A well-rounded sporting goods store should have an assortment of turkey loads available, especially in springtime, to cater to spring gobbler chasers. However, that raises the question of what exactly to stock. After all, there is a greater variety of turkey ammo offered today than ever before. Here are a few guidelines to consider.
TSS (Tungsten Super Shot) is hot right now, but also expensive. To counter the potentially prohibitive price of this costly ammo, be sure to stock some more affordable yet effective lead loads, too. Last spring, I used both shot types, and whether their demise was caused by tungsten or lead, the gobblers I tagged were just as dead either way.
Regarding shotshell gauge, be careful. Some of the following options are available in 10-gauge, but few turkey hunters use a 10-gauge shotgun anymore. The trend today is towards lighter and smaller-gauge shotguns for turkeys, such as 20, 28, and .410. Likewise, be mindful of what shell length to stock. Some hunters, including myself, still use 3½-inch 12-gauge shells, but many prefer 3-inch 12- or 20-gauge loads due to their lower recoil and cost. Some 3-inch 28-gauge loads are also available and are being pushed by many ammo companies, but it’s highly unlikely that very many turkey hunters actually own a 3-inch-chambered 28-gauge shotgun, or even a standard 2¾-inch-chambered 28-gauge for that matter. While the 28-gauge is an extremely capable gun with modern turkey ammo, it’s difficult to tell how popular the 28-gauge turkey trend really is. Don’t overstock 28-gauge ammo of any length, because it may be sitting on your shelves for some time.
To be safe, simply stock 3-inch 12- and 20-gauge turkey loads (lead and tungsten), which are always popular, a few 3½-inch 12-gauge shells for those stouter turkey chasers willing to pay for the abuse, and a few 28-gauge and 3-inch .410 TSS loads for youth hunters and anyone else who has jumped on the sub-gauge bandwagon. Shooting turkeys with a .410 appears to be a real and ongoing trend. It also doesn’t hurt to be aware of what 10-gauge loads are available in case customers inquire about them and want you to place an order for them.
Here are some loads America’s top turkey ammo companies currently offer, but there will likely be new introductions before the season is over, so keep checking their respective websites for updates. Turkey loads are usually packaged in five- or 10-round boxes, depending on brand and shot type. Generally, tungsten loads come in five-round boxes to keep price down, while lead loads come in 10-round boxes. MSRP can also vary greatly depending on brand, shot type, gauge and charge weight, so be mindful of all this when ordering. Of course, when ordering, be aware of state regulations on shot size, particularly with regard to No. 9 shot, which is not legal for turkeys in all states.
Federal
Federal’s Heavyweight TSS is currently one of the nation’s hottest turkey loads. It features ultra-dense 18 g/cc Tungsten Super Shot, which is more than 50% denser than lead. Heavyweight TSS is available in 3-inch 12-gauge with 1¾-ounce of No. 7 or 9 shot, a 2-ounce duplex load containing both 7 and 9 shot, and 3½-inch 12-gauge with either 2¼-ounce of 7s or 9s or a massive 2½-ounce duplex payload of both 7s and 9s. 3-inch 20-gauge loads have 1½-ounce of 7s or 9s, or there’s a 15/8-ounce duplex load of 7s and 9s. There’s also a 2¾-inch 20-gauge option with 1 1/8-ounce of 9s. 3-inch .410-bore loads have 13/16-ounce of either 7 or 9 shot.
Another option is 3rd Degree, which features three shot sizes and types: No. 5 copper-plated lead, No. 6 FLITESTOPPER lead, and No. 7 TSS. The sharp-edged FLITESTOP pellets disperse quickly and are more forgiving at close range, and the copper-plated lead pellets provide mid-range performance, while the TSS pellets dispense long-range lethality. Federal’s 3rd Degree is available in 3-inch 12-gauge 1¾-ounce, 3½-inch 12-gauge 2-ounce, and 3-inch 20-gauge 1½-ounce
Federal’s most affordable turkey load is Grand Slam. It features all copper-plated lead shot and is offered in 2¾-inch 12-gauge with 1½-ounce of No. 5s, 3-inch 12-gauge with 1¾-ounce of No. 4s, 5s or 6s, 3½-inch 12-gauge with 2 ounces of 4s, 5s, or 6s, 3-inch 20-gauge with 1 5/16-ounce of 5s, and 3½-inch 10-gauge with 2 ounces of 4s or 5s.
Hevi-Shot
Hevi-Shot also has three turkey load options that gobbler-hunting customers will be interested in. The first is Hevi-18 TSS which, like Federal TSS, uses 18 g/cc pellets for exceptionally tight patterns at longer yardages. It’s available in 3½-inch 12-gauge with 2¼ ounces of 7 or 9 shot, 3-inch 12-gauge with 2 ounces of 7s or 9s, 2¾-inch 12-gauge and 20-gauge both with 1¼ ounces of 9s, 3-inch 20-gauge with 1½ ounces of 7s or 9s, 3-inch 28-gauge with 1¼ ounces of 7s or 9s, and 3-inch .410 bore with 13/16-ounce of 7s or 9s.
