#4 TSS for Turkey

[Spitten and drummen]

I will stick with #9. Way plenty for turkeys. More pellets and waaaay more energy thats needed. That stuff is devestating.

[shatcher]

This sounds like you want to shoot a turkey too far.  Call him in.

I rolled a coyote last year with TSS 9s from a 20 gauge at about 30 yards.

[YukonC]

I agree with everyone that I wouldn't use 4s either. I patterned it for coyotes. If your interested her is what 4s look like at 100 shooting at a spot of duck tape.


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[mtns2hunt]

Thank you for all the opinions. The consensus is that the #4's are not sufficient for Turkey and #9 's are good enough for Turkey's. As for the statement that I am interested in shooting them at to far a range: that is pure speculation and simply not true. If I wanted more range I can shoot them with a rifle which is legal in my state.

Will #9 TSS kill a Turkey? Certainly, within limits but it is clearly not the ideal choice. I don't wish to change his choice in life as some one stated but to kill him dead with no fuss. Number #4's will do that out to sixty yards maybe farther. My preferred range is 40 yards for coyote and under 40 for turkey.

I have never shot at anything out to 100 yds with a shotgun but the pattern is interesting.

Now as to number #4 for turkey. I'm uncertain as to why no one suggested changing chokes to improve the pattern. I am currently using a Pattern Master but will also be patterning with an Indian Creek and Carlson's. As to #4 TSS: I look at it as having good patterns and great penetration. I killed many Turkeys with #4 LB with no issues. I am using a single shot 20 gauge. Most of my previous kills were with a 12g for clarification.

Still my main question is has anyone killed a Turkey with #4 TSS and what were your results. Again thank you for all the feedback.

[bbcoach]

I agree with everyone that I wouldn't use 4s either. I patterned it for coyotes. If your interested her is what 4s look like at 100 shooting at a spot of duck tape.


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Rule of thumb for a turkey pattern is 100 pellets in a 10 inch circle at 40 yards for a clean kill.  Forget the #4 TSS.  For coyotes, I would think 500 #9's TSS would definitely kill a yote at 40 to 50 yards as long as you punch him in the ribcage.  A buddy of mine, rolled 2 yotes at 30 with a load of #6 LB's.

[StruttinGobbler3]

Thank you for all the opinions. The consensus is that the #4's are not sufficient for Turkey and #9 's are good enough for Turkey's. As for the statement that I am interested in shooting them at to far a range: that is pure speculation and simply not true. If I wanted more range I can shoot them with a rifle which is legal in my state.

Will #9 TSS kill a Turkey? Certainly, within limits but it is clearly not the ideal choice. I don't wish to change his choice in life as some one stated but to kill him dead with no fuss. Number #4's will do that out to sixty yards maybe farther. My preferred range is 40 yards for coyote and under 40 for turkey.

I have never shot at anything out to 100 yds with a shotgun but the pattern is interesting.

Now as to number #4 for turkey. I'm uncertain as to why no one suggested changing chokes to improve the pattern. I am currently using a Pattern Master but will also be patterning with an Indian Creek and Carlson's. As to #4 TSS: I look at it as having good patterns and great penetration. I killed many Turkeys with #4 LB with no issues. I am using a single shot 20 gauge. Most of my previous kills were with a 12g for clarification.

Still my main question is has anyone killed a Turkey with #4 TSS and what were your results. Again thank you for all the feedback.

The part about changing his life choices was a joke. Seriously, if your range for coyotes is 40 yards then #9 tss will stomp him. As far as #9 tss not being the "ideal choice" for turkeys, I'm not sure what you mean there. 400+ pellets in a ten inch ring at 40 yards is some bad medicine. The density of tss makes that #9 pellet equal in energy or "knockdown" to a #5 lead pellet. That's been proven. Plus, the smaller tss will have greater penetration. Not being smart, but have you ever shot a turkey with #9 tss? It's devastating within 40 yards. It remains lethal WAY past 40 yards, though I don't recommend anybody taking a shot at that distance.


