New back for 2025 Hevi - 13 Turkey Shells 12g/cc
Somewhat cheaper alternative coming back .....
I'm just about out of 7's
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Love those early 12-gauge Hevi 7's!! I have a Lifetime supply. Hope they get the RECIPE right though, at a decent price!
Federal Hevi 7's next up on the retro train, pleeeease ??
Quote from: Yoder409 on February 11, 2025, 06:48:05 PMFederal Hevi 7's next up on the retro train, pleeeease ??
Wouldn't that be great ??
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Would not trust anything Hevi put out. They will continue putting out bad ammo and raise the price.
Quote from: boatpaddle on February 11, 2025, 08:34:32 PMQuote from: Yoder409 on February 11, 2025, 06:48:05 PMFederal Hevi 7's next up on the retro train, pleeeease ??
Wouldn't that be great ??
For a lotta folks....YES !!!
It would likely be a bit more economical than the 18 g/cc stuff.
I was fortunate to lay in a lifetime supply before they vanished. Very glad I did.
They're also producing a Hevi-Bismuth Turkey this year.
Quote from: davisd9 on February 11, 2025, 08:37:51 PMWould not trust anything Hevi put out. They will continue putting out bad ammo and raise the price.
They have certainly put ethics to the side in much of their marketing in the past... Environmental Metals (i.e. Hevi-Shot), as certainly utilized some questionable marketing schemes in the past.
Hevi-13 was originally utilized to designate the density of the shot (being 13 g/cc), and then switched to 12 g/cc (without changing the name) without making it obvious to the consumer.
If you are going to purchase an Environmental Metals product, you have to do your research to find exactly what you are purchasing.... And, much of the Hevi products do not make round shot. It is slag-shaped, and not sized well, but still patterns (surprisingly) well. For the original Hevi-Shot, and even the Hevi-13, if you purchased size #6, you are going to have some #4 slag, and some #12 slag, with apparently #6 being the average size of the shot.
Were it available locally, at a decent price, I would still purchase one of their products, as long as I am certain of what I am purchasing.
Quote from: Cityslicker on February 12, 2025, 08:56:31 AMThey're also producing a Hevi-Bismuth Turkey this year.
I would be very interested to know the make-up of the shot and the density... Bismuth is not hard, and needs a lot more choking to pattern tight, and is far more difficult to get tight patterns out of. Might not be a bad choice for wing-shooting (where you want some degree of pattern dispersal), but I would be hesitant to purchase a bismuth turkey load.
I feel like Hevi 13 would be a tough sell in today's world. Not cheap enough to sway lead shooters less performance to pull the TSS guys.
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Quote from: bowbird87 on February 12, 2025, 04:51:05 PMI feel like Hevi 13 would be a tough sell in today's world. Not cheap enough to sway lead shooters less performance to pull the TSS guys.
Would depend on the price-point difference, and availability. Availability is HUGE in California, where we cannot mail order ammo.
I am currently shooting (the last) of a similar load, and it kills birds further than I am willing to shoot them. We cannot shoot lead here in CA, so if it was in the store, and other options were not, I would purchase it. If I have a choice, and it is notably cheaper than other TSS options, I would still get it.
I originally switched from lead to Hevi-Shot due to it being easier to get better patterns, with more down-range energy than lead... When lead became illegal to use in CA for all hunting, it was a no-brainer, as steel is not a good choice at all (in my opinion).
"Would depend on the price-point difference, and availability. Availability is HUGE in California, where we cannot mail order ammo".
Is all the ammo you buy in Cali built/made/loaded in Cali? Probably mail ordered by a supplier.
If you have a specific need/want you should maybe talk personally to them to see what they can get for you.
For 20g 7 shot
Hevi 18 is listed at $83/5
Hevi 13 is listed at $40/5
Quote from: WV Flopper on February 12, 2025, 06:48:39 PMIs all the ammo you buy in Cali built/made/loaded in Cali? Probably mail ordered by a supplier.
If you have a specific need/want you should maybe talk personally to them to see what they can get for you.
For the most part here, what you see on the shelf, is what you get. Not a great place to live if you like shooting.
If I want specific shells, I have to order and have them sent to an FFL and pay some sort of fee. When I see my preferred ammo on the shelf, I buy a bunch.
Law was overturned in court, and there were about 2 days that we could order shells (before the decision was challenged and a stay was put back in place)... I have another year left of duck loads.
Quote from: Number17 on February 12, 2025, 09:30:13 PMFor 20g 7 shot
Hevi 18 is listed at $83/5
Hevi 13 is listed at $40/5
Me... I'd buy the Hevi-13 at that price-point. Especially since I would not have to re-pattern my gun (as I am already shooting that stuff).
