TSS, Sub-gauges and Decoys
As hunters we can speculate as to how new gear should perform, but not until we use it on actual hunts can we attest to its effectiveness.
That’s why I like writing about gear I’ve personally used. Last spring and this past fall I used each of these valued items and will keep using them. Here’s why.
The sub-gauge craze continues to escalate in the turkey-hunting world, and rightly so. Reduced recoil, quieter shots, and less flinch than when pulling the trigger on big bores, there’s no doubt subgauges optimize accuracy.
Face it, 30 years ago hunters did just fine shooting their waterfowl and/or upland shotgun at turkeys because they knew how they performed. Then came short-barreled turkey shotguns utilizing extra-full chokes and jaw-popping super magnum loads. From what I’ve seen in recent years, the magnum setups have accounted for many misses for the simple reason: too much recoil causes hunters to not stay in the gun during the shot. Plus, shot strings are tighter in these setups which explains many misses at close range.
Enter Tungsten Super Shot or TSS. I know, TSS isn’t new, but how it’s being used is. We need to grasp the purpose of TSS. I can’t count the number of times someone has said to me, “I want to shoot a turkey at 70 yards with TSS in my .410.” If that’s your goal (and it shouldn’t be), stick with a 12-gauge and 3½-inch magnum loads, because more pellets equates to high percentage hits.
I can just about promise that no shotgun shell manufacturer designed a .410 or even 20-gauge load to intentionally shoot turkeys at 70 yards. The intent behind TSS is to offer more pellets per load – thanks to tungsten’s high density – and deliver tighter patterns. A tighter pattern with more kinetic energy means more lethality.
I’ve tested a lot of TSS loads and have fallen in love with two. In my Browning .410 pump, I’ve found nothing that patterns like Apex Ammunition’s Turkey TSS. And in my Browning 20-gauge Silver edition, HEVI-Shot’s HEVI-18 is tops.
Treat TSS loads like a rifle cartridge and you’ll be ahead of the game. God forbid you grab a box off the shelf and take it hunting without first firing it. These are specialized loads that need to be shot in your gun so you know precisely how they pattern. They might shoot differently in other guns. Not all TSS loads pattern the same in all guns, and not all brands pattern the same in one gun.
Once you find a shell you like, stick with it, just as you would a rifle load. I first test loads at 20 yards to see the pattern. Then I shoot it at 10 yards to reveal the exact point of impact. This is because most of the turkeys I kill are inside 20 yards, and I want to know how tight the pattern is at close range. Then I pattern it at 30 and 40 yards so I know how it performs should I need a follow-up shot. Know the effective range of your TSS loads when shooting sub-gauges and your shot-to-kill ratios will skyrocket.
Speaking of range, remember, the art of turkey hunting is to call them in close for a clean and ethical shot, not stop calling when a tom hangs up at 75 yards and hope you hit it in the head with a lucky pellet. To pull a tom in close, quality calling and the right decoy are key.
Last season I brought dozens of toms to within 15 yards using Dave Smith’s Preening Hen decoy. I sought out this decoy for two reasons. First, we were having a lot of rain. Second, both furred and feathered predator populations were ridiculously high. The rain and predators kept turkeys in the timber, and my scouting revealed many hens preening for extended periods under protected cover.
Alone, the Preening Hen worked wonders. As the season progressed I paired it with an upright hen decoy and from time to time, a strutter – both in heavy timber settings – and it made for a deadly setup.
Last spring I shot three toms over the Preening Hen decoy using my .410 loaded with Apex TSS. Two were inside 15 yards, one at 22 yards. I shot a fall bird with my 20-gauge using HEVI-18 and was impressed with this load’s performance at 35 yards. My buddy shot a nice tom with the same load in his Benelli 20 gauge at 27 yards, with the same results.
With spring turkey season fast approaching, now is the time to research gear you want. But be sure and test it out, for come the opener you should know exactly how it will perform, leaving nothing to chance.
For signed copies of Scott Haugen’s popular book, Western Turkey Hunting: Strategies For All Levels visit www.scotthaugen.com.