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[RutnNStrutn]

It seems to me that switching to #4 shot for TSS is defeating the whole purpose of TSS. TSS increases the energy to pellet ratio, while giving you a whole lot more pellets due to using a smaller size pellet. This also allows a lot of guys to switch to a smaller gauge shotgun for less weight carried around in the woods. Then when you have numerous guys stating that either they or their friend has rolled yotes with #9 TSS out of a 20 gauge, it makes no sense, at least to me, to shoot #4 TSS.

[davisd9]

I remember patterning a shotgun on a coke can and if you got 5-10 pellets you stepped back 5 yards and shot again. If you did not have 5-10 pellets, well the last place you did was your max range. I never heard of a 10" circle until I joined here and then I went crazy the other way. Killed turkeys fine with my coke can and probably took less risky shots than what my big 10" circle gave me confidence to take. These days I like somewhere in the middle.

[mtns2hunt]

I agree with everyone that I wouldn't use 4s either. I patterned it for coyotes. If your interested her is what 4s look like at 100 shooting at a spot of duck tape.


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Rule of thumb for a turkey pattern is 100 pellets in a 10 inch circle at 40 yards for a clean kill.  Forget the #4 TSS.  For coyotes, I would think 500 #9's TSS would definitely kill a yote at 40 to 50 yards as long as you punch him in the ribcage.  A buddy of mine, rolled 2 yotes at 30 with a load of #6 LB's.

Interesting pattern at 100 with #4's do you have on at 100 yds with #9's ?

[YukonC]

I agree with everyone that I wouldn't use 4s either. I patterned it for coyotes. If your interested her is what 4s look like at 100 shooting at a spot of duck tape.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Rule of thumb for a turkey pattern is 100 pellets in a 10 inch circle at 40 yards for a clean kill.  Forget the #4 TSS.  For coyotes, I would think 500 #9's TSS would definitely kill a yote at 40 to 50 yards as long as you punch him in the ribcage.  A buddy of mine, rolled 2 yotes at 30 with a load of #6 LB's.

Interesting pattern at 100 with #4's do you have on at 100 yds with #9's ?

By that point my shoulder was beyond help so I had to stop. I may try next year when I do the annual pattern session.


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[mtns2hunt]

It seems to me that switching to #4 shot for TSS is defeating the whole purpose of TSS. TSS increases the energy to pellet ratio, while giving you a whole lot more pellets due to using a smaller size pellet. This also allows a lot of guys to switch to a smaller gauge shotgun for less weight carried around in the woods. Then when you have numerous guys stating that either they or their friend has rolled yotes with #9 TSS out of a 20 gauge, it makes no sense, at least to me, to shoot #4 TSS.

I think we could go around and around on this topic. What is the purpose of TSS? To kill critters! How the TSS is used for this is up to the person using it. TSS is just another tool. I am looking for the best way to use this new tool. I know beyond a doubt that most TSS will kill a Turkey and whether you use #9, or #4 you owe it to the game to kill quickly and efficiently. I fine tune my loads for what ever game I hunt. My #4 TSS will shoot patterns more than capable of taking a Turkey at 40 yards as will my #9. Coyotes fall quickly to #4 at extended distances. I know that #9's will kill coyotes but I do not know at what distance they perform best. I do not think they are equal to the #4 in down range energy. Most any shell will kill or injure a Coyote. I have even heard on several occasions about dove loads being used to kill and sometimes wound coyotes. No sense in that: my loads will kill quickly and efficiently at the ranges I decide to shoot at. Thank you for all of your opinions. I may not agree but I do value each and everyone.

[Kylongspur88]

Thank you for all the opinions. The consensus is that the #4's are not sufficient for Turkey and #9 's are good enough for Turkey's. As for the statement that I am interested in shooting them at to far a range: that is pure speculation and simply not true. If I wanted more range I can shoot them with a rifle which is legal in my state.

Will #9 TSS kill a Turkey? Certainly, within limits but it is clearly not the ideal choice. I don't wish to change his choice in life as some one stated but to kill him dead with no fuss. Number #4's will do that out to sixty yards maybe farther. My preferred range is 40 yards for coyote and under 40 for turkey.

