Reloading TSS shot for coyotes, you have many choices.

derbyacresbob

derbyacresbob

Well-known member
Seven days ago I got a price quote for 11 pounds of TSS #2 shot for $418.00 or $38.00 per pound. Just for the shot that comes to $2.98 per shell for a 1-1/4 oz load, or $3.26 per shell for 1-3/8 oz, $3.57 per shell, for 1-1/2 oz, or $4.75 per shell just the shot in a 2 oz load of TSS shot.

With 11 pounds of shot this is how many loads you can get with different weight shot charges.
1-1/4 oz loads you get 140 shells out of 11 pounds of shot.
1-3/8 oz loads you get 128 shells out of 11 pounds of shot.
1-1/2 oz loads you get 117 shells out of 11 pounds of shot.
2 oz loads you get 88 shells out of 11 pounds of shot.

1-1/4 oz of 1300 fps TSS #4 shot has about 104 pellets per shell and gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 78.9 yards.
1-1/4 oz of 1400 fps TSS #4 shot has about 104 pellets per shell and gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 85.2 yards.
1-1/2 oz of 1300 fps TSS #4 shot has about 124 pellets per shell and gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 78.9 yards.
1-1/2 oz of 1300 fps TSS #3 shot has about 100 pellets per shell and gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 96.8 yards.
2 oz of 1300 fps TSS #2 shot has about 108 pellets per shell and gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 115.5 yards.

All of these above TSS shot sizes will consistently break down or kill coyotes at 70 yards and less.
 
Pretty spendy way to shoot a coyote! I could do it for a lot less with my 243 and at longer range! Come to think of it if I limited myself to 70yds I'd take my 22 mag over any shotgun!
 
Thermal is a spendy way to shoot coyote. TSS is just good cheap fun. In the grand scheme of costs associated with coyote hunting, TSS shells are ants in the afterbirth.

I'd ask why you would use a .22 Mag over a shotgun for shotgun hunting. But, that's probably best not started in this thread.

- DAA
 
I was just digging into this a little, the only TSS ive found is 6 and 10 shot.

A couple days ago locally I found a Browning BPS tactical with a 20" cylinder barrel....... Im happier than a pig in shat, ive looked for one of these for 10 years, and recently found out maybe 250 gun were made. This one was $500, NEVER FIRED in the 16 years the previous owner had it and just for some sentimental giggles it just happened to be for sale in my home town and purchased from the same store I purchased my first gun, a BPS field model when i was 14.

So I got myself a new coyote shotgun and I really wanted some TSS. Are you buying an 11lb pile of it? I would buy a couple pounds if you were selling..... then i have to figure out how to load shotguns....

Its not a good idea to sell or buy handloads, correct? I wouldnt mind buying some handload TSS coyote rounds, thats just about the only way I could get any for this winter...

What kind of pattern or performance should be expected from a 20" cylinder barrel? Im not a shotguner at all, I havent even shot the new gun, I might pattern it today with 3" 4buck.
 
If you want just a few pounds of TSS shot do a search for hawglips. hawglips has loading data for people that buy TSS shot from him. Since you have a cylinder choke I would get TSS #4 shot, so you will have more pellets to fill in the pattern.

You may want to just buy some TSS loads from Salt Creek to see what you think about the TSS loads before you try to reload any TSS loads. I contacted Keith at Salt Creek the other day through an e-mail and he said he would load some TSS 3" 1-1/2 oz loads if I wanted some.

1-7/8 oz of lead number 4 buck has about 41 pellets per shell.
1-1/2 oz of TSS #4 shot has about 124 pellets per shell.
 
Thanks a lot, that should be a heck of a punch for this short 20" and I got the gun to bring into the woods and deal with inevitable brush and twigs. If I can load that number of 4shot, of tungsten, i can aim for the coyote head and thats lights out for basically any coyote i see in the woods, 60-80 yards and less is all i can normally see from the ground in the shotgun places and they close that ground fast. 41 of my lead Federal 4buck gives me good confidence in the woods but 124 tungsten rounds would really let me know before pulling the trigger that shot will hit.

