Crunched some numbers

[Andy S.]

All of these are with REM 12 GA 870 SP with 23" bbl.

What I typically hunt with. 3.5" Magblends, 2 1/4 oz shot (5,6,7), IC .665

3" Econo Load with NO Buffer (1 oz TSS #9s, 1 1/4 oz PB 7.5s), IC .665

3" Econo Load with NO Buffer (1 oz TSS #9s, 1 1/4 oz PB 7.5s), C-N-C .675

 

[fairchaser]

Good number crunching Andy. But for some of us who don't get it, what were your conclusions? They all look good to me.

 

[Andy S.]

They are all killers out to 45 yards or so, no doubt about it. I am somewhat splitting hairs at this point. I hand loaded the last two shells, thus here are a few pros to that: they can be shot in a 3" gun, they had less recoil, I will always KNOW what is inside the hull from this point forward as long as the reloading components are available, and the TSS (Tungsten Super Shot) is very dense (18 grams/cubic centimeter), compared to lead (11.2g/cc) and HEVI (12g/cc), which is great for downrange energy and penetration. Furthermore, you can shoot a smaller shot in Tungsten (#9s), thus more pellets going downrange for higher odds of connecting with intended target if you get a good uniform 20" pattern, such as the last picture with .675 C-N-C choke.

 

[Bigg E]

Those hand loads look great Andy. I may try to get the components together for next season. I would like to load some up for my 20.

 

[Andy S.]

I would like to load some up for my 20.

20 GA is where it is at when handloading. I am "tinkering" and learning along the way with my 12 this year to kind of get a handle on everything, but plan to have a 20 built for next spring that I will shoot hand loads in. My alibi to my wife will be "Savannah (2 yrs old) needs her own gun"...

 

[Bigg E]

Let me know when you get ready to play with the 20 if you are interested in splitting the costs of some components. How is that trap working?

 

[Andy S.]

Let me know when you get ready to play with the 20 if you are interested in splitting the costs of some components.

Will do.

How is that trap working?

Good thus far. I shot it 8 times recently and recovered 88% of my shot that I can use again in other loads. If I continue to tinker and play with various loads and such, which I will, it will pay for itself after 2-3 shooting sessions.

 

[Bigg E]

it will pay for itself after 2-3 shooting sessions.

No doubt. I hope you get to put those loads to good use in the near future. I have a feeling you will get to use a few in the later part of the season for sure. :tu:

 

[Andy S.]

I hope you get to put those loads to good use in the near future. I have a feeling you will get to use a few in the later part of the season for sure. :tu:

I plan to give her h*ll trying... :grin:

 

[muddyboots]

Great patterns. Why do you say the 20 is better than the 12? I have contemplated the tss but I just can't get away from the nitros. They are wicked medicine as long as I can get them next year. I had enough to do this year.

 

[TheLBLman]

Great patterns. Why do you say the 20 is better than the 12?

Not Andy, but do have a couple cents to add.

I don't think anyone is saying the 20 will pattern better than the 12, but more a case of the 20 being more enjoyable to both carry and shoot. While, apples-to-apples, the 20 may not pattern as well as a 12, because of recent advancements, like TSS shot, the effective range difference between the 20 and the 12 (for turkey hunting) has become negligible. In fact, using most any of the heavier than lead loads, today's 20 gauge can have an effective range equaling or exceeding most 12's loaded with traditional copper-plated lead turkey loads. Of course, apples-to-apples, a 12 loaded with the same density pellets should outperform the 20.

What I like most about the 20 is it's smaller footprint and lighter weight, yet I have a greater effective range with mine than I've had in the past using a 12.

For those not wanting to go the handload route, Federal makes a 20 gauge "Heavyweight" turkey shell that packs 1 1/2 oz of shot which is more dense than the "heavy" shot used in Mag Blends. These particular 20 gauge factory loads (using #7 size shot) compare favorably to the 12 gauge Mag Blends, in terms of maximum range.

 

[TheLBLman]

How is that trap working?

Good thus far. I shot it 8 times recently and recovered 88% of my shot that I can use again in other loads. If I continue to tinker and play with various loads and such, which I will, it will pay for itself after 2-3 shooting sessions.

Interesting idea.
But wouldn't you be "reloading" with at least somewhat deformed recovered pellets?

 

[fairchaser]

What about a muzzle loader shotgun? Seems like you could buy one for the same money as the loading equipment and achieve similar results. But I'm just speculating cause I don't really know.

 

[TheLBLman]

What about a muzzle loader shotgun?

Loading with TSS shot (especially #8 or #9) would be a very effective turkey gun.
But overall much more trouble than worth to me. Guess I'm just more into hunting than the nostalgia of the weapon.

Personally, at least with the 20 gauge, I'm very happy with the Federal Heavyweight #7's, and handloading with TSS does not provide enough anything extra for me to do it. Others feel differently, with many believing there's more reason to do it with the 20 than the 12 (and if not for those Federal Heavyweight #7's, I'd be among them).

The Federal Heavyweight is much closer to TSS than anything else available commercially loaded. IMO, about the only way Federal could improve their offering would be if they made it available in a #7 1/2 shot size, which would provide a slightly denser pattern than the #7's, yet still have downrange penetration comparable to copper-plated #5 lead pellets.

 

[Andy S.]

But wouldn't you be "reloading" with at least somewhat deformed recovered pellets?

If the TSS deforms at all, it is minimal. Some of the veterans reload the "recovered shot" to hunt with and some of the more "selective" guys strictly use it for shooting at paper while testing different load/choke combinations.

 

[Andy S.]

GWhy do you say the 20 is better than the 12?

Not saying it is better per se, but it has it's advantages as Wes has pointed out. In a nutshell, you can load 1 5/8 oz of TSS #9s (585 perfectly round dense as h*ll spheres (pellets)), and you can shoot it in a lightweight 20 gauge and kill turkeys as far as you need to shoot them (out to 60 if need be, but I'm not advocating that). Furthermore, TSS does not have to "choked" down like HEVI, Nitros, etc, as it does not deform and stays together uniformly for every bit of 60 yards, if not further. As one guy put it, "the load will kill as far as the pattern will stay together", which it does better than lead or HEVI. Because it does not have to be choked down, it has more "forgiveness" at the closer ranges in case the shooter accidentally pulls (it happens), or the turkey bobs his head, thus decreasing the odds of a miss at close ranges (< 20 yards). My .02

 

[Andy S.]

As Wes has pointed out, for those who do not want to mess with reloading, the 3" Fed HW #7s for the 20 gauge will suffice for 95% of all turkey hunters and their needs in the turkey woods. A friend of mine shoots them and they will flat out thump an old bird, no doubt about it.