TSS article Outddoor Life

[Old Gobbler]

Long article...but worth the read - take special notice of how Chinese have manipulated  the market , and the military applications etc...

The Price of TSS Turkey Loads Has Skyrocketed, But Absurd Costs Won't Kill This Popular Load — Yet | Outdoor Life https://share.google/mCy5cFO0EGGnWqXiX

[Greg Massey]

Good read and thanks for posting. Glad I have enough for the long long ride into the future...

[GobbleNut]

Interesting article. In another thread, I mentioned how the cost of my TSS shells was insignificant to the overall cost of turkey hunting for me...that is, based on how many shells I generally fired in a season. I have to admit that the increases in price we are witnessing now is making me grit my teeth a bit more about forking over the dough for TSS.

Up until now, I have used TSS because I wanted to have the "best" chance of killing any gobbler I pulled the trigger on. THAT is the only reason I shoot it. As the price of TSS shells goes up, that reasoning is becoming more and more hazy for me. I suspect I am not the only one having that same debate with themselves. 

[patternfreak]

Interesting article. In another thread, I mentioned how the cost of my TSS shells was insignificant to the overall cost of turkey hunting for me...that is, based on how many shells I generally fired in a season. I have to admit that the increases in price we are witnessing now is making me grit my teeth a bit more about forking over the dough for TSS.

Up until now, I have used TSS because I wanted to have the "best" chance of killing any gobbler I pulled the trigger on. THAT is the only reason I shoot it. As the price of TSS shells goes up, that reasoning is becoming more and more hazy for me. I suspect I am not the only one having that same debate with themselves. 

You aren't the only one. I've been a die hard TSS shooter for the past 6 years or so. I've developed hundreds of loads and spend thousands of dollars on ballistic testing. Mainly waterfowl stuff but a good share of turkey loads as well.

This past waterfowl season I didn't load any new shells with TSS. This turkey season I plan on shooting lead shot.

The line in the sand has to be drawn somewhere. Once all of this passes with China I don't think we will see prices come back down, because you guys are still buying it.

Once a price is accepted by the market it rarely comes back down. Remember when home prices shot up during Covid because interest rates were low and everyone said "That's crazy, I'll buy when they come back down!" They haven't came down and they're not going to. Same thing with TSS. No one selling it for $100 a pound is going to come back down to $40 unless we quit buying it.

[Greg Massey]

Could the rising prices of TSS discourage a new Turkey hunting from turkey hunting? Has TSS caused some to take up turkey hunting?

A lot of us older turkey hunters have the experience of hunting the copper/ lead loads that are not TSS shells.

I bet most of us older guys have a gun still setup for lead loads ... IMO

[Smallfry]

Thanks for sharing, It will definitely stop me from buying in excess and take fewer shots on the pattern board

[deadbuck]

At one time I remember some company toying with a 3.5 inch 20 gauge shell. Maybe that needs to resurface to get the 20 gauge guys more performance from lead

[bbcoach]

Could the rising prices of TSS discourage a new Turkey hunting from turkey hunting? Has TSS caused some to take up turkey hunting?

A lot of us older turkey hunters have the experience of hunting the copper/ lead loads that are not TSS shells.

I bet most of us older guys have a gun still setup for lead loads ... IMO

Great question Greg!  Cost of shells probably won't encourage or discourage a person from turkey hunting if they want to try it.  If they are trying to SNIPE a bird PER SOCIAL MEDIA, then TSS is a MUST!  What it does is make us Old Farts complain because we remember when shells weren't $15 to $20 a piece.  I still stick by OLD FART mentality, why do we need HIGH DOLLAR gear, when our Dad or Granddads 12 gauges and lead 4's or 5's will kill them dead out to 40?  Most are killed at around 25 yards anyway.  Call them in close and FORGET the HIGH DOLLAR GEAR!   

[Dtrkyman]

I am pretty sure the TSS pricing will keep many folks from shooting it, I wouldn't have even considered not shooting it last year, now I have estimated how many rounds I have left and the amount of shot so I know approximately when I will run out!

Really regretting putting a dot on my gun two years ago and testing a couple new choke and wasting a lot of rounds!

I had an issue with a choke that swelled so I got it warrantied, the replacement was not nearly as good so it sent me down the road of a couple new chokes, a couple new loads and the dot.

[Tail Feathers]

That's a well written and informative article. 
It's remarkable that in the future it may be cheaper to buy a 12 gauge and choke for lead rather than replenish one's 20 gauge TSS supply.
But at least we have options. The ammo companies are working on options as well.  Bring back the old Federal Heavy 7's (even at the 2024 TSS price) and it will sell really well.  I patterned one last year in my new choke and it put some 180 pellets in the 10" circle.  Still a lethal load.

[NOmad]

Price would have to be astronomical for me to stop shooting it. I don't shoot over 40 yards but the confidence it gives me when I misjudge a shot or have to shoot through some trash I didn't notice is irreplaceable. 15-30 shots a year is expensive but in my mind it is worth it, and as someone else mentioned, negligible in the grand scheme of what we spend on turkey hunting.

[BDeal]

The Federal TSS is still pretty reasonably priced-at least for now

[Old Gobbler]

The involvement of the Chinesse government ...trying to monopolize several minerals , over the last 20 years is a big contributor , the Ukranian war , with the demand on munitions (including anti drone bird shot) has probably motivated the chinesse (government/ PLA ) to take advantage and exploit the situation



Notice USA munition companies have exclusive mining logistics -

Like gas the price will go up and down .... but the increase in price will probably be a detrimental factor in waterfowl hunters who use tss.shot

Look for the industry get back into the 12-14gg ammo big time, same with premium lead turkey ammo

[Dtrkyman]

Now I see why Winchester has the 17gcc shot! Was curious as the amount of tungsten could not have been enough to make a price difference.

Maybe we will see a tungsten/lead blended shot?