# TSS, factory loads of Semi Custom!



## deast1988 (Feb 2, 2018)

Federal has discontinued the heavyweight turkey loads they have now got into TSS. By offering 7.5 and #9 shot. I read 18g/cc makes those little #9s hit around lead shot #5 level. Cabelas has a back order option but I've yet to see any instock any where.

Apex Ammo out of Mississippi first one last year to offer TSS. They are back logged an shutdown do to shows a flag pops up on the website. I've shot thier 20ga it's wicked option to those that do not reload tss.

Nitro Ammo, now also offers. I actually called them 7 times today. They are the hardest to get in touch with but they do offer TSS loaded shells and appear to be the highest priced. 

Maybe a TSS loader can chime in but Federal and Apex bothdo 18g/cc Nitro says 18.5g/cc.

Nitros numbers seem to be highest offered they could be using #9.5 to pad the counts since it is a 18.5g/cc tss they are using.

I've seen a lot of talk on tss. These are the 3options you can try to get legal loaded ammo from. Could be more but I'm not sure about those.

I've got some Apex rounds and Ill keep trying Nitro till I get through.


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## Buckman18 (Feb 2, 2018)

I'm sure TSS is great, but so are Longbeards and for only about $17/box of 10. I'll just stick with them in my 12.

May get the TSS for my daughters 410 double.


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## deast1988 (Feb 2, 2018)

Buckman18 said:


> I'm sure TSS is great, but so are Longbeards and for only about $17/box of 10. I'll just stick with them in my 12.
> 
> May get the TSS for my daughters 410 double.



I just said what I've found out about them, apex did 290 in my Winchester 20ga prob could easily do more if I wanted to keep switching chokes. TSS isn't for everyone, dead is dead. I like the lil 20s. Youth model 870 hunts like a dream, if I shoot a 20 I like the peace of mind that if I get one hung up or on borderline or if I misjudge I'm still covered.

Some 12ga TSS, is extreme as far as performance but dead is dead. I won't knock anyone just have seen traffic regarding it An wanted to inform what I've seen regarding it.

I'm not sponsored by any company, if folks wanna spend the money for ammo upgrades I just thought I might could shed some light.

Nitro currently testing .410s an 10ga loads

Apex had all the gauges covered at one point.


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## Gamblinman (Feb 6, 2018)

After some of the trash I've seen Nitro load in their shells, I sold everything I had. Unround shot, pixie dust. For what you pay for their shells, you would expect better.


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## RoadRunner (Feb 6, 2018)

I ordered some of the federal tss from cabelas a few weeks back. I’ll let you know how they do when they come in.


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## fountain (Feb 6, 2018)

Gamblinman said:


> After some of the trash I've seen Nitro load in their shells, I sold everything I had. Unround shot, pixie dust. For what you pay for their shells, you would expect better.



You likely sold perfectly good shells.  Hevi shot is known for its snowman shapes and all of it is like that.  Cut open a regular hevi 13 shell and see what it looks like.  They have some pretty odd shapes in them


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## deast1988 (Feb 6, 2018)

Hevi shot and expert steel both have been randomly shaped pieces of metal

Heavyweight and extended range were perfectly round.


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## Gut_Pile (Feb 6, 2018)

Gamblinman said:


> After some of the trash I've seen Nitro load in their shells, I sold everything I had. Unround shot, pixie dust. For what you pay for their shells, you would expect better.



Most hevi-shot is not round and that "pixie dust" was most likely buffer or flax seed. 

Those shells were most likely in perfect condition


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## deast1988 (Feb 6, 2018)

Federal says they selling tss at the booth in NWTF. If Somebody wants to get me a box I can pay for it. They said attendees of the show will get a discount. Found it on YouTube. It might be released to the public till they showcase in Tennessee.


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## fountain (Feb 6, 2018)

I'm not understanding the price difference between the apex shells and federal.  I realize the federal are 1/8 oz lighter, but they are also bout $15 cheaper.  I guess I will have to do a head to head comparison and see.  I'd like to buy from apex as they made the big leap to get into the market, but at 43 a box, that's expensive.   I will load my own, but would also support them some by sending other to them


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## deast1988 (Feb 7, 2018)

Rodgers had 3in 12 ga tss for sale a bit ago. Still in stock with a mail in rebate


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## DRBugman85 (Feb 8, 2018)

MacksPW has the APEX TSS,5 pack with 7.5,8 and 9 size shot but it's prices are HIGH.For my hunting Longbeard XR will work just fine.For a lead shotshell the price is a lot cheaper and as all ready posted dead is dead.


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## hawglips (Feb 8, 2018)

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=239746


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## deast1988 (Feb 8, 2018)

hawglips said:


> http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?t=239746



Thx, I spend a load of money on travel to and from. When I strike a bird I wanna shoot the best I can no handicaps. TSS is expensive it's not for everyone. I just wanted to let folks know what is currently available if you don't handload. Remember handloaders aren't legally allowed to sell it. So Apex, Nitro and now Federal are the options you have if you wanna try to shoot some. It's not cheap, some turkey chokes won't work for it. But it carrys the mail farther then what some people would consider reasonable shot distances. I shoot it long as I can get it, no reason if I'm driving 3hrs one way to hunt some turkeys I can't afford a $8 shell. Just my thoughts on it.


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## winford (Mar 4, 2018)

The fun of turkey hunting is calling them in close. Want to kill them out 70 to 100 yrds might as well use a rifle.  Ill stick with my  winchester longbeards also.


