Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Turkey testing
TSS turns 20-gauge into a gobbler stopper
After extensive testing of 20-gauge ammo, we might retire our 12-gauge for turkey hunting.
Modern ammo and high-performance choke tubes enable a 20-gauge to throw lethal patterns to and beyond ethical ranges for turkey hunting. I was skeptical of the claims I’ve read, but three days on the range have convinced me they are valid.
I shared my observations and photos of some dense patterns at 42 yards with a fellow turkey hunting fanatic who dismissed my enthusiasm for the 20-gauge. He replied, “Don’t sell your 12. I would buy a 10 [gauge] if anyone made one that didn’t weigh 10 pounds. Nothing breaks my heart like shooting a gobbler and losing him.”
All turkey hunters feel that way. Gobblers are too precious to lose, and opportunities are too hard won to waste. The prime directive is to put the bird down. You won’t lose him with these loads.
Since 2011, I have used a Winchester SX3 with a 28inch barrel. Since 2016, I have used an extended choke tube that extends the barrel to 30 inches. That has not been a liability yet, but such a long barrel is unwieldy for a turkey gun. On the other hand, I have settled on a superb choke and ammo combination that has downed eight gobblers in six years with only nine shots. I have been searching for something lighter and shorter with equal or greater performance. That’s a tall order, but I found it.
The platform is a Winchester SX3 20-gauge with a cantilever turkey barrel, all dressed in Mossy Oak Breakup camouflage. That is an expensive gun, but I found an excellent deal online for a slightly used model. The former owner was not clear as to why he sold it so cheap, but my suspicions were confirmed when I received it. The gas compensating system was coated in a hard, crusty surface, the result of having not removed the storage lubricant from the bore before firing. That stuff gets blown into the gas ports and pistons where it hardens into asphalt. It will cause an autoloader to cycle erratically. An hour with solvent, a copper brush, a toothbrush and Q-Tips restored it to new condition. It now operates flawlessly.
Next, I attached a Truglo open dot reflex sight. It has multiple reticles that are unnecessary for turkey hunting. A 5 minute-of-angle dot is all you need. It also has red and green reticles. I prefer green because I see it better than red.
My ammo was 3-inch Browning and Federal shells stuffed with 11/2-ounce of No. 7 and No. 9 TSS, an acronym for Tungsten Super Shot. TSS is denser than lead. A No. 9 ball of TSS is equal in weight to a ball of No. 5 lead. Condensing equal weight into a smaller ball translates to greater mass, and greater mass translates to greater energy.
I also used No. 5 HeviShot and 5-6-7 Blended HeviShot. Finally, I also tested Winchester XR Long Beard ammo with No. 5 and No. 6 lead shot.
For chokes, I used a Trulock Heavyweight 7 tube with a .565-inch constriction. Trulock made this choke to be used with Federal No. 7 TSS ammo. I also used a Jeb’s Headhunter with a .555-inch constriction, a Patternmaster Anaconda Striker tube with a .570-inch constriction, and a Carlson’s Longbeard XR tube with a .540-inch constriction.
According to my micrometer, the Anaconda measures .566. This discrepancy foreshadowed performance across the board that put this choke on waivers.
The first order of business was to zero the sight. Using the factory Winchester Invector Plus Extra Full choke, we started at 15 yards with 23/4inch No. 8 lead target loads. Two shots got us to the center of an 81/2x11 inch piece of paper, and then we fine-tuned it to the center at 20 yards, and finally at 30 yards. Then, we switched to the Trulock choke and the Browning No. 7 TSS loads.
At 30 and 42 laser-verified yards, this combination thoroughly ventilated the head and neck of a turkey target. The patterned loosened considerably at 50 yards, but there were still quite enough hits in the head and neck to kill a turkey. The Jeb’s choke was almost as tight. The Anaconda was decidedly last.
My goal is always to call a turkey as close as I can because the actual killing of the bird is secondary to the theater of watching him strut and display, drum and spit. If I cannot get him close, I don’t deserve him. However, I do not have the luxury of laser ranging turkeys in the field. Knowing that my gun patterns tight at 40 yards ensures I will cleanly kill any turkey within my sensory comfort zone.
We could have stopped and been happy with the Browning TSS, but we were even happier with the Federal TSS loads. The Federal No. 7 TSS patterned even better than the Browning at 30 and 40 yards, but the No. 9 TSS printed astonishing patterns at 30 and 40 yards.
We don’t like the TSS exorbitant price. At about $6 per shell, pattern testing this stuff lightens the wallet. Of course, its performance afield is well worth it, but what about good, old-fashioned lead? The Winchester Longbeard XR costs about $2 per shell.
For this, we switched to the Carlson’s Longbeard XR choke. At 30 yards, the patterns were equal to any of the TSS loads, and they were more than adequate at 40 yards. At both ranges, the No. 5 patterned better than the No. 6. With these shells, the Jeb’s choke was decidedly inferior, and the Anaconda was not worth mentioning.
Deciding which shells are best requires some comparative math. With a 20-gauge, the terminal energy of the TSS loads gives me peace of mind that my gun will deliver clean, one-shot kills every time. I am confident that the Longbeard XR No. 5 loads are just as good within my personal hunting parameters.
As a sidenote, the 20-gauge SX3 carries light and kicks softly. I have grown quite accustomed to the Truglo Gobble Stop adjustable sights on the rib on my SX3 12-gauge, but the dot reflex sight is fantastic.
On a final note, I also attached a Truglo dot reflex sight to my Remington V3 12-gauge and tested some leftover No. 5 Winchester Longbeard XR loads with a Carlson’s Longbeard XR choke. At 30 and 40 yards, they erased the heads of the turkey targets. The V3 is pretty light, too, and it also kicks softly.
I like the 20-gauge for turkeys, but my friend is right. It’s premature to retire my 12-gauge.