Franchi Affinity 3, 20g. Apex TSS #9

[mountainhunter1]

in 3 shots: the .575 averaged 326 pellets in 10" circle and 204 in the 20" circle. 530 total avg.

in 4 shots: the .585 averaged 306 pellets in 10" circle and 226 in the 20" circle. 532 total avg.

I'm in the process of building another shotgun in the offseason. I will probably get the .585 for sure for this latest gun based on all that I have seen (including your results), - but wonder if maybe Ranman is correct where he responded to you a bit earlier about someone needing to try the Trulock .590 which is also offered in the Precision Hunter line. I am tempted to believe (Based on all that I have seen and from your results as well) that that choke would run in the high 280's average in the ten and around 245-250 or maybe more on average in the twenty. I really like to stay at 300 or so in my core, but if that choke could average 245 plus in the outer twenty, that would be an amazing setup worth considering.

I was looking at your results, and if you take that one outlier out of your tests where your twenty-count dropped into the 190's, you were averaging 236.3 in the twenty for the other three combined shots with the .585. I know you went with the .575, but I really believe just based on your results that you posted, that the .585 is for your gun - the ever so slightly better all-around choke just because it gives you more leeway. With 306 in the ten for your overall average, you will be right at 199 in the ten at fifty, and at 130 or maybe a hair more in the ten at sixty yards (highly doubt you will ever shoot one anywhere near that far), but the point is it does show that your inner ten inch core is still plenty good on a longer than 40 yard shot even with the more open constriction.

Thank you again for posting your results. I hope that folks will take notice because any 3-5 shot average tells a whole lot more about a gun than just firing one or two shots which can lie to the shooter at times. I really like both chokes in your gun, but honestly feel from your results that the .585 is by a hair the superior choke of those two for your particular gun. Either way, you are well armed.

If I get a .590, I will let you know how it matches up with the .575 and .585. I am ever trying new chokes just to see what they will do. I honestly like patterning guns about as good as turkey hunting itself. Anyway, Your feedback is most beneficial for everyone reading on here, and I appreciate you posting it.   

[ragin-cajun]

Mountain: I rarely shoot past 40 so either choke will work fine. let me know ur test results.

   Honestly, one of my lower outside counts may have been a 3 inch hevi shot shell that mighta got mixed in my shells. Who knows.. At this point I'm just trying to keep dead center.

[mountainhunter1]

With TSS, I learned early on that the outer 20 inch coverage is really more important than the inner ten. Any TSS load through a modern choke will put more than enough in the ten to kill a bird to reasonable ranges, but a lot of chokes with great ten coverage will be sparse in the outer twenty pellet count, and that is where you miss birds.

To your reply, I totally agree and would take either of your setups to the woods, - and if I missed a bird, would know it was not the gun. I have a brand-new IC .570 just begging to get out of the box and screwed into something. I will try that first, and if that does not work, I will get a .585 Trulock Precision Hunter and possibly a .590 and let you know how they do. Please let us know if you try anything else and it shoots good for you in your gun. Thanks again. 

[kwild835]

With TSS, I learned early on that the outer 20 inch coverage is really more important than the inner ten. Any TSS load through a modern choke will put more than enough in the ten to kill a bird to reasonable ranges, but a lot of chokes with great ten coverage will be sparse in the outer twenty pellet count, and that is where you miss birds.

To your reply, I totally agree and would take either of your setups to the woods, - and if I missed a bird, would know it was not the gun. I have a brand-new IC .570 just begging to get out of the box and screwed into something. I will try that first, and if that does not work, I will get a .585 Trulock Precision Hunter and possibly a .590 and let you know how they do. Please let us know if you try anything else and it shoots good for you in your gun. Thanks again.

This ^^^

[ragin-cajun]

agree with everything u typed...

solid point on the 20 circle count... one thing gleaned in testing chokes: some chokes threw a tight 10 circle had a lot of fliers OUTSIDE the 20. know ur total pellet count in the SHELL is paramount. one reason is chose the 575/585 Trulocks is they distributed the majority of the 590 pellets of the #9 Apex TSS IN the 10 AND 20 circles.

IC 570 had a nice pattern. the 10/20 circle were just "better" w/ the Trulocks.

[mountainhunter1]

agree with everything u typed...

solid point on the 20 circle count... one thing gleaned in testing chokes: some chokes threw a tight 10 circle had a lot of fliers OUTSIDE the 20. know ur total pellet count in the SHELL is paramount. one reason is chose the 575/585 Trulocks is they distributed the majority of the 590 pellets of the #9 Apex TSS IN the 10 AND 20 circles.

IC 570 had a nice pattern. the 10/20 circle were just "better" w/ the Trulocks.

That has been my finding as well. Too tight of a constriction and you start blowing the pattern out and/or you find that it patterns on a left or right diagonal across the paper target. Trulock is a great deal for what they cost. Mr. George (and now his sons) have provided a great product to the common hunting man. I will be back when I get this latest gun together and let you know how it shoots.

[Ridge Rooster]

Great post with a lot of excellent information! 

I have been loading TSS for several years now and started looking for the maximum I could get in the 10".  That seems to be what a lot of hunters like to see.  Probably the number one thing guys look at when they are buying chokes.  I understand that thought process and once shared that same mentality.  In my opinion I think that the 20" count is probably more important, especially at ranges we all should be shooting (40 and in).

I have been an Indian Creek fan for a long time, and as far as Max in the 10", they are hard to beat.  Saying that I really like the looks of the Tru-Lock patterns that Cajun has posted and really wanting to try the .585 and .575 in my latest project M1 24" barrel 20ga.

Curious how they are designed, as far as internals?  I talked to one of the Tru-Lock reps at the NWTF in Nashville last year but things were pretty busy and didn't get to ask a lot of details.

Ridge Rooster