HW15#7 vs. TSS#9, #11 for Upland (Quail, Pheasant)

[Dave in AZ]

Wrote this in a PM to someone on this site, decided it was too much writing to not post elsewhere so put it on my blog. Lots of extrapolation from lead results, but at least some parameters for folks looking to load HW15 or TSS for upland.

https://pipesf16.wordpress.com/hw15-vs-tss-for-upland/

[paulinkansas]

Thanks Dave. Here in Kansas we already have to use non-tox shot on state or federal land. Private land is lead, but I imagine that will change in a few years.

[derbyacresbob]

On Tuesday I went Chukar hunting in California with two friends of mine. We have to use lead free shot in California. My two friends were shooting 20 ga duplex loads with 5/8 oz of FHW 15g/cc #7 shot and 1/4 oz of TSS #8-1/2 shot.

Those 20 ga duplex loads killed the Chukar way out there. It is very hard to get within 60 yards of wild Chukar in the rough mountains and canyons we were hunting in.

The main advantage TSS #9 shot has over 15g/cc #7 shot is the pellet count. 15g/cc #7 shot has about 219 pellets per oz and TSS #9 shot has about 357 pellets per oz. So 3/4 oz of TSS #9 shot would have about 49 more pellets than 1 oz of 15g/cc #7 shot has in it.

According to KPY 1250 fps 15g/cc #7 shot gets 1.50" of gel penetration at 73.1 yards and 1250 fps TSS #9 shot gets 1.50" of gel penetration at 66.5 yards.

[RAG]

Valid points here! I've shot about 100 patterns, and maybe 50 chukar with Tungsten shot. I no longer live in CA, so I'm simply playing with TSS on upland just for fun...and makes a helluva backup shot since it patterns about 4 chokes tighter for me (Mod in one of my guns produces 50-60% pattern density at 70 yards!). I digress.

As for the TSS 18g/CC, I like #8.5. Great pellet count better wound channels than the #9, 9.5 and 10s i have also tried. In theory, if you look at the penetration data, #9.5 would be the ticket. But I got a lot of sailed birds with 9.5s, likely because the wound channel was lacking with that tiny shot.

I've also shot a lot of chukar with 1.25oz #7 in 15g. This is lacking pellet count (#8s would surely be better), but with tight enough pattern, this will stone them dead as far as you can hit them. Shoot, its a killer on ducks and pheasant at long range, so of course it will stone chukar!

When determining lethality, I now split the difference between lethal pellet energy and penetration...seems to work better. The penetration-alone data will lead you to ultra small shot sizes which kill as well for me. For quail,, the 18g is borderline too dense to be ideal. I'd like to see/try #8.5 in 15g.