Apex Ammo

[deathfoot]

Just some food for thought. The way you store ammo matters. I know a guy that does competition shotgun shoots. He has an easy 3 grand in his gun. He was complaining to me about slight shifts in impact from shot to shot, and it was enough to keep him out of the money. Per their rules, they have to shoot the ammo supplied to them at the shoot. I told him to take his shells from now on time and tap the base on the table a few times before he loaded up. He is winning money now. Storing shells on their sides will have a negative effect. Over time, the buffer and pellets will settle on the bottom side.

I have now turned my boxes of apex so they aren't sideways. Not sure if this will help but I don't see how it can hurt so I did it. Thank you.

[ShortMagFan]

After the 2021 season I bought a box of every brand TSS I could and patterned them all thru several chokes

Found the magic combo of one brand that consistently put 350+ in the 10". But of course post covid ammo shortage and it was out of stock

Well it came back in stock before the 2022 season and I bought 10 boxes. Did not pattern even close to the same. So had to start over finding a choke that shot that load well in my gun

I've still never gotten back to the patterns I was getting from the 2021 shells. Just to make sure I wasn't crazy I shot my last two of the 2021 shells last spring thru the gun/choke that did beat with them. And for sure just like I remembered, 350+ in the 10"

Long winded way of saying if you find something that shoots to your liking, buy a bunch of the same batch. Components can be identical but a small variation on powder or wad or crimp that the manufacturer may or may not know about can change a lot


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[joey46]

I wish I had bought a lifetime supply of the 2007 run of old white Hevi 13 in #6 shot.  Nothing patterned more consistent in my 12 ga than that shell.  Of course now to buy a bunch of new TSS requires a bank loan. My 12 is going back on a lead diet for it's remaining days.

[zelmo1]

Mrs Z questioned why it took so long to load up a few TSS as opposed to my trap loads. Answer is simple, trap shooting is a volume sport, killing turkeys cleanly is a consistent result sport. My wording sux but you get the idea. I measure my powder and shot so they are identical or at .001+ or -. We shoot our guns a lot and usually it in not a painful experience to get back to zero. On the dedicated turkey guns, no removing or changing anythin, it is usually 3 shots and done. On my SBE 28 it can be a little longer due to the removal of the green dot so I can shoot ducks. Good luck and shoot a lot, Z

[lunghit]

This thread makes me feel better about buying a lifetime of Apex 20 gauge TSS in 2022 and 2023. If there is a problem I hope they get things figured out.

[runngun]

I wish I had bought a lifetime supply of the 2007 run of old white Hevi 13 in #6 shot.  Nothing patterned more consistent in my 12 ga than that shell.  Of course now to buy a bunch of new TSS requires a bank loan. My 12 is going back on a lead diet for it's remaining days.

You are right about that!!! Those shells were great. This conversation is exactly why I started loading my own. I loaded 12 pounds of TSS at the beginning of the year. A few 12 gauge 2 3/4 and a pile of 20s, 1 5/8 of 9s. Which reminds me I have to get a order in for more TSS.

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[tad1]

I shot some of the old ninja apex .410 in the dark red hull, great patterns.  bought some new ninja apex with the plain red hulls and they shoot good as well.  I will say that I had broken my red dot sight on a granite boulder and so a couple of the old shells and a few of the new were sighting in a new red dot.  I would be super leery about shooting shells from a new/different lot even if the manufacturer and specs are the same, without re-patterning the gun.  I try to buy a few boxes at a time and confirm the lot # is the same.  Yes it is pricey but you don't want to shoot a few shells patterning, then shoot a bird, coyote, whatever  and then need a new box which will require confirming again.  I also sight in using standard target loads, (#8 or 9 lead) to get close then move on to the tss.  Then shoot patterns at 20 and 40 yards see how it looks.   Try to use a big patterning paper also, probably 3'x 3', paint a bright dot on the paper so you can ensure aim.  Fire away and try to get it right without spending a fortune!
   JT

[mspaci]

This is why I load my own tss, everything is the same yr over yr. I havent needed to make a single click adj on my red dot in yrs. Its really easy & you dont need alot of equipment. Mike

[RutnNStrutn]

I had a few shells from prior years and they patterned completely different and better than the newer shellsover the last 2 years purchased. Just curious if anyone else has noticed a change.

When I switched from Longbeards, I went to Apex Small Town Blend. After being very satisfied with the results after switching to an Indian Creek choke, I ordered several more boxes.
Then they were always out of stock, so once they were available again, I ordered several boxes. I only shoot one shot before the season to make sure the sight is still true, and then I use it on turkeys.
So far, I haven't noticed a difference in point of impact in either my 12 or 20, but then again I am still shooting the originals I bought initially. When I restocked, they were newer shells in a redesigned box. I'll let you know if they change the POI when I get to the newer ammo, but it might not be until next year or the year after.
Just out of curiosity, did you ever contact Apex about the issue? Every box of Apex has the date of loading and the person who loaded it. I wonder if the batch you got was a change in the formula or sloppiness on the part of the loader? I'm certain that Apex would appreciate hearing from you to find out for themselves.

[RutnNStrutn]

Storing shells on their sides will have a negative effect. Over time, the buffer and pellets will settle on the bottom side.

Makes sense. I just switched all my turkey loads to up and down storage. 
Thanks!!

[Gooserbat]

Unpolished shot is what I've been told. 

[Ol Timer]

I had a few shells from prior years and they patterned completely different and better than the newer shellsover the last 2 years purchased. Just curious if anyone else has noticed a change.

When I switched from Longbeards, I went to Apex Small Town Blend. After being very satisfied with the results after switching to an Indian Creek choke, I ordered several more boxes.
Then they were always out of stock, so once they were available again, I ordered several boxes. I only shoot one shot before the season to make sure the sight is still true, and then I use it on turkeys.
So far, I haven't noticed a difference in point of impact in either my 12 or 20, but then again I am still shooting the originals I bought initially. When I restocked, they were newer shells in a redesigned box. I'll let you know if they change the POI when I get to the newer ammo, but it might not be until next year or the year after.
Just out of curiosity, did you ever contact Apex about the issue? Every box of Apex has the date of loading and the person who loaded it. I wonder if the batch you got was a change in the formula or sloppiness on the part of the loader? I'm certain that Apex would appreciate hearing from you to find out for themselves.

The new box's don't have a date or any signage on the lid. Also I checked the weight on a digital scale and not one shell was the same weight!! I moved on to Rocky Ridge ammo.