Question for TSS shooters/hunters

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decoykrvr
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Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by decoykrvr »

I shoot TSS because when properly loaded, choked, and patterned it is in a ballistic/performance class all its own. I know my gun, ammunition and skill set from 10-60 yards. With that said, I'm curious about the ranges that the hunters on this site killed their birds this year. Shooting a 20 gauge w/ 1 5/8 oz of 9's over 9 1/2's, my 2 gobblers were called in and killed at 15 yards and 30 yards. I passed up a couple of gobblers in the woods at 40+ yards that I felt presented too much of a potential cripple situation, but then again, I'm not as hungry or numbers driven as I once was!
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by Samm4770 »

I seen a guy this year shoot a bird at 60 yards in an open field with 12 gauge 2oz tss load. Was shocked when I paced it off. I didn’t believe him at first but it was a long shot. To far for my comfort zone.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by guesswho »

Mine this year were between 18-26 yards.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by OLE RASPY »

Killed both mine in ky with 3.5” #9 tss at 25 and 30 yards. They still flopped. One actually flopped in a damn briar thicket. I got cut up some on my arms. Lol.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by OLE RASPY »

Shot a coyote at 50 yards with same load right in the face and it dropped hard. Then got up spun a few times and I’m pretty sure it went in the neighbors wheat field that was waist high. I didn’t go looking as I’m sure it died.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by ShortMagFan »

Two of my and one of my son’s kills were on the outer limit of my comfort zone. My son had to lean around the tree after the bird circle us - so I couldn’t see it- he dropped the bird. When I walked up to it I lasered the tree we were against - 55 yards. Yikes. Pretty sure if I had been able to see the turkey when he shot I would have told him to hold off
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el diablo
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by el diablo »

Mine were between 17-51. Called in 3 more for friends and they were 20, 38, and 44.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by Hoobilly »

guesswho wrote: May 30th, 2023, 8:59 pm Mine this year were between 18-26 yards.
81-62?
I have dyslexia :LMAO:
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by soiltester »

Hoobilly wrote: May 30th, 2023, 9:51 pm
guesswho wrote: May 30th, 2023, 8:59 pm Mine this year were between 18-26 yards.
81-62?
I have dyslexia :LMAO:
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Chief Razor
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by Chief Razor »

35 yards was the longest shot I took this year. My personal goal is to get them under 40.
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MFL205
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by MFL205 »

Chief Razor wrote: May 30th, 2023, 10:12 pm 35 yards was the longest shot I took this year. My personal goal is to get them under 40.
I 2nd that. Saw many die this spring and the farthest was 40. Even with a 20 gauge and TSS, I don’t push past 40. If I can’t get them inside of 40, they get to walk and we get to play the game again the next day.

That’s just me personal comfort zone, but I get way more satisfaction out of a good hunt than the actual kill.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by swampchicken »

All but 1 of my birds were well under 40yds. Longest one was 57yds and running straight away made for an easy double opportunity. Archery birds this year were 12yds or less. Most of the shotgun kills were 25yds or less.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by Spuriosity »

30 and 40 for me this year
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by slick »

11 long beards died this spring from my hand loads. From 18 to 41yds. All from 20ga's
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by guesswho »

Hoobilly wrote: May 30th, 2023, 9:51 pm
guesswho wrote: May 30th, 2023, 8:59 pm Mine this year were between 18-26 yards.
81-62?
I have dyslexia :LMAO:
81-62 would be the equivalent distance after you calculate in the difficulty factor of shooting from the drivers side window on a bumpy road at 20 mph.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by Dtrkyman »

15, 30ish, 30ish, 52 my longest shot ever, smooth missed one at 40.

Been shooting TSS for 6-7 years, I would say my average shot is 25-30 yards, I started hand loading TSS just to switch to a lighter gun and it was not yet available commercially.

Rarely shoot one over 40, maybe 3 in that 6 or 7 years, all with the 20ga.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by okiefowler »

25 (20 gauge) and 35 (28 gauge) for me. Missed one at 45 with the 28 gauge that I misjudged for 40. Think that one was more my fault than anything.

