Podcast: The Fact About TSS Turkey Masses

Tungsten Tremendous Shot is the most well liked factor to hit the turkey searching world because the pop-up blind, however nonetheless, so many hunters don’t perceive its efficiency — or its limitations. 

In hopes of shedding some gentle on this very dense, wildly costly, and unnecessarily controversial pellet materials, I sat down with Adam Moser, the director of product engineering for shotshells at Federal Premium. Federal, in spite of everything, was the primary main ammo firm to broadly provide TSS masses. I additionally caught up with my fanatical turkey searching buddy Josh Dahlke, the VP of content material for HuntStand. Dahlke has witnessed greater than 100 turkeys get shot with TSS masses. If anybody can clarify the physics behind TSS, it’s Moser. If anybody can element its turkey killing capabilities, it’s Dahlke.

What Is TSS, Precisely?

The time period TSS is reserved for a Tungsten-based pellet materials that has a density of about 18 g/cc. For reference, lead shot has a density of about 11.2 g/cc. A TSS pellet is 95 % tungsten and 5 % nickel and iron — these metals assist to bind the shot materials. TSS is shaped by metallic injection molding, which might be roughly described as taking a mix of metallic powders and heating them up after which molding them right into a spherical form. The pellets are then hardened, floor, and polished for his or her closing dimension and end. 

This manufacturing course of and the price of harvesting tungsten from the earth are what drive up the price of TSS, Moser says. 

“Lead is about 1 to 2 {dollars} per pound and tungsten is 30, 35, to 40 bucks per pound, relying on the place you’re getting it from,” he says. 

Are TSS Pellets Really Heavier?  

Dimension being equal, sure, TSS pellets are considerably heavier than lead pellets. Nonetheless TSS pellets sometimes are available smaller shot sizes than what turkey hunters shoot when using lead pellets. The most typical pellet sizes for TSS are No. 7s and No. 9s. The most typical pellet sizes for lead turkey masses are No. 5s and No. 6s. 

As you possibly can see within the chart, a No. 5 pellet is barely heavier than a No. 7 TSS pellet and considerably heavier than a No. 9 TSS pellet.

So What Is the Benefit of Capturing TSS?

The actual benefit of taking pictures TSS comes from pellet penetration and sample density at distance. Let’s focus on penetration first. 

Right here’s the essential physics idea to know: smaller, denser pellets retain velocity higher and penetrate higher than bigger, much less dense pellets. If you need the mathematics on this, then Moser says it’s extra helpful for turkey hunters to have a look at penetration power than kinetic power. Penetration power is the measure of pellet power per cross-sectional space, Moser says. In different phrases, it’s the kinetic power of the pellet divided by its floor space, additionally known as the 2D space of the pellet (Ke=1/2 mv^2).

Right here’s a pattern of penetration power generated from 1200 FPS muzzle velocity at 40 yards.

• No. 7 TSS pellet: 535 ft-lb/in²
• No. 9 TSS pellet: 374 ft-lb/in² 
• No. 5 lead pellet: 241 ft-lb/in² 
• No. 6 lead pellet: 205 ft-lb/in² 

As you possibly can see, each TSS pellet sizes carry much more penetration power at 40 yards than the lead pellet sizes.

Pellets kill a turkey by penetrating its vitals, particularly the central nervous system (spinal twine and mind). You need to see a number of pellet strikes within the head and neck. A dense sample is essential and that is the place TSS actually outperforms lead, particularly TSS No. 9 shot. Due to the small shot sizes TSS masses provide far larger pellet counts than lead turkey masses. Right here’s a fast have a look at pellet counts.

Additionally, as a result of TSS is so arduous, there’s much less pellet deformation, fewer flyers, and higher general sample effectivity. 

At What Distance Can You Kill a Turkey with TSS?

You’ll definitely hear tales of hunters killing turkeys with TSS at 70 yards and past. However this doesn’t imply it’s best to try photographs at these ranges. Each hunter wants to ascertain their very own most efficient vary with their setup and expertise. With TSS the vital elements are sample density (not penetration power) and your taking pictures means.  

For an efficient killing sample, there’s a long-standing guideline of 100 pellets or extra in a 10-inch circle. This ensures a number of pellet strikes within the head and neck, so long as you place the core of your sample on the right track (learn our information on the place to shoot a turkey). The perfect 12-gauge turkey shotguns paired with an applicable choke will accomplish this with a TSS turkey load from 40 to 60 yards. In my evaluate of the greatest .410 turkey masses, I used to be in a position to constantly put 100 or extra pellets on the right track at 40 yards with a number of TSS load/gun mixtures.

You may need to do some experimenting with totally different chokes and cargo mixtures to make it occur. Simply keep in mind that in the event you optimize your sample for lengthy vary, it’s going to turn into ultra-tight at quick ranges, which makes it a lot simpler to overlook a close-range hen. 

So what about pellet power? The conventional rule of thumb was that you simply want a minimal of two.5 ft-lbs per pellet to be able to kill a turkey. However this concept comes from a historical past of taking pictures lead masses and isn’t relevant to TSS pellets.

“Beneath that guideline, a No. 9 TSS pellet wouldn’t have sufficient power to kill a turkey at 35 yards, which we all know isn’t true,” says Moser. 

Dahlke is aware of from years of discipline expertise {that a} stable sample of TSS will kill a turkey at 60 yards with good taking pictures, each time. And that’s the place he units his private most distance. The one option to set your personal max taking pictures distance is by doing a little trustworthy patterning work. Merely discover the vary at which you and your setup can now not put about 100 TSS pellets inside a 10-inch circle over the middle of your goal constantly, then don’t shoot past that vary.  

If all goes properly, it will value you a couple of field of turkey masses (which can be about $65 in the event you’re taking pictures a 12 gauge). My course of is to first get my shotgun sighted in with cheaper goal masses. Then I’ll shoot one TSS load at 40 yards. Assuming it throws an excellent sample of about 250 or extra pellet strikes inside a 10-inch circle, I’ll transfer again to 60 and shoot three patterns. If at that vary I’m constantly placing about 100 pellets inside a 10-inch circle over the center of my goal, then I do know I’m good to go. If not, I do know I’ve to restrict myself to nearer photographs or begin experimenting with totally different chokes and masses.