Shotgun is leading way

Nicely done.

I bought some TSS from Apex and found out my versa max cant shoot roll crimped loads, so I'm back to hevi-shot X-II #2's which are star crimped. Looks like salt creek is also roll crimped. Why is it that all TSS loads are roll crimped, does anyone know? I'd rather shoot TSS but i'll need to buy a new gun.
 
I would rather shoot 1-1/2 oz of TSS #4 shot with 124 pellets than 2 oz of TSS #2 shot with 108 pellets at coyotes. Under 70 yards away the 1-1/2 oz loads of TSS #2, #3 and #4 shot have all worked great for me. I like the 124 pellet count of TSS #4 shot in 1-1/2 oz of load compared to the 1-1/2 oz of TSS #2 with 81 pellets per shell.

I reloaded up some 12ga, 3-1/2" 2-1/8 oz loads of TSS shot and shot two of them at some pattern paper. The recoil was brutal! I went home and took the rest of the 2-1/8 oz loads apart and reloaded 3" 1-1/2 oz loads with that TSS shot.

I use a Mod choke for my TSS coyote loads and the pattern is very tight. TSS shot is way harder than steel shot. Most choke manufacturers don't recommend using tighter than a Mod choke for shooting steel shot.

When I was buying TSS shot, just for the price of shot it was about $4.50 for 2 oz of shot and 1-1/2 oz of shot was about $3.38 per shell.

For the 20 pound to 35 pound coyotes that we shoot with shotguns I have had great results with TSS #4 and TSS #3 shot. If you shoot 2 oz of TSS #3 shot "about 133 pellets" you could probable use a Skeet or I/C choke for killing coyotes.

From KPY Shotshell Ballistics

1250 fps TSS #2 shot has about 81 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot and gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 111.8 yards.
1250 fps TSS #3 shot has about 100 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot and gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 93.3 yards.
1250 fps TSS #4 shot has about 125 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot and gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 76 yards.

1250 fps TSS #3 shot has about 133 pellets in 2 oz of shot and gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 93.3 yards.

Once you get the penetration that you need you really don't need bigger shot than that to kill a coyote. Going with more pellets can and will give you more clean kills because you are hitting the coyote with more pellets.

At 80 yards away a 2 oz load of TSS #3 shot "about 133 pellets" should give you more clean kills than a 2 oz load of TSS #2 shot "about 108 pellets. The TSS #3 shot load has 23% more pellets than the TSS #2 shot load.

When I was shooting 12g/cc 1-1/2 oz T shot predator loads with 50 pellets per shell at coyotes I could clearly see more efficient results when I started shooting 70 pellets of 12g/cc BB shot and 90 pellets of FHW 15g/cc #2 shot.

When I could shoot lead shot, I saw the same thing with lead #4 buck with 41 pellets per shell compared to lead BB with 98 pellets per shell. At 45 yards away and under the lead BB shot with over twice as many pellets gave me better results than the much bigger lead #4 buck did.
 
LARUEminati said:
Nicely done.

I bought some TSS from Apex and found out my versa max cant shoot roll crimped loads, so I'm back to hevi-shot X-II #2's which are star crimped. Looks like salt creek is also roll crimped. Why is it that all TSS loads are roll crimped, does anyone know? I'd rather shoot TSS but i'll need to buy a new gun.
Click to expand...
If it was me, I’d call Keith at Salt Creek and ask him about your issue with crimps. He’s a Versamax fanatic, that’s what he shoots personally. I’m willing to bet he’d be able to help you.
 
derbyacresbob said:
I would rather shoot 1-1/2 oz of TSS #4 shot with 124 pellets than 2 oz of TSS #2 shot with 108 pellets at coyotes. Under 70 yards away the 1-1/2 oz loads of TSS #2, #3 and #4 shot have all worked great for me. I like the 124 pellet count of TSS #4 shot in 1-1/2 oz of load compared to the 1-1/2 oz of TSS #2 with 81 pellets per shell.

I reloaded up some 12ga, 3-1/2" 2-1/8 oz loads of TSS shot and shot two of them at some pattern paper. The recoil was brutal! I went home and took the rest of the 2-1/8 oz loads apart and reloaded 3" 1-1/2 oz loads with that TSS shot.

I use a Mod choke for my TSS coyote loads and the pattern is very tight. TSS shot is way harder than steel shot. Most choke manufacturers don't recommend using tighter than a Mod choke for shooting steel shot.

When I was buying TSS shot, just for the price of shot it was about $4.50 for 2 oz of shot and 1-1/2 oz of shot was about $3.38 per shell.

For the 20 pound to 35 pound coyotes that we shoot with shotguns I have had great results with TSS #4 and TSS #3 shot. If you shoot 2 oz of TSS #3 shot "about 133 pellets" you could probable use a Skeet or I/C choke for killing coyotes.

From KPY Shotshell Ballistics

1250 fps TSS #2 shot has about 81 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot and gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 111.8 yards.
1250 fps TSS #3 shot has about 100 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot and gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 93.3 yards.
1250 fps TSS #4 shot has about 125 pellets in 1-1/2 oz of shot and gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 76 yards.

1250 fps TSS #3 shot has about 133 pellets in 2 oz of shot and gets 3.70" of gel penetration at 93.3 yards.

Once you get the penetration that you need you really don't need bigger shot than that to kill a coyote. Going with more pellets can and will give you more clean kills because you are hitting the coyote with more pellets.

At 80 yards away a 2 oz load of TSS #3 shot "about 133 pellets" should give you more clean kills than a 2 oz load of TSS #2 shot "about 108 pellets. The TSS #3 shot load has 23% more pellets than the TSS #2 shot load.

When I was shooting 12g/cc 1-1/2 oz T shot predator loads with 50 pellets per shell at coyotes I could clearly see more efficient results when I started shooting 70 pellets of 12g/cc BB shot and 90 pellets of FHW 15g/cc #2 shot.

When I could shoot lead shot, I saw the same thing with lead #4 buck with 41 pellets per shell compared to lead BB with 98 pellets per shell. At 45 yards away and under the lead BB shot with over twice as many pellets gave me better results than the much bigger lead #4 buck did.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I like more pellet count too. I’m big on the #4s myself as I previously stated. But truthfully, I’ve dumped coyotes at range with both. I have yet to see one move after I pull the trigger with either. Maybe I’m just lucky, but my gun patterns both very very well.
 
LARUEminati said:
Nicely done.

I bought some TSS from Apex and found out my versa max cant shoot roll crimped loads, so I'm back to hevi-shot X-II #2's which are star crimped. Looks like salt creek is also roll crimped. Why is it that all TSS loads are roll crimped, does anyone know? I'd rather shoot TSS but i'll need to buy a new gun.
Click to expand...

My Benelli M2 won’t shoot 3” roll crimped loads if they are max length. They won’t feed from the magazine and tie up the gun.

Roll crimps lower pressure, so you can get 2oz loads with decent velocity and still within pressure limits would be my guess.
 
Back
Top