Hi all, new to the forum but long time coyote hunter. I’ve been looking into reloading some #2 TSS. I currently reload a 12 ga #4 buck 3” shell that has worked very well, just trying to get another leg up on the times. I’ve seen a few places that if you buy TSS from certain people that they’ll share some load info. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
Reloading #2 TSS
- Thread starter KillerKJ
- Start date
derbyacresbob is PM's resident expert on using TSS for coyotes. He offers some guidance in this ongoing post. Search for other posts by Bob to get even more information. You have a lot of reading ahead of you! 
derbyacresbob
Well-known member
Super-18 Tungsten Super Shot "TSS"
Super-18 Tungsten Super Shot key to superior performance is the shot density. This enables one to greatly increase the performance of a typical big bore shotgun, or to go down in bore size or payload without giving up performance - or both.
www.super18tungstenshot.com
Hawglips will give you TSS loading data if you buy your TSS shot from him.
You don't really need more than 1-1/2 oz of TSS shot to kill coyotes. I have killed 5 or 6 coyotes at 70 yards or so with TSS #3 and #4 shot but 95% of the coyotes I kill are under 50 yards away.
Look below at how TSS #3 and #4 shot compares to lead BB shot, Rem HD 12g/cc BB shot and Hevi-Shot Dead Coyote T shot.
1300 fps lead BB shot gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 46.1 yards with about 77 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot.
1300 fps Rem HD 12g/cc BB shot gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 62.4 yards with about 70 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot.
1300 fps TSS 18g/cc #4 shot gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 78.9 yards with about 124 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot.
1300 fps TSS 18g/cc #3 shot gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 96.8 yards with about 100 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot.
1300 fps TSS 18g/cc #2 shot gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 115.5 yards with about 81 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot.
1300 fps Hevi-Shot 12g/cc T shot gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 85 yards with about 51 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot.
By going with shot that is bigger than necessary to cleanly kill coyotes at over 70 yards away you will be lowering your chances of clean kills at under 70 yards away.
#4 TSS shot has 24% more pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot than TSS #3 shot has.
#3 TSS shot has 23% more pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot than TSS #2 shot has.
#2 TSS shot has 58.8% more pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot than Hevi-Shot T shot has.
#3 TSS shot has 96% more pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot than Hevi-Shot T shot has.
I have seen this data before. What I struggle with is the thought of using #4 shot for coyotes. Yes, I understand that it is comparable to lead bb shot. But I have had issues killing coyotes with bb shot, especially marginal/ running away shots. My current 3” #4 buck load has 41 pellets in it and has killed dogs stone cold dead out to 40 yards. By going down to #2 tss with 1.5oz in a 2.75” load I would be basically doubling my pellet count (81), but I retain that same comparable energy as #4 buck.
Spurchaser
Well-known member
If #9’s and 10’s kill them at 40yds then I know #4’s would.
It’s hard to wrap your head around. I struggled with this fact also. Bob has probably forgotten more about loading TSS along with shooting it than most of us will ever know. I’m loading #3 copper plated TSS ( Hawglips ) in 3” 1 1/2oz loads and at 50+ yards it will lay them down like they have been hit by a truck. I’m sure capable of further as well. My goal is to not have to shoot that far but in the open I would try one at 60 with no hesitation when I see what it does at 50
I totally get what you’re saying but it’s made a believer of me. I never thought #9 TSS would kill a turkey at 50+ yards either but it flat out will consistently!
derbyacresbob
Well-known member
1300 fps lead BB shot gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 46.1 yards with about 77 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot.
1300 fps TSS 18g/cc #4 shot gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 78.9 yards with about 124 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot.
To me there is no comparison between TSS #4 shot and lead BB shot. TSS #4 shot has 61% more pellets in a 1-1/2 oz load and TSS #4 shot gives 71% more penetration range than lead BB shot. All of the tungsten alloy shot types 12g/cc, 15g/cc and TSS 18g/cc break bones way more often than lead BB shot or lead #4 buck dose. Tungsten shot dose not flatten out when it hits bone like lead shot dose.
The ammo manufacturers didn't even know what they were dealing with when they started making shotgun shells with 12g/cc and 15g/cc shot. Remington, Federal and Hevi-Shot were all making waterfowl and Coyote loads with Tungsten shot that was way bigger than it needed to be.