I rolled one at 62 a few years back. Really didn't mean to shoot him at that far, I thought he was 50 which was well within the abilities of my gun but uphill and wide open screwed with me that day.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by Gooserbat »

I don't know what the exact range was on all of mine but my Oklahoma bird was 66 yards. Stone dead with 2oz of tss#8. Just remember that taking longer shots you need to allow for holdover. I am at the top of the head.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by Dlogan601 »

Gooserbat wrote: May 31st, 2023, 6:36 pm I don't know what the exact range was on all of mine but my Oklahoma bird was 66 yards. Stone dead with 2oz of tss#8. Just remember that taking longer shots you need to allow for holdover. I am at the top of the head.
HOLDOVER is the key word. Tss has some darn good down range energy but it starts dropping a good bit after 45 yds in my testing. I’ve seen a lot of birds missed because of people not holding the dot at the top of the head
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by decoykrvr »

My main problem w/ the marketing hype pushed by the manufacturers and media on the long-range efficacy of TSS is that because of the shell's cost, inexperience, or just laziness a lot of nimrods go into the field thinking they have a shell capable of 65-70 yard kills with out ever shooting or patterning at that range, resulting in crippled birds. There is no substitute for practice and patterning, knowing your firearm and ammunition. Historically, my only long range kill is a gobbler last year at @ 60+ yards which was dropped stone dead w/ a 20 gauge, 1 5/8 oz load of 8's over 9's which was at the limit of my shooting/patterning experience, but I knew what my rig would do at that range and the required holdover.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by Spuriosity »

And do not discount wind drift. At 60 yds, the pattern will drift 13" with a 10 mph direct crosswind, something not unusual at all in spring, especially on the plains. The shot is capable at 60 yds, but a lot can go wrong at that distance.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by TRKYMAN »

This year I killed one with a 2 3/4" 1.5oz of 8s at 20 yards with a 20ga and flopped a couple times and one a 38 yards with 3" LBXRS 6s and never flopped (12ga). A couple years ago I shot one with the 9.5s 383 stokers past 40 and only flopped a couple times and killed one with 3" LBXRS 6s (12ga) at 53 and flopped a couple times. It all depends on your set up and how comfortable you are at making the shot. Me personally I want them sub 40 yards but will not shoot past 50 yards.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by poorcountrypreacher »

Spuriosity wrote: June 1st, 2023, 7:50 am And do not discount wind drift. At 60 yds, the pattern will drift 13" with a 10 mph direct crosswind, something not unusual at all in spring, especially on the plains. The shot is capable at 60 yds, but a lot can go wrong at that distance.
Amen to that. I did a lot of testing about 15 years ago when Hal got several of us started with the TSS handloads. I bought a lot of the cheap shot from Kyle Smith when he went out of business and then wasted most of it shooting paper. I did some testing at 75, and that was with 3.5" 2 oz load of #8 at 1250 fps. I remember that I still had a killing pattern at that range, but putting it on the target was a real challenge. There was over a foot of drop, and any cross wind would diminish the pattern and move it. But even though there was a relatively small kill pattern, the cripple pattern was big.

In order to take long shots with TSS, one would need to do a whole lot of shooting at various ranges and then use a range finder on the turkey before the shot. It would be much easier to just not shoot that far.

I haven't used a 12 gauge on them in about a decade, and I try to get them inside about 40 for my 20 gauge. I would be willing to stretch that to 50 in a perfect situation, but haven't shot one that far in a long time. I shot 4 this past season, all were inside 30. I wasn't trying to get them that close, it just worked out that way. Once I have a shot around 40 I will take it.
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by kythunter »

Killed 3 gobblers this year all with 2oz #9 handload 12ga 2-3/4" Franchi Affinity 3.
1st gobbler 40
2nd gobbler 52 RFV
3rd gobbler 77 estimated in woods. My longest kill by far. The gobbler was dead at the shot.
I don't normally take really long shots, but this season was different. I know my equipment. I suppose we would all like to call them into 35 yards but that isn't always the case. It's hunting and sometimes you take the shot given. It's nice to have confidence in the shell you load and your gun/choke combo.
Was on 4 others kills with 4 buddies (30, 40, 57, and a long way) all hand loads 1-5/8oz #9, 2oz #9, and 2.25oz #8.5
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Re: Question for TSS shooters/hunters

Post by 2nd100 »

In order of kill date .
One at 7 yds
One at 42 yds . My longest shot since 2016
One at 36 that I fringed and had to body shoot at 50 with #9 TSS .
Then one at 41 yds .
All rangefinder yardage. All 20 ga 1 5/8 oz #9 .

The 2016 shot was my last 12 ga bird . And it was hevi 13 #7 in a 3.5 Browning Maxus .
6 seasons later and everything has been TSS in 410 or a 20 ga . And in thoese 6 years I've killed 30 ish and they have ranged from 7 yards to 39 laser range finder yards .
I have been trying to figure out a cheaper load for the first shot and backing it up with the 1 5/8 load . Just to be more economical since adding optics . It's really call em close and a one shot deal these days .

And this is coming from someone that was chasing them out west from 2000 to 2016 and knew that I needed the best loads I could find . Alot of birds in that time were shot at extended ranges just because I was driven by a different mindset then . Believe me I still like to kill them but don't think i gota kill em all nowadays.
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