Hevi-Shot Magnum Blend is my personal favorite turkey load and one I believe every shop should stock. This triplex load combines No. 5, 6 and 7 shot sizes of original 12 g/cc tungsten Hevi-Shot pellets. It comes in 3½-inch 10-gauge 2 3/8-ounce, 3½-inch 12-gauge 2¼-ounce, 3-inch 12-gauge 2-ounce, 3-inch 20-gauge 1¼-ounce, and new 3-inch 28-gauge 1-ounce. Of these, the 3-inch 12-gauge option would the safest bet to carry.
Finally, there’s Hevi-Metal Turkey. While previous Hevi-Metal loads contained tungsten and steel pellets, the current duplex version contains No. 5 bismuth shot and No. 4 steel shot. The bismuth and steel components make this load much more affordable than loads with tungsten. Hevi-Metal is offered in 3 ½-inch 12-gauge 1 ½-ounce, 3-inch 12-gauge 1 ¼-ounce, and 3-inch 20-gauge 1-ounce
Remington
From Remington, I suggest stocking Premier TSS and Nitro Turkey. These two loads represent opposite ends of the spectrum, both in terms of shot composition and cost. Premier TSS is available in 3-inch 12-gauge 1¾-ounce 7 or 9 shot, 3-inch 20-gauge 1½-ounce 7s or 9s, and 3-inch .410 bore 13/16-ounce No. 9 shot.
Remington Nitro Turkey is a non-plated lead load that’s ultra-hard and patterns well, yet is more affordable that copper-plated shot and much more affordable than tungsten. It’s highly effective, too, and I’ve used it with deadly results on gobblers. Nitro Turkey is a great option to have on shelves for customers on a tight budget. It’s available in 3½-inch 12-gauge 2-ounce 4s, 5s or 6s, 3-inch 12-gauge 1 7/8-ounce 4s, 5s or 6s, 2¾-inch 12-gauge 1½-ounce 4s or 5s, and 3-inch 20-gauge 1 ¼-ounce 5s.
Winchester
A top-selling turkey load from Winchester is Long Beard XR. It features copper-plated lead shot and resin-like Shot-Lok buffering that holds the pellets together longer for tight patterns downrange. Best of all, Long Beard XR costs much less than tungsten loads, making it very popular among turkey hunters. The 12-gauge loads include 3½-inch 2 1/8-ounce, 3½-inch 2-ounce, 3-inch 1 7/8-ounce, and 3-inch 1¾-ounce, all available with No. 4, 5 or 6 shot. Long Beard XR also comes in 2¾-inch 12-gauge with 1¼ ounces of 5s, and 3-inch 20-gauge with 1¼ ounces of 5s or 6s.
Winchester recently introduced a new TSS offering. Marketed primarily as a waterfowl load, Last Call TSS comes in shot sizes adequate for taking turkeys. Options include 3-inch 12-gauge 1¼-ounce No. 5s, 7s or 9s, 3-inch 20-gauge 1-ounce 7s or 9s, 3-inch 28-gauge 7/8-ounce 9s, and 3-inch .410-bore ½-ounce 9s.
Kent
Kent Cartridge’s affordable Ultimate Turkey is stuffed with magnum payloads of extra-hard lead it calls Diamond Shot. Loads include 3½-inch 12-gauge 2¼-ounce 5s, 3-inch 12-gauge 2-ounce 5s, 3-inch 12-gauge 1¾-ounce 4s or 5s, 2¾-inch 12-gauge 1 5/8-ounce 5s, and 3-inch 20-gauge 1¼-ounce 4s or 5s. This is another wallet-friendly option to have on hand for customers on a budget.
Fiocchi
Fiocchi offers two turkey loads worthy of consideration. Golden Turkey TSS is Fiocchi’s Tungsten Super Shot option. It’s available in 3-inch 12-gauge 1 5/8-ounce 7s or 9s, 3-inch 20-gauge 1 3/8-ounce 9s, new 3-inch 28-gauge 1 1/16-ounce 9s, and 3-inch .410 13/16-ounce 9s.
Golden Turkey is the latest version of Fiocchi’s longtime nickel-plated lead shot turkey load. Nickel-plated lead shot is even harder than copper-plated shot, and in my experience, hits turkeys the hardest of all the plated-lead turkey loads. I’ve used Fiocchi loads that were forerunners of Golden Turkey with great success on turkeys over the years, including one five-bearded gobbler that fell to that extra-hard nickel-plated shot.
Golden Turkey is currently available in 3-inch 12-gauge 1¾-ounce 4s, 5s or 6s, and 3-inch 20-gauge 1¼-ounce 5s or 6s.
Browning
Browning Ammunition currently offers only a TSS turkey load option, a testament to just how popular this shot type has become among hunters. Browning’s TSS Tungsten Turkey comes in several configurations, including 3½-inch 12-gauge 2¼-ounce, 3-inch 12-gauge 1¾-ounce, and 3-inch 20-gauge 1½-ounce, all of which are available with either No. 7s or a duplex payload containing both 7s and 9s. There’s also a 3-inch .410-bore 13/16-ounce load with No. 9 shot.
