Another Fed #9 shooter. Second the great patterns
tss
- Thread starter captfire
- Start date
bigpuddin43
12 pointer
actually about a half mile. I guess I consider the point of turkey hunting is to get them close.
Tom Threetoes
10 pointer
If I can get a mature gobbler within 50 yds. I consider him fooled and that's where I let the old Remington go to work.
DH13
12 pointer
50 yards or less. I know I did my job of fooling the Tom.
rockhousehunter
12 pointer
Nothing wrong with that. I don't consider it that way but I'll take it that way. Many states allow rifles in their turkey seasons, I'd kill one with a rifle at 100 yards if Kentucky allowed it but many wouldn't and that's ok.
Even though I started shooting some tss, I’ve never in 51 years of turkey hunting shot one over 35-40 yards. I like em’ close. I like to hear that gobble that makes the hair on your neck stand up. What I like about the tss are the patterns but mostly the energy at impact. After chasing them thunder chickens for 50 plus years, it’s just fun experimenting.
Feedman
Cyber-Hunter
I think this year I am going to use my Fathers 16 gauge Iver Johnson Full Choke and i found a couple of his old Peter's 2 3/4 6 shot. Get one in real close.
That sounds fun. I was going to use my old single shot on one bird this year but haven’t gotten my ejector fixed in time. My friend just bought a new single shot Iver Johnson turkey gun from Whitaker’s for around $100. We were going to use single shots on at least one bird. We like to change things up and have fun.
hollandhunter
12 pointer
I always shoot when i change brands/loads. Bottom line its not worth the risk not to. Because one cant tell without real testing.
riverboss
12 pointer
I think federal uses the flight control wad in there tss, if that's the case I would think there would be a big difference.
mudhole crossing
12 pointer
My dad uses my 30” wing master. I killed 9 with it before getting my 500. Hes going for birds 33 and 34 this spring using 2.75” magnums and 870. Not to shabby for a squirrel gun.
Bowmostofthetime86
6 pointer
I have used longbeard xr 3.5 inch #6 since they came out. Killed birds with them every year and they patterned great out to 50. Have not been able to find number 6 shot so I bought 4 boxes of #5 I found. They pattern ok but I was not happy. So today I bought a box of federal tss 3.5 inch #9. They were 85 dollars at Sportsman’s warehouse, they were the only place who had 3.5inch. My wife about choked when she saw the receipt. Then I told her I had to get a new choke because the one I have used for decades is for lead only. And she gasped. I am going to sacrifice one to check poi with new choke/shell combo. They better be impressive.
Little FR
12 pointer
In my 3.5” gun I have a Longbeard XR choke and shoot the 3.5” Federal #9 TSS in it and Longbeard 3.5” #5’s. They both kill fine and pattern farther than I oughta shoot, my wife is packing that gun this year with 2 3/4 lead 5 Winchester Turkeys. All 3 hit same POI and pattern great.
I shoot 16ga fixed full with Apex 9’s.
The kids shoot fixed full model 37 .410 with Verdict or the Turkey Ninja 9.5’s.
Mom packs an Ithaca 51 loaded with 2 3/4” Apex 9’s.
I shoot 16ga fixed full with Apex 9’s.
The kids shoot fixed full model 37 .410 with Verdict or the Turkey Ninja 9.5’s.
Mom packs an Ithaca 51 loaded with 2 3/4” Apex 9’s.
silentarcher
8 pointer
I used the longbeards for three years in my mossberg 835 starting when they first came out. I was getting high 160's- low 170's with the 3.5 2oz #4's. I killed several birds with them but one day I missed a bird and even though it felt like a good shot I chalked it up to me probably pulling it or the bird moving. That was with the 3" 4's. Then I missed bird number two with the 3.5 4's. Something didn't seem right considering both shells shot so good on paper and to the same poi. So I decided to see what I could find out by shooting several in a row on paper. I actually figured the red dot was the issue but to make sure I took some win Supremes to shoot as well so I could compare the patterns to see if anything was consistent or not. At 25 yards I shot three patterns with the 3.5 LB's first and every one of them had a different poi. The center of the patterns varied as much as 6-8 inches off from poa every shot. Then I shot the Supremes to see if the patterns moved around or not and they didnt. Another day I also had LB round not break up like it's supposed to and was basically a large slug hole in the paper with several odd pellet holes real close to it at 40yds. I had never heard of any issues with these shells first hand so I came in and got online and searched on the turkey hunting forums and found I wasn't the only one with the longbeard problems. Supposedly it was a problem with the resin in the shells not breaking up properly and the tubular flat nose cylinder of shot and hard resin was windplaning from shot to shot and causing many patterns to be no more than a barrel diameter slug hole in the paper or cardboard backer. Winchester said they fixed it but I have absolutely no faith in the longbeard loads anymore. I will not shoot them. A couple years after my ordeal I talked to a guy working at a sporting goods store during turkey season and he was kinda down stating he missed two birds the weekend before and how his new red dot must be fried so he's sending it back. I asked what shells he shoots and he said LB. I told him about my experience with them and that he should check his at the patterning board. He said nah its got to be the optic im sending it back. Fast forward several months and I talked to him again and i asked how the rest of his season went the prior spring. He said he mounted the replacement red dot and sighted it in with the LB, then the following hunt he called in bird number three and missed it too. So he changed chokes and loads and killed the next one finally. I know others personally that swear by them as well but for every bird they kill they miss atleast one or two. No Joke. I just don't like those odds or the thought of wounding any animal to suffer a miserable drawn out death.
As for tss, barely a month into the far southern states turkey season this year I read of three different guys wounding and not recovering mature gobblers with it. One was a 20 ga and I'm not sure what gauge the others used. I've heard of many many more in the last 2-3 years too. There's never any guarantees with any gun or load combo but a higher percentage of success is had when shots are kept inside 25-40 yards. If you want a higher concentration of pellets on target for more trama and knock down energy then load up some magnum loads of copper plated or nickel plated lead #8's or #7 1/2's. The #8s will kill turkeys a little past 30 yards and the 7 1/2's will kill out to 40. I'd love to see a 3.5" winchester Supreme or double X loaded with 2 oz of CP 7 1/2's. Actually I'm planning on making a few of these myself and patterning them. I won't get them done for this season but possibly for this fall.
mudhole crossing
12 pointer
7.5 are prolly one of the best all around shot size
