Benefits Of Using Tungsten Super Shot For Turkey Hunting By: Kristine Ostertag
Nothing is more rewarding than hitting that tag on a Tom you’ve been chasing. Fall is almost here, and the thrill of the chase is upon us again. The fall turkey hunt has its challenges, as the Toms are no longer eager to find a hen to breed and they don’t respond as well to calls. In the spring, turkeys roost in the same general area, but during the fall, they spread out and can be more difficult to pin down. As a result, you may find it more difficult to get birds within range to shoot, and you may leave the field empty-handed. However, ammunition has come on in leaps and bounds, and now with TSS available, you may find yourself bagging that fall turkey with ease.
Tungsten Super Shot flies farther, hits harder and penetrates deeper than any other shot on the market. The benefits come from tungsten’s higher density compared to any other bead material. Tungsten is 60% denser than lead. Therefore, it can reduce shot size and increase pattern retention at longer distances compared to heavier steel or lead loads.
Since Tungsten Super Slam TSS is denser, harder and smaller, it holds its shape longer and has significantly higher penetration energy. This means you’ll have more shots hitting your bird and penetrating deeper, ensuring a clean kill at longer ranges. For example, the Tungsten Super Slam TSS Turkey Loads #9 shot has 720 shot, and the Winchester Double X #5 shot has approximately 311 shot. When you fire the Tungsten Super Slam TSS Shot, instead of having 311 pellets flying towards your turkey, you will now have 720 pellets hitting harder and deeper. So the next time Tom hangs out of his normal range, he won’t have to worry.
To show you what this looks like, I decided to set my target at 50 yards and shoot both the TSS and the lead. The first image shows the pattern with a modified choke with the Tungsten Super Slam TSS #9 shot. The second image shows the Double X #5 firing pattern through a modified choke. Typically you would use a full or extra full choke for lead turkey loads, so the third picture shows the pattern through an extra full choke.
Tungsten Super Slam TSS #9 50 Yard Shot (Modified Choke) Retail Price: $59.99
Winchester Double X #5 shot at 50 yards (modified choke)
#5 Winchester Double X shot at 50 yards (full extra choke)
As you can see, the TSS has a tighter pattern and has significantly more pellets in the kill zone. Now if this target was a turkey, think about how many more pellets will hit that bird with the TSS versus the lead. I don’t know about you, but I would choose TSS over lead if I wanted to ensure a successful kill. TSS is becoming more popular with turkey hunters for this very reason. I recommend using a modified choke tube that can handle tungsten. Again, check before you shoot, not all choke tubes can take tungsten.
