I could be wrong, but my understanding is the Chinese are limiting the production. As to why, I am not sure.
The 10 is all I roll with
I was perfectly fine paying 10-15$ a shell. The performance of TSS is otherworldly compared to anything else.
Of course they do.
Glad to hear about a DIY option.
hangfree.co
Same here. Luckily I don't shoot much TSS (if any) so at the current rate of consumption I have a decades worth, at least....maybe a century based of how little turkey action I've been having the last few years. The same three shells have been in and out of the gun countless times and live in my turkey vest.
Might be the thing to do, even though it will hurt right now. Another option is to start rolling your own lead 10's in an effort to duplicate the performance of Longbeard 12 gauge since you can't get good over the counter lead 10's. I get my supplies at Ballistic Products. I buy primed hulls (no hazmat) and you'd just need a roll crimper for 10 gauge and some wads, powder, buffer and lead shot. They should have some load data on the website. Off the top of my head, a 3 ounce load of number 6 hard magnum alloy lead might make a fine turkey load out of a 10.
What do you use to replicate the gel/plastic "shot lok"Might be the thing to do, even though it will hurt right now. Another option is to start rolling your own lead 10's in an effort to duplicate the performance of Longbeard 12 gauge since you can't get good over the counter lead 10's. I get my supplies at Ballistic Products. I buy primed hulls (no hazmat) and you'd just need a roll crimper for 10 gauge and some wads, powder, buffer and lead shot. They should have some load data on the website. Off the top of my head, a 3 ounce load of number 6 hard magnum alloy lead might make a fine turkey load out of a 10.
Cheddite 10ga 3.5" (86mm) 20mm Primed Hull (50/bag)
The Cheddite 10 Gauge 3-1/2 are high-quality, primed hulls perfect for reloading 10ga shotgun shells. These premium hulls are designed for precision, durability, and ease of use, making them ideal for hunting and target shooting applications. Available in a 50-count pack, they provide reliable...www.ballisticproducts.com
I'm using a synthetic spherical buffer. I think it is called Grex, if memory serves. I seem to remember I had to order it from another place than Ballistic Products. A quick search on there returned nothing on Grex, but they have buffer for sale on the site.
I'm not really familiar with Bismuth but I think it is lower density than lead. A quick look says it is 9.8 grams per cubic centimeter. The thing that makes tungsten so effective is its density. TSS is 18 grams per cubic centimeter. Lead is about 11 grams per cubic cm. What that equates too is that a #9 pellet of TSS is the same mass (weight) as a #5 lead pellet. You can fit a lot more #9 pellets in a hull than you can #5, so that is one real advantage to TSS. The other thing is penetration. A #9 TSS is much smaller than a #5 lead pellet but they have the same mass. Since the TSS is smaller, it offers less frontal area, and therefore penetrates better. So bismuth would be less efective than lead, and far less than TSS.
Ahh, gotcha! I thought bismuth was heavier than lead. Not sure why they put it in loads like Golden Pheasant. Maybe a lead alternative more for public health reasons than performance…..
