How much TSS do you put in your duplex loads?

[paulinkansas]

I've been putting .25 oz in a load with 1.0 oz of steel. I looked at Federals TSS 18 factory loads and they use .75 oz of T #9 and .50 oz. of steel. Makes me want to up my TSS payload. How much do you put in yours?

[Dave in AZ]

1/8 to 2/8oz. I've been doing 9.5, 1 grain per pellet. I'm just going for 180 to 220 pellets. If I shoot one at 20-35 yds as expected 90% of time, I don't want hamburger. I have a spreadsheet where i put the total payload, then can change how much tss I use, it gives me total steel pellets, tss pellets, total pellets, total in pattern with expected choke % at various ranges. Gives results for all steel sizes T thru 6s, and tss 7 thru 11 in half grain increments, as well as hw13 4s and 6s, hw15 7s.

So say 20ga... I use my 1485fps 1oz handload. I enter 437.5 as total payload. If I put 55gr tss, I get those results for every possible shot combo.

But in 410 I am just copying bullet225ho loads, 4/8oz tss, as I haven't really patterned, so am just using his results.

Havent you been getting good results with 200 pellets or so? Are you seeing things that make you want more? I feel like I use less than many folks...

[Greg]

I have used both .25 and .3 in a 1 oz load. On the pattern board the difference is negligible but for whatever reason I seem to do better with the .3 loads

[paulinkansas]

Havent you been getting good results with 200 pellets or so? Are you seeing things that make you want more? I feel like I use less than many folks...

I figure that Federal has spent more money on R&D into their duplex loads than I will spend in my life on TSS shot, so I would just try to imitate their published loads. But 3/4 oz of TSS is pricey. So I tried loading some 3" shells with 1/2 oz TSS and the rest with steel with wads I had. I weighed them. 1.5 oz payload . Looked on Alliants website, a 1.5 oz steel load generates 13000 psi in a 3.5" shell. I'm just trying to replicate what Federal is selling with a little less TSS in 3". I guess you can call it plagiarism.

[derbyacresbob]

Federal's advertising is misleading.

60 percent HEAVYWEIGHT TSS pellets
TSS is more than double the density of steel and 50 percent denser than lead
40 percent FLITESTOPPER Steel

They advertise by pellet count percentage NOT BY the weight of the TSS shot or the weight of the steel shot.

The 60% TSS shot pellets weigh less than the 40% steel shot pellets weigh.

[Rottford]

Yep .. they suckered me on a case of those Black Cloud TSS in 20 gauge. I cut one open expecting to see 60% TSS pellets by weight in a 1 oz load ... only to see it was 60% pellet count

[DagSwane]

I've been putting .25 oz in a load with 1.0 oz of steel. I looked at Federals TSS 18 factory loads and they use .75 oz of T #9 and .50 oz. of steel. Makes me want to up my TSS payload. How much do you put in yours?

Paul,
Do you have patterns of your TSS/Steel? I’m getting into TSS reloading in case my HW15 runs out. I just patterned some 1.125oz HW15 (0.5oz HW15 0.65oz steel) loads I still need to count up and get %.

Here’s Federal’s payload, they also use the flight stopper wad:

“Doug, thanks for reaching out. The pellet count is approximately 280 (168 TSS #9 and 112 #3 BC). As far as the choke, we do not have data on that specific choke. We suggest reaching out to Carlson's for that information.”

168 tss pellets and 112 steel 3’s/black cloud Saturn steel
280 total.

I’ve loaded 1oz loads of steel 3’s in 12gauge this year and crushed ducks, and if I shot at any geese. More than anything, I think patterning loads, and building to memory what that looks like at distance/POA/POI and shooting sporting clays increases effectiveness for hard shots on wild birds.

[vtown00]

Havent you been getting good results with 200 pellets or so? Are you seeing things that make you want more? I feel like I use less than many folks...

I figure that Federal has spent more money on R&D into their duplex loads than I will spend in my life on TSS shot, so I would just try to imitate their published loads. But 3/4 oz of TSS is pricey. So I tried loading some 3" shells with 1/2 oz TSS and the rest with steel with wads I had. I weighed them. 1.5 oz payload . Looked on Alliants website, a 1.5 oz steel load generates 13000 psi in a 3.5" shell. I'm just trying to replicate what Federal is selling with a little less TSS in 3". I guess you can call it plagiarism.

I am interested in doing the same thing. my son's 20 shoots the 3rd degree really well so a combo of 5, 6, 7 which yes is primarily lead is something I was looking to do.