The new gun hasnt even been fired yet, I need to do some patterning to see what this cylinder bore does, im hoping some flight control wads can help keep the pattern together.
 
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Rock Knocker said:
I was just digging into this a little, the only TSS ive found is 6 and 10 shot.

A couple days ago locally I found a Browning BPS tactical with a 20" cylinder barrel....... Im happier than a pig in shat, ive looked for one of these for 10 years, and recently found out maybe 250 gun were made. This one was $500, NEVER FIRED in the 16 years the previous owner had it and just for some sentimental giggles it just happened to be for sale in my home town and purchased from the same store I purchased my first gun, a BPS field model when i was 14.

So I got myself a new coyote shotgun and I really wanted some TSS. Are you buying an 11lb pile of it? I would buy a couple pounds if you were selling..... then i have to figure out how to load shotguns....

Its not a good idea to sell or buy handloads, correct? I wouldnt mind buying some handload TSS coyote rounds, thats just about the only way I could get any for this winter...

What kind of pattern or performance should be expected from a 20" cylinder barrel? Im not a shotguner at all, I havent even shot the new gun, I might pattern it today with 3" 4buck.
Click to expand...

Order from salt creek ammo, he is a licensed manufacturer and will custom load anything you want. Just send him an email through his website and ask.

When i test a shotgun load I put a paper plate on a pattern paper, that about simulates a coyotes vitals exactly to size. So within that plate you want a good 4-5 hits at least, preferably 10-15...

With 3" 4buck youll probably be able to do that to around 20 yards id guess, maybe slightly farther if its buffered or in flight control wad.

TSS will pattern much tighter, and with the tremendous amount of extra pellets you will have i am sure you can stretch that out to close to 40yd before its useless.
 
Thanks, thats helpful. I will do some patterning, I would like to get a bit more distance from TSS than 40 yards, if flight control wads wont do the trick I can send the barrel in to straight taper choke it down.

What do you think about velocity? How much of a handicap is the 20" barrl for velocities? Ive got a 26" BPS field with screw in chokes, I know I could get that shooting easier but I really want this 20" setup for buckshot/TSS. I will use this when too close for a 16" carbine rifle, Im not looking for as much range as possible with a shotgun but I would spend some money on it if I could make it rock solid for coyotes at 50 yards.

Good Heavens, I see Salt Creek has 2oz of #4, that should do the trick. I do see they recommend a full choke, I will sort that out.
 
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My best advice would be to send your barrel in to get threaded for chokes, even a local smith might be able to do it. Since it's already cyl they probably wont have to cut the barrel down any.

Youll lose about 25fps for every 2" of shotgun barrel, not that speed matters with coyote loads.. we already have over penetration. Most shells are tested in 30" barrels at the ballistic labs, I don't know what Keith (salt creek) uses.
 
Are there any benefits to a straight taper? I was just on a gunsmith website that offered a straight taper service and that was the first i heard of it, I cant find it now. Im a bit surprised how tight a choke tungsten would take, i figured it wouldnt be very forgiving at all.

I definitely like the idea of chokes, this would be a better grouse gun than my 26" also.

What chokes are you guys using for TSS? 4Buck also? Do they like the same chokes for you?
 
I have been shooting TSS for several years now and it is a definite game changer. Lately I have really come to love the Saltcreek ammo 2 ounces of #2’s. I shoot a Benelli M2 with a 26” barrel and have done so for the last 13 years. The choke I use for TSS is a full choke( .695) seems to work real well. FWIW
 
Rock Knocker said:
Are there any benefits to a straight taper? I was just on a gunsmith website that offered a straight taper service and that was the first i heard of it, I cant find it now. Im a bit surprised how tight a choke tungsten would take, i figured it wouldnt be very forgiving at all.

I definitely like the idea of chokes, this would be a better grouse gun than my 26" also.

What chokes are you guys using for TSS? 4Buck also? Do they like the same chokes for you?
Click to expand...

You dont have any options other than threaded chokes, since you barrel is already cylinder.
 
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