Eric the weight/shot size philosophy doesn't fit the TSS model. When we went from Lead to Steel shot with it's corresponding lighter density the tendency was to use larger pellets to make up for the loss of mass , conversely with TSS we are using a pellet with much larger mass so we go the other way ie to smaller size shot. This does two things: first for the same total shot mass loading we have on order of magnitude greater number of pellets and secondly we have increased the lethality range.
So instead of 1-3/8 ox of letter size Steel shot we have better ballistics, a far better pattern density with a lot smaller payload using TSS.
The 28 ga shotshell in my pic was for a test of a Turkey load @ 1-5/16 oz, and generally I will use 3/4 oz and 1 oz in 12 ga for Ducks and Geese, pellet counts are better by far than any Steel shot even with greater payloads.
TSS also, in my experience, is very easy on the teeth because it has sufficient power, at least in my game bag last fall, to penetrate the birds and keep right on going so there are not pellets to recover. I know there are two schools of thought about this retained/lost energy thing because of the energy being expended totally in the bird and the pellets retained or energy lost because the pellet has gone through but IMHO it's better to go through. Works for me!
As I stated earlier TSS isn't for everyone nor every situation. I will in the open marsh use 12ga with the first two shotshells being #3 steel and the last shell being TSS. In the 4Rivers layout on the lazy creek it's TSS all the way in the 28 ga. Upland is Lead but when those are used up it will be Steel for future loadings with a TSS for the third shot. It's great stuff but at US$49.00 per pound it is also expensive, for 1 oz loads that's 16 shells per pound!!!!!!!!!!!!
There has been some experimenting with duplex steel and TSS but I'm not so sure that the benefits outweigh the cost on those types of loadings even though some manufacturers are pushing them to boost sales if nothing else. For sub ga's TSS certainly shines but if your birds are in your face at 15-30 yards just about anything will kill them so why waste your money. Floating the lazy river or marsh in the 4Rivers especially with the 28 ga I will use TSS and the kill ratio so far has been 1.1 to 1. If you want to shoot a lot then go to the range, I prefer one shot per bird and will wait until I am sure of the shots and the distances.
Hope this helps,
Lost
The following chart shows the comparison of most shot types available and comparing them with TSS clearly the TSS is light years ahead.
:lol::lol:
