Long post here. You've been warned... But - probably my last post on TSS, for awhile. I don't like talking so much about something I have no actual experience with.
This is a cut and paste I made several months ago on another forum, explaining my interest in TSS for coyote and where I'm hoping to get with it:
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Primary objective is Dead Right There performance, under a given set of conditions. That is to say, the a well centered pattern within a given distance, equals a coyote that drops on the spot and doesn't get back up again.
My current go-to loads are (3" 12 gauge) 1-1/2 oz. of Hevi shot BB w/TEF choke and a 1-3/4 oz. load of nickel plated lead F w/Dead Coyote choke. The HS BB is great for 45 yards and under, nicely sized dense pattern and "pretty good" penetration, but lacks a little punch for coyotes at 45+ and especially coyotes going away and offering their retreating hind end at 45+. The NP F definitely penetrates and breaks down those longer and going away coyote better, but at the expense of pattern size and ease of hits on closer shots.
In a nutshell, the HS BB is easier to hit them with but the NP F kills better at the margins.
When I get to experimenting with TSS it will be with an eye towards improving performance over the above.
From a purely theoretical standpoint - not grounded in extensive actual experience - so please feel free to point out the errors in my thinking, but "what I'm thinking" is:
- Two separate applications (with overlap being major bonus):
- First Application: Increased lethality and one shot DRT ratio at "normal" range (under 50 yards) via increased pellet count for larger "swarm of death" combined with greatly increased penetration, improving ease of hits and killing performance simultaneously at typical under 50 yard ranges
- Second Application: Increased range (>50 yards) via pattern density and penetration, a bona fide 60 yard DRT performer would be a home run
The Holy Grail would be one load that covers both bases, with one choke. Wide enough pattern at 30 yards to keep hits on runners in the brush easy, but with enough center pattern density and penetration to be a bona-fide one shot killer at 50 yards and a bit further.
I'm not looking for the Holy Grail though... Be perfectly fine with two different loads and chokes. One for the tight cover and another for setups with longish shot potential.
So... This is just bench racing, at this point, rolling ideas around. But I'll be acting upon it within the next few months.
I'm thinking a 1-1/2 oz. load of TSS #4's ought to cover the increased lethality at normal range via larger pellet count. Cover it very nicely. About 124 pellets and KPY predicted gel penetration about equal to HS Dead Coyote (which has only 51 pellets in the 3" load). Sounds lovely and I can't wait to try some! Anyone care to hazard any input on which choke you'd suggest for that?
For extended range, without totally turning the shotgun int a rifle at closer range, I'm liking the looks of TSS #2 on paper. Indeed, according to KPY the pellet count of 1-1/2 oz. of #2's is 80, but with over 50% more 3.7" gel penetration than Dead Coyote (80 yds vs 126 yds). Enough pellet count to get a reasonable swarm of death for normal ranges, but big enough, round enough, hard and heavy enough shot that perhaps there is a chance for having a dozen pellets still consistently hitting a 10" circle at 50 yards without choking the crap out of it at shorter distance. Maybe go ahead and do choke the crap out of it and have a semblance of a pattern at 60 yards? That sounds like the ticket!
The #1's, with only 67 pellets in a 1-1/2 oz payload (per KPY) don't look near as sexy on paper. The aren't gaining me anything needed or meaningful in penetration vs. the #2's (either will penetrate beyond any hope of maintaining a pattern), they are only costing me pellet count (vs #2's).
So, anyway... Like I said, bench racing, thinking out loud, rolling ideas around. Hoping for someone to poke some holes, point out some new information, whatever - bring it.
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So, just an add on note, regarding my personal goals for TSS. I'm not really all that interested in extending shotgun range past 60 yards, for a variety of reasons. But, most of all, a shotgun load that is deadly at 60, but "too tight" at 30, defeats "my" reasons for carrying a shotgun in the first place. Somebody else might have good use for such a specialized load, but I don't. I have rifles I like very much for stands where I can see coyotes and expect shots at over 60 yards. The shotgun is for stands where I have little chance of scoring a hit with a rifle. A pattern that is too tight will reduce my success, regardless of penetration potential.
If I can extend useful range 5 - 10 yards, while simultaneously increasing the size of the pattern dense enough for reliable killing at 30, 40 yards, that would really be something. Might be possible? Might need a duplex? I'm really not sure. But that's what I'm spending the money and going through all the hoops with this stuff for, to find out, for myself, with my own eyes. Call me a skeptic, but in my fairly extensive research, all I'm seeing is big claims and teeny-tiny almost meaningless sample sizes. Have yet to find anyone that seem to actually know how to call and kill coyote that has used TSS very much. Bob is probably the most experienced and trusted source available right now. But everything else I'm reading, fFve or six coyotes, spread between multiple individuals, none of whom have much if any coyote experience, don't mean squat to me. I want to test the crap out of it and then go kill a decent sized pile of coyotes with it, personally. At that point, I might form and start sharing some strong opinions
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- DAA