I have never shot at anything out to 100 yds with a shotgun but the pattern is interesting.

Now as to number #4 for turkey. I'm uncertain as to why no one suggested changing chokes to improve the pattern. I am currently using a Pattern Master but will also be patterning with an Indian Creek and Carlson's. As to #4 TSS: I look at it as having good patterns and great penetration. I killed many Turkeys with #4 LB with no issues. I am using a single shot 20 gauge. Most of my previous kills were with a 12g for clarification.

Still my main question is has anyone killed a Turkey with #4 TSS and what were your results. Again thank you for all the feedback.

4s are fine for turkeys if your gun/choke/shell combo works. I'll do 140-150 with 3 1/2 in longbeards through one of my chokes and my old 870. The old Winn HV weren't much less. I prefer 4s for where I hunt in thick hardwoods.

[Delmar ODonnell]

It seems to me that switching to #4 shot for TSS is defeating the whole purpose of TSS. TSS increases the energy to pellet ratio, while giving you a whole lot more pellets due to using a smaller size pellet. This also allows a lot of guys to switch to a smaller gauge shotgun for less weight carried around in the woods. Then when you have numerous guys stating that either they or their friend has rolled yotes with #9 TSS out of a 20 gauge, it makes no sense, at least to me, to shoot #4 TSS.

I think we could go around and around on this topic. What is the purpose of TSS? To kill critters! How the TSS is used for this is up to the person using it. TSS is just another tool. I am looking for the best way to use this new tool. I know beyond a doubt that most TSS will kill a Turkey and whether you use #9, or #4 you owe it to the game to kill quickly and efficiently. I fine tune my loads for what ever game I hunt. My #4 TSS will shoot patterns more than capable of taking a Turkey at 40 yards as will my #9. Coyotes fall quickly to #4 at extended distances. I know that #9's will kill coyotes but I do not know at what distance they perform best. I do not think they are equal to the #4 in down range energy. Most any shell will kill or injure a Coyote. I have even heard on several occasions about dove loads being used to kill and sometimes wound coyotes. No sense in that: my loads will kill quickly and efficiently at the ranges I decide to shoot at. Thank you for all of your opinions. I may not agree but I do value each and everyone.

I would argue that #4 TSS would be less effective downrange than #9s. Part of the reason 9s are so effective is because there is twice as many pellets in each shot, and the smaller diameter penetrates the air with less resistance than the larger lead shot. You lose both of these advantages by shooting #4s. You could argue that #4 TSS is more effective than #4 lead because of the increased weight of each individual pellet, but I'd argue any benefit you'd receive from that would be immaterial, i.e. overkill. I cannot think of any advantage of shooting 4s instead of the 9s.

[Gobspur]

It seems to me that switching to #4 shot for TSS is defeating the whole purpose of TSS. TSS increases the energy to pellet ratio, while giving you a whole lot more pellets due to using a smaller size pellet. This also allows a lot of guys to switch to a smaller gauge shotgun for less weight carried around in the woods. Then when you have numerous guys stating that either they or their friend has rolled yotes with #9 TSS out of a 20 gauge, it makes no sense, at least to me, to shoot #4 TSS.

My #4 TSS will shoot patterns more than capable of taking a Turkey at 40 yards as will my #9. Coyotes fall quickly to #4 at extended distances.

So what's your #4 TSS pattern look like?  The couple examples I've seen above in this thread, I would not shoot at a turkey.  This be a turkey hunting forum, not predator hunting.

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[Gobble!]

Will #9 TSS kill a Turkey? Certainly, within limits but it is clearly not the ideal choice. I don't wish to change his choice in life as some one stated but to kill him dead with no fuss. Number #4's will do that out to sixty yards maybe farther. My preferred range is 40 yards for coyote and under 40 for turkey.

What?? Not the ideal choice in what scenario?

A #9 TSS has the ability to kill a turkey at stupid distances. If 40 is your max for yotes and turkey there is no need to go larger than a #9s TSS.