For me the Remington HD 12g/cc BB shot 1-1/2 oz load was more efficient than the Remington HD T shot Predator 1-1/2 oz load and the Federal Heavyweight 15g/cc #2 shot 1-1/2 oz load would have been a better coyote load than the Federal Heavyweight 15g/cc BB load. When you use shot sizes that are too big you go with a lower pellet count and hit the coyote with less pellets.
I bought 400 FHW 15g/cc #2 shot 1-1/4 oz l-1/4 loads when Rogers was closing them out and took the shot out of them and loaded 3" 1-1/2 oz loads. I also bought some Federal Heavyweight 1-1/2 oz BB Predator loads. At 60 yards and less my FHW #2 shot 1-1/2 oz reloads with about 90 pellets per shell worked much better on coyotes than the factory Federal Heavyweight BB , 1-1/2 oz load that only had about 58 pellets per shell.
My worst shooting day ever on coyotes was a foggy day that I couldn't see over 40 yards away and I was shooting Remington Predator T shot loads with 50 pellets per shell. I would have been better off shooting FHW #2 shot with 90 pellets per shell and using a Mod choke instead of a Imp/Mod choke.
2017-01-14 15.04.43-1 by Robert Morris, on FlickrI killed 3 of these coyotes and ran out of shells and went back to my truck to get more ammo and then killed the 4th coyote.
For shooting coyotes you don't need a real tight pattern like you do for shooting turkeys in the head.
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BBK
Member
Its not comparable to lead BB, its twice the penetration of lead BB, not even in the same ballpark. TSS 6s or 7s would be close to lead BB. The tss 2s are going to be similar to 000B.
This is something I posted once before, some years back. It generated some interesting conversation about TSS coyote loads.
Two patterns with TSS #4, 1-5/8 oz., 131 pellet payload. TSS #4 penetrates as well or maybe even a bit better than Hevi-shot BB, which is to say it penetrates much better than lead BB.
But, just curious, given the penetration and bone breaking advantages of TSS, which one you would rather hunt coyote with?
Pattern #1
Pattern #2
The numbers written on the targets that look kind of like a date are the number of hits in the 10" circle/the number of hits on the pattern paper/the number of pellets in the load.
I know which one I chose and it wasn't really a contest. I'll take pattern #2 and to me it's an easy decision. But, you might have a different opinion, for your own reasons?
- DAA
Two patterns with TSS #4, 1-5/8 oz., 131 pellet payload. TSS #4 penetrates as well or maybe even a bit better than Hevi-shot BB, which is to say it penetrates much better than lead BB.
But, just curious, given the penetration and bone breaking advantages of TSS, which one you would rather hunt coyote with?
Pattern #1
Pattern #2
The numbers written on the targets that look kind of like a date are the number of hits in the 10" circle/the number of hits on the pattern paper/the number of pellets in the load.
I know which one I chose and it wasn't really a contest. I'll take pattern #2 and to me it's an easy decision. But, you might have a different opinion, for your own reasons?
- DAA
hunt0168
Well-known member
#2 all day for me if it's a daytime shotgun situation. Now when NY was either Shotgun or rimfire at night I would have taken #1 all night! Lol... I opted for a tighter pattern and used a red dot and red lights at night. Night hunts were mostly more open fields and chances for longer shots at coyotes not necessarily screaming in were more likely. I haven't carried a shotgun at night since laws changed years ago to allow CF rifles at night.
Second one probably would too though. I've found from lots of real world coyote killing that Bob's standard of 3.7" gel penetration is a good yardstick for killing or severely disabling a coyote. Second pattern could easily put 20 of those pellets with 79 yards worth of killing penetration onto a coyote at 60 yards. That's a dead or disabled coyote.
That said, 60+ isn't much of a consideration for me when choosing a coyote shotgun load.
- DAA
Lance, the equipment is cheap. Loading TSS is more like rifle reloading than traditional shot shell loading. The way I do it at least. I use only new primed shells for coyote loads. I weigh powder and shot and hand pour them. All I use the press for is compressing the wad and the crimp. I picked up a barely used Mec Sizemaster for about $60 and I was set, as far as equipment.
- DAA
- DAA
BBK
Member
All you need is to buy pre primed new hulls, powder, wads, shot, over shot cards, and a roll crimp tool. You can use a hand drill if you do not have a press. TSS is very little equipment and huge savings.
derbyacresbob
Well-known member
DAA, I would much rather shoot pattern #2 at coyotes. The wider pattern gives me a better chance of hitting a coyote that is running at full speed through the bushes. Thanks for posting the pictures Dave.