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## DRBugman85 (Mar 4, 2018)

winford said:


> The fun of turkey hunting is calling them in close. Want to kill them out 70 to 100 yrds might as well use a rifle.  Ill stick with my  winchester longbeards also.


This ☝,I can understand why you carry turkey calls to work a gobbler and then take a shot at 70 yards,the reason I hunt turkeys is to watch the show till his close enough for a clean kill.The Longbeard XR will with the right choke  cleanly harvest any Gobblers I hunt. After hunting turkeys for 52 years and shot every shotgun shell Longbeard XR surpassed them All. IMHO


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## deast1988 (Mar 4, 2018)

Plain bead I pulled, each is there own. I'll shoot TSS, not for distance. Pattern energy, end of the day a Lead #6 is still a lead #6. 18.5gr/cc, 19gr/cc. #9s you get more, each pellet hits harder sometimes way harder then any lead pellet. I counted around 70hits in the targets spine head region. Imagine that as 70 #4 lead shot pellets energy wise. Longbeards work, I shoot them in one of my guns. But I'm in the train of that you can't get dead enough. 
Good Luck this season, I started this to let the folks know who wanna try them what to look for and who makes it. Currently a bunch of folks must like it because it's gone all over.


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## fountain (Mar 4, 2018)

For those that are yelling about long distance shooting, let me give y'all a short history lesson about tss. 
When I first joined here is about the time tss first hit the scene.  None of those guys were shooting it so they could shoot 80 yards.  They did it to drop down to a 20 ga, to be different and for the enjoyment of building and testing loads.  
As years rolled by, those guys quit posting and more people began to load has.  It's sort of a way to extend Turkey season for most.  Again, shooting 80 yards was never a reason.
All that are shooting tss today are working off of a few folks work on developing and testing loads.  Almost none of those post here now.

I have been shooting tss for several years now.  I wanted to go to it for the simple reason of getting away from the brutal beating my 835 and nitros were giving me.  It was a way for me drop recoil and gain better patterns all the while having the hardest hitting load I could get.  Yep, I could even fudge on yardage some and still be ok...all the while shooting a 20 ga.
Longbeards weren't out back then.  They would have been a great option for the 12 ga, but I still would have went to tss for the fun/challenge of loading.  I could load a few shells here and there and think about Turkey hunting all year.  It is also enjoyable to load shells and see the pattern after,  knowing I had loaded them.  The same with killing with shells I loaded
I also loved the looks I got when people asked what gun/load I shot and I told them #9s.


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## PSEOutlaw07 (Mar 4, 2018)

Just FYI the Federal only sales 1 3/4 oz shot in their 3in shells
but Apex puts 2.25oz in their 3in shells, soo that's a lot more shot
(which is kinda the whole point, along with weight of tungsten)
Yes you can get 2.25oz in Federal but you have to go to 3.5in shell, and a lot of ppl shotgun only shoot 3in.
I'm currently waiting on some APEX to come available, until then Longbeard xr's


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## pacecars (Mar 4, 2018)

Get with Hawglips and order some shot. I had never loaded shot shells before but wanted to use a 28 gauge for Turkey after learning about TSS. No need for a press if you order primed hulls. It was so easy to load following his recipes. He has been a great help. I really don't consider cost a big factor with Turkey loads. I mean you will shoot more pattering them the you will shooting actual Turkeys if your regulations are like Florida where the limit is 2 per season


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## fountain (Mar 4, 2018)

1 3/4 is a gracious plenty.  2 oz would be ideal having roughly 91 more pellets, but the 20s only have a 1 5/8 oz load and typically get over 300 in 10" circle at 40.


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## Gadget (Mar 13, 2018)

fountain said:


> For those that are yelling about long distance shooting, let me give y'all a short history lesson about tss.
> When I first joined here is about the time tss first hit the scene.  None of those guys were shooting it so they could shoot 80 yards.  They did it to drop down to a 20 ga, to be different and for the enjoyment of building and testing loads.
> As years rolled by, those guys quit posting and more people began to load has.  It's sort of a way to extend Turkey season for most.  Again, shooting 80 yards was never a reason.
> All that are shooting tss today are working off of a few folks work on developing and testing loads.  Almost none of those post here now.
> ...





Hey Fountain.....long time, hope your doing well.

Guess it's been about 10yrs since I started developing TSS loads, hard to believe it's been that long already. Still hunting with my 20ga Savage 220, usually either TSS 9s or lead 7 handloads in the barrel these days.


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## fountain (Mar 13, 2018)

Hey Rick,  glad to see you're still lurking around here.  The coming forth of commercial tss has created quite a stir it seems.  I haven't been at it as long as you and several others, but I'm not far behind.  I'm sure most are shooting loads very similar to what you came up/helped come up with with back them


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## Swamprat (Mar 13, 2018)

winford said:


> The fun of turkey hunting is calling them in close. Want to kill them out 70 to 100 yrds might as well use a rifle.  Ill stick with my  winchester longbeards also.



Yep, can kill them just as dead at 30 yards with a shell that is half the price. I am shooting #5 3" longbeards. No issues and folded one like a lawn chair at 48 yards 2 years ago.


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## brian lancaster (Mar 22, 2018)

is it best to use a improved cylinder with the tss shells


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## Permitchaser (Mar 31, 2018)

I re- load rifle ammunition but not shot shells so forgive my stupidity what is TSS.  I have an 835, I shoot 3 1\2" federal premiums with a tightwad choke.  I've killed them out to 50 paces but I don't make a habit of that.  30 yards is fine


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