benp
Well-known member
So Carl to answer your question with my full opinion and how I concluded such opinion.
Years ago before the big manufacturing companies marketed TSS I learned about tungsten shot from nice shot and ballistic products and considered buying some to reload after researching it. Reading the articles where yes the same density of lead size 4-5 is equivalent to tungsten in size 8-9 and how since it's a smaller surface area it allows for better penetration through feathers and tissue. Since you can go down on shot size this now increases your shot count to where not only is the penetration better but you have more pellets to cause penetration. Due to that fact you have a more dense pattern at longer distances.
That does create a more deadly load as compared to lead but at a cost of money. So I could never afford the shot for reloading and then once TSS was commercially available I had looked into it but couldn't justify the cost for it especially being I had 4 boxes of lead already in the cabinet and like I said before they had never failed in killing a turkey using a 20 gauge out to 40 yards which is the same affective range my brother and I had with both our 12 gauges and honestly the limit I would put myself even if I had TSS that could kill to 60 yards.
Now the toxicity factor was not your question and was not something I was concerned about years ago as a young lad as compared to today with more knowledge to such matters. So I have started to be concerned with such options due to the toxicity so when I cycle through buying new ammunition I go with nontoxic even with my rifles. With turkey being the subject I plan to possibly buy bismuth or tungsten alloy at 15 g/cc which is cheaper than the straight tungsten which is 18g/cc or maybe a 13 g/cc if it's still available to then reload my own shells.
But your question was "Is the improvement of pattern and range vs the old buffered lead payloads that significant?"
Yes it is.
Does it kill the turkey anymore dead than lead? I conclude that it won't for me. But in the future for toxicity sake I will look at other options but not because lead was not effective in patterning or killing.
Years ago before the big manufacturing companies marketed TSS I learned about tungsten shot from nice shot and ballistic products and considered buying some to reload after researching it. Reading the articles where yes the same density of lead size 4-5 is equivalent to tungsten in size 8-9 and how since it's a smaller surface area it allows for better penetration through feathers and tissue. Since you can go down on shot size this now increases your shot count to where not only is the penetration better but you have more pellets to cause penetration. Due to that fact you have a more dense pattern at longer distances.
That does create a more deadly load as compared to lead but at a cost of money. So I could never afford the shot for reloading and then once TSS was commercially available I had looked into it but couldn't justify the cost for it especially being I had 4 boxes of lead already in the cabinet and like I said before they had never failed in killing a turkey using a 20 gauge out to 40 yards which is the same affective range my brother and I had with both our 12 gauges and honestly the limit I would put myself even if I had TSS that could kill to 60 yards.
Now the toxicity factor was not your question and was not something I was concerned about years ago as a young lad as compared to today with more knowledge to such matters. So I have started to be concerned with such options due to the toxicity so when I cycle through buying new ammunition I go with nontoxic even with my rifles. With turkey being the subject I plan to possibly buy bismuth or tungsten alloy at 15 g/cc which is cheaper than the straight tungsten which is 18g/cc or maybe a 13 g/cc if it's still available to then reload my own shells.
But your question was "Is the improvement of pattern and range vs the old buffered lead payloads that significant?"
Yes it is.
Does it kill the turkey anymore dead than lead? I conclude that it won't for me. But in the future for toxicity sake I will look at other options but not because lead was not effective in patterning or killing.