First TSS loads and maybe a problem

[soky]

I loaded my first tss loads this year and bought a new choke just to shoot them. I'm shooting a 2 oz 8.5 tss load out of a sbe with a black diamond .665 choke. After shooting 4 rounds I took my gun apart to clean it and checked the choke tube and noticed some small nicks in the baffle (wad catchers) part of the choke. Is this cause for concern? Being that they are the first loads I've ever made I'm afraid I've done something wrong.

[BandedSpur]

Not a problem. Any HTL pellet will do that to a choke tube. It is merely cosmetic, is not unsafe, and will not materially affect either the choke or the patterns. But IMO, you are using too much choke. Most folks I know (myself included ), are running .675-.690 tubes in 12 ga with TSS.

[taylorjones20]

Pretty sure I noticed that in mine as well.  (It was last year but that does ring a bell)  In my SBE2 I am shooting an IC .665 and it's crazy impressive.  I haven't noticed any problems since the little dings in the wad strippers. You're good to go!

[dirt road ninja]

Keep on going, no worries there. 1 of mine has it as well.

[Gobble!]

I have noticed something similar in my Indian Creek and its to be expected when shooting material this hard. I'm using a .675 in a 870 but noticed it much more with a .665. What gun are you using? Going from the .665 to the .675 also gave me a more even pattern.

[soky]

Good deal. Thanks everyone for the input! 

[Reloader]

You should see one of mine that's had a bunch of Hevi run through it

It matters not

[Ihuntoldschool]

I think it's more of a cumulative effect of the TSS that causes problems.  Each shot puts a certain amount of added stress on the tube and or barrel. 

[BandedSpur]

I think it's more of a cumulative effect of the TSS that causes problems.  Each shot puts a certain amount of added stress on the tube and or barrel.

There is no cumulative effect or "problem" with TSS. I and others have shot hundreds and hundreds of TSS loads doing load development with no "problems" whatsoever. A load of TSS 9s is not nearly as stressful on a choke as a HS 6 or MB, due to smaller pellet size and superior payload protection (better wad systems). An added benefit to TSS loads vs HS loads is that the TSS loads run at considerably lower pressure. That said, any HTL is going to be harder on equipment than lead loads due to the hardness of the shot.

[1iagobblergetter]

I think it's more of a cumulative effect of the TSS that causes problems.  Each shot puts a certain amount of added stress on the tube and or barrel.

There is no cumulative effect or "problem" with TSS. I and others have shot hundreds and hundreds of TSS loads doing load development with no "problems" whatsoever. A load of TSS 9s is not nearly as stressful on a choke as a HS 6 or MB, due to smaller pellet size and superior payload protection (better wad systems). An added benefit to TSS loads vs HS loads is that the TSS loads run at considerably lower pressure. That said, any HTL is going to be harder on equipment than lead loads due to the hardness of the shot.

Not trying to start a crap fest and actually have several pounds of Tss,but haven't pursued hand loading any further than that YET. I've shot HTL since it came out thru every choke imaginable and none of my chokes have ever looked like that. Only thing I've ever had happen is 2 Ssx tubes expanded back to back after shooting a couple rounds a piece thru them.

[Old Gobbler]

That's choke is damaged , don't let anyone tell you different , that's not cosmetic ...that's deep gouges ,

Real legit ammo companies don't make whole  18gg tungsten shells , primarly for legal and liability reasons .......... not some quack selling tss out of his garage , everyone on the internet is a expert these days , there a reason some guy can't get legal permission and approval from the ATF and a reason they don't have a million dollar liability policy ..... look inside that choke tube and the reasons right there

[taylorjones20]

It's just in the wad strippers. It won't hurt anything. It has happened using HTL before we started using TSS.

[decoykrvr]

Several years ago I had a similar situation develop in an IC .660 after shooting a lot of H-13, 6's, 5's and MagBlends in evaluation and hunting.  I sent the tube back to Mike Ponder at Indian Creek with my concerns. Mike called me personally to assure me that the perceived problems were purely cosmetic and would, in no way, alter the performance of the choke tube.  Many turkey seasons and H-13 loads later, I have not been able to document any loss of pattern or effectiveness.  I had stocked up on the initial offerings by Environmetal of the H-13, 6"s, 7's and MagBlends and am currently shooting and evaluating early lot number shells which were the basis of my initial pattern evaluation.

[taylorjones20]

Several years ago I had a similar situation develop in an IC .660 after shooting a lot of H-13, 6's, 5's and MagBlends in evaluation and hunting.  I sent the tube back to Mike Ponder at Indian Creek with my concerns. Mike called me personally to assure me that the perceived problems were purely cosmetic and would, in no way, alter the performance of the choke tube.  Many turkey seasons and H-13 loads later, I have not been able to document any loss of pattern or effectiveness.  I had stocked up on the initial offerings by Environmetal of the H-13, 6"s, 7's and MagBlends and am currently shooting and evaluating early lot number shells which were the basis of my initial pattern evaluation.

Exactly!   

[Old Gobbler]

It doesn't matter what make of choke your shooting ....tss is harder than it and it will score it - I've seen countless examples here , and the crew thats cheerleading the tss is very quick to try ....and dispell this widely known fact

Again , look down at that choke --that's why no legit insured manufacturer wI'll not  make tss ammo...it's called ......product liability

I could ramble on endlessly about how the guys selling tss have zero control over what folks are actually doing with it and how safe or unsafe the final product ends up , I can only tell you it's widely known people are wildcating the loads to the FACT that one of the resellers of TSS let's call him the main one....asked me to make his post about the too hot loads a sticky ..... a lawyer would make a field day out of that