 

[bigsky2]

I didn’t even realize shooting turkeys with a shotgun at 60 yards was a thing until I read this. I’ll admit I’m a very casual turkey hunter and all my turkey hunting has been in a western state where turkey hunting is relatively easy, but I can’t even wrap my head around needing to shoot more than 30 yards at a turkey. I guess if I was an eastern hunter and opportunities to kill a bird were more limited, maybe I’d have a totally different opinion. For where I live, if I can’t get within 30 yards then the bird wins.

 

[PurgatoryGulch]

Worth it is subjective. There are two camps here:

First is the "I have all this time and money in hunting, I want the best odds possible"

Mine is the "any old shot kills fine".

Ive shot two turkeys with steel duck loads. One was while duck hunting with an Improved Cylinder choke at 30 yards using cheap winchester xpert #4 steel shot.

Another was really close with a Low Modified choke in an over under using Hevi shot #4 steel loads. Which are a scam themself, they dont do anything the expert doesnt do better but are 2x the price. This one i called in.

Personally I would get a call or two from a custom maker such as Don Lutjen and be real good at getting the turkeys in close, before i worried about wasting money on expensive chokes and very expensive shot.

My standard turkey load is Kent 3" #4 fastlead. Very heavy load for a reasonable price, pretty much a go to for anything from rabbits to coyote, and all the non waterfowl birds in between.

Really I think about anything will work. If you have a spread out choke and make 10 or so pellets i to the body that will kill without ruining meat.

I would set up a 17 hmr before i would invest $300 in turkey chokes and another $300 in special high end turkey shells. Then you can shoot 200 yards and have ammunition be 28 cents a shot.

 

[PurgatoryGulch]

I didn’t even realize shooting turkeys with a shotgun at 60 yards was a thing until I read this. I’ll admit I’m a very casual turkey hunter and all my turkey hunting has been in a western state where turkey hunting is relatively easy, but I can’t even wrap my head around needing to shoot more than 30 yards at a turkey. I guess if I was an eastern hunter and opportunities to kill a bird were more limited, maybe I’d have a totally different opinion. For where I live, if I can’t get within 30 yards then the bird wins.

On windy days in wyoming i can walk up behind them and get closer than 30 yards

 

[PurgatoryGulch]

I don't feel the need to shoot 3 1/2s at turkeys (or anything else, for that matter). I'm not that mad at them.

While I would tnd to agree with you, im not going to bash the guy for it. The lat 5 years have been incredibly difficult to get any particular hunting ammunition. More than once i settled for what i could get. Thats how 2023 saw me shooting a turkey with xpert #4 steel.

 

[PurgatoryGulch]

Yes, it’s magical

Depends, but probably no

Its magical, but do you need the magic? I sure dont have any issue tagging out every year without this magic.

 

[PurgatoryGulch]

Camo at $$$, calls at $$$$, shotguns, chokes, scouting trips gas at $$$$, drive distances at $$$$, trip hotels, trucks at $$$$, food, gas, camping, RV's at $$$$. The one thing where rubber meets the road that can increase possibility of success always seems to be ammo.? We spend a lot of money on our pursuits of critters, why not use the best ammo too? We reload not with the cheapest components to get the best performance either. One arrow with decent broadhead and lighted nock is far more expensive and after running thru deer, not so much.

We all do things differently to chase feathers and fur which makes the world go around. Use what floats your boat (that is worthy of 25 pages too). Better to be in the woods than not at all. The woods is the universal vaccination for better health.

PSA: Shooting 3 1/2's is just a reminder to see your ortho doc for cortisone shot.

I was waiting for this.