Which turkey gun?

[180ls1]

Whatever you do buy TSS. It has been an absolute game changer for me and even the couple guys I hunted with. We hunt higher pressure mountain birds where the shots get long. I killed 3 birds this year. 2 over 50 and one over 60.

 

[Kelljp]

Practice before hunting, as painful as it is to the wallet to shot tss at targets. You have to know your limits. You owe it to the bird.

 

[Marc Young]

Whatever you do buy TSS. It has been an absolute game changer for me and even the couple guys I hunted with. We hunt higher pressure mountain birds where the shots get long. I killed 3 birds this year. 2 over 50 and one over 60.

Agree with this, tungsten is a game changer.

 

[Marc Young]

i think getting the highest quality choke is more important than that type of gun.

 

[Marc Young]

I use a Franchi infinity 28 inch barrel, 3.5 mag, Indian creek choke, and a vortex venom red dot.

 

[DartonJager]

Whatever you decide stick with a 20 gauge using TSS ammo. It kills plenty good enough and doesn't knock the snot out of you when you pull the trigger. Good luck on your choice.

My only caution against TSS besides being over $10-$15 a round is availability.
I went into my local BP and Cabela's 3-4x a week prior to turkey season and looked on line daily and had great difficulty finding lead Winchester Long beard XR Turkey shells and TSS and when I did find TSS in stock it was WELL over $13 a round.

Neither my local Cabela's or BP had any 20ga TSS in stock until a few weeks prior to the opening of turkey season and only 12ga TSS for $13-$15 a round.

Based on my LIMITED experience with TSS and what I have read here and at the two most popular dedicated turkey hunting websites TSS is often picky as to what choke it will perform well with and often doesn't pattern well with the same tight chokes used for lead turkey shells most guys already have or come with new turkey specific guns, so patterning your gun to get optimal performance from TSS shells could be vary costly and if you need to buy an AM TSS compatible choke it can get down right painfully expensive.
And if you're going to limit your shots to 45 yards or under there is no need to use TSS as lead will do fine at 45 and under.

I would respectfully suggest you do some lengthy research of TSS turkey shell before you invest any $$$ in them or TSS compatible chokes. Another issue related to TSS cost is they are so expensive it can become for some hunters cost prohibitive to stock pile multiple seasons worth of shells and with the current ammo shortages especially with season specific limited run turkey shells like TSS and WLBXR's, you could find yourself two weeks away from your hunt and either have only a few TSS shells or none at all.

I literally have stockpiled 10 turkey seasons worth of Winchester Long beard shells for my sons and I and thank God I did as they never were for sale OTC near me and only available on line and if you weren't among the first to find them you didn't get any. Shockingly enough the best source for reasonably priced WLBXR shells was of all places Gunbroker.

Just some things to think about before you go all in on TSS.

 

[Rick Richard]

My only caution against TSS besides being over $10-$15 a round is availability.
I went into my local BP and Cabela's 3-4x a week prior to turkey season and looked on line daily and had great difficulty finding Turkey shells and especially TSS and when I did find TSS in stock it was WELL over $10 a round.

Based on my LIMITED experience with TSS and what I have read here and at the two most popular dedicated turkey hunting websites TSS is often picky as to what choke it will perform well with and often doesn't pattern well with the same tight chokes used for lead turkey shells most guys already have or come with new turkey specific guns, so patterning your gun to get optimal performance from TSS shells could be vary costly and if you need to buy an AM TSS compatible choke it can get down right painfully expensive.

I would respectfully suggest you do some lengthy research of TSS turkey shell before you invest any $$$ in them or TSS compatible chokes.

Just some things to think about before you go all in on TSS.

I got lucky maybe since I was able to get the right choke for the TSS to be used. How? I called the maker of the tube I was intending to purchase and they steered me in the correct direction for the shot brand/size to use. As told, the pattern was as good as it gets. Also, I purchase TSS shot way way before the season. So, far no problem getting what I want. So, the take away is….take my advice and do what I did.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

My only caution against TSS besides being over $10-$15 a round is availability.
I went into my local BP and Cabela's 3-4x a week prior to turkey season and looked on line daily and had great difficulty finding Turkey shells and especially TSS and when I did find TSS in stock it was WELL over $10 a round.

Based on my LIMITED experience with TSS and what I have read here and at the two most popular dedicated turkey hunting websites TSS is often picky as to what choke it will perform well with and often doesn't pattern well with the same tight chokes used for lead turkey shells most guys already have or come with new turkey specific guns, so patterning your gun to get optimal performance from TSS shells could be vary costly and if you need to buy an AM TSS compatible choke it can get down right painfully expensive.

I would respectfully suggest you do some lengthy research of TSS turkey shell before you invest any $$$ in them or TSS compatible chokes.

Just some things to think about before you go all in on TSS.

At the price they want for any of them there's not likely to be any shortages or runs on them...lol I awitched the first year they came out and bought about 10-5 paks....I put one in the chamber followed by 2 long beards...I've found out you do not need any custom chokes, the ones I patterned made the pattern too tight, switched back to the factory full...still good to as far as I'd care to shoot...TSS IS A GAME CHANGER AS MUCH AS MOUTH CALLS AND CAMOUFLAGE, NOW IF THEY COULD ONLY LIGHTEN UP ON THE PRICE !!

 

[Marc Young]

My only caution against TSS besides being over $10-$15 a round is availability.
I went into my local BP and Cabela's 3-4x a week prior to turkey season and looked on line daily and had great difficulty finding lead Winchester Long beard XR Turkey shells and TSS and when I did find TSS in stock it was WELL over $13 a round.

Neither my local Cabela's or BP had any 20ga TSS in stock until a few weeks prior to the opening of turkey season and only 12ga TSS for $13-$15 a round.

Based on my LIMITED experience with TSS and what I have read here and at the two most popular dedicated turkey hunting websites TSS is often picky as to what choke it will perform well with and often doesn't pattern well with the same tight chokes used for lead turkey shells most guys already have or come with new turkey specific guns, so patterning your gun to get optimal performance from TSS shells could be vary costly and if you need to buy an AM TSS compatible choke it can get down right painfully expensive.
And if you're going to limit your shots to 45 yards or under there is no need to use TSS as lead will do fine at 45 and under.

I would respectfully suggest you do some lengthy research of TSS turkey shell before you invest any $$$ in them or TSS compatible chokes.

Just some things to think about before you go all in on TSS.

Apex ammunition or wood haven ninja

 

[Rick Richard]

Apex ammunition or wood haven ninja

Jebs and Ninja

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

No question the ammo & chokes you listed will shoot amazing patterns and level long beards to 75 yards BUT you'd better be darn careful aiming and pulling the trigger under 25 yards...I always cluck real loud to freeze them on the close shots, I actually missed this one at 10 yards and think the wings on the wad cut the back of his neck went it went past him about an inch wide..lol

 

[Marc Young]

Apex ammunition or wood haven ninja

Indian creek

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

I'll be back....

 

[DartonJager]

No question the ammo & chokes you listed will shoot amazing patterns and level long beards to 75 yards BUT you'd better be darn careful aiming and pulling the trigger under 25 yards...I always cluck real loud to freeze them on the close shots, I actually missed this one at 10 yards and think the wings on the wad cut the back of his neck went it went past him about an inch wide..lol

That's why my boys and I practice A LOT every pre-season at close range using dove loads and went to a 2-7x33mm VariX-II Shotgun scope or a 3moa circle-dot reflex sight on my dedicated turkey shotguns.