Can you buy components to load your own shells in Cali? You can hand load TSS for less than the HEVI 13.
It's really simple!
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Quote from: Dtrkyman on February 13, 2025, 08:57:31 AMCan you buy components to load your own shells in Cali? You can hand load TSS for less than the HEVI 13.
It's really simple!
My issues with beginning to load are cost and time.
So would would be the start-up cost to start loading? MEC Jr. loader, wads, hulls, powder, primers, and of course shot?
On a good year, I am firing 3 shots at a turkey, so I doubt I would break even on the cost of loading for turkey hunting in my lifetime...
I primarily hunt waterfowl, with a lot of dove and upland hunting... Different components there. So of course, I would try to make up some cost by loading that ammunition, but talking to people that do currently load, I would have to be doing a lot of shooting to make up for the start-up cost to begin loading. And my understanding is that factory steel is still cheaper than loading (any) premium shot for waterfowl.
Understandable, I was only referring to TSS, I hand load, no press, roll crimp with a dewalt I already had.
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I use to shoot the hevi 13 magnum blend they were great shells
Love Hevi- 7's
My 870 loves the 3' 2oz #6's Hevi's. Thankfully I still have several boxes.
Quote from: ElkTurkMan on February 14, 2025, 08:22:26 AMMy 870 loves the 3' 2oz #6's Hevi's. Thankfully I still have several boxes.
my dad to this day only used that wal mart 870 express he got in 1990 at wal mart with a comp n choke tube and those shells. great combo!
I only carried it after a part on my 20ga broke last spring, but my SBE2 shoots any "hevi shot type ammo great, I have some xtended range left, but it shot the original Remington version of hevi, the clear white hulled hevi shot and mag blends all extremely well.
Sucked carrying that cannon for a few days in the mountains, the extra lb and change is noticeable, but the xtended range and old Jelly head .660 are lethal!
Quote from: ElkTurkMan on February 14, 2025, 08:22:26 AMMy 870 loves the 3' 2oz #6's Hevi's. Thankfully I still have several boxes.
Hard to trust their quality control
The best load I ever shot was referred to as "old white Hevi 13" number 6 shot. I have one left that I marked 2007. That's about when they stopped making it I think. Great pattern and had a light recoil. The one left will stay in my museum.
Quote from: Number17 on February 12, 2025, 09:30:13 PMFor 20g 7 shot
Hevi 18 is listed at $83/5
Hevi 13 is listed at $40/5
Ouch! H-13 was 21 a box back in the day. I'm glad I got a bunch to shoot still.
Another question that needs to be answered is, is it truly Hevi-13 or is it Hevi-12 in a Hevi-13 box. Not a lot of difference but the first offerings were 13's then came 12 later on. The 13 flat out HAMMERS turkeys! Davisd9 said it best, can you trust their quality control and I'll add, their marketing.
Brice told me that Fox Trot played around with some 13 gr/cc stuff. I personally don't understand the allure of it but to each his own.
Quote from: joey46 on April 07, 2025, 12:42:54 PMThe best load I ever shot was referred to as "old white Hevi 13" number 6 shot. I have one left that I marked 2007. That's about when they stopped making it I think. Great pattern and had a light recoil. The one left will stay in my museum.
A friend passed away and I ended up with 2 white Hevi-13 shells of his. #5 shot, 1 3/4 oz. Not sure I'll shoot them. But cool to look at.
BTW - if anyone comes across that old white Hevi 13 it likes a real tight choke. I used a Kicks Gobbling Thunder .645. Over the years tried other loads and the .645 was spotty. Lots of fliers.
My memory's not that good but I write myself notes and put in my gun box .
Quote from: Gooserbat on April 07, 2025, 01:57:45 PMBrice told me that Fox Trot played around with some 13 gr/cc stuff. I personally don't understand the allure of it but to each his own.
The allure is more pellets of a larger pellet size & cheaper cost.
I do not have the data, but if you could get a similar number of #6 pellets into a shell, as that of #9 pellets, with both shells holding similar pattern density...
TSS allows you to use a smaller pellet and maintain downrange energy with very tight patterns. But there is also something to be said for the size of the wound channel made...
How many more #9 wound channels need to be made than #6 wound channels for instant death?
Energy alone is not lethal. Death occurrs from a shotgun by tissue damage and wound channels, and larger pellets create larger wound channels.
And of course cost... TSS loads on the Hevi-Shot site are just about double in cost. Maybe TSS works better, but how much better and more lethal is TSS than Hevi-Shot? At the ranges most of us proclaim to shoot birds on this form (i.e. 40 yards and under), I doubt there would be ANY significant difference in field preformance.
I do wish that Hevi-Shot would come up with a lower payload option... I have no need or desire to pattern and/or shoot a 2 oz load.