Fifteen or 20 years ago, if you told a diehard turkey hunter that one day the 20-gauge would rival the 12 in popularity among gobbler chasers, they probably would’ve laughed and walked away. But much has changed, thanks to Tungsten Super Shot. At 18.1 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cc) compared to lead at 11.7 g/cc, a No. 9 TSS pellet hits like a #5 lead pellet. It didn’t take long for hunters and ammo makers to figure out that they could now pack 20-gauge hulls with as many or more shot as was previously loaded into 3 ½-inch 12-gauge lead loads.

Though expensive, TSS has become the go-to for turkey hunting, and it’s allowed sub-gauge guns—anything smaller than 12-gauge—to become viable turkey getters. The 20-gauge allows turkey hunters to carry a gun that’s lighter and recoils less than a 12-gauge, but is still extremely effective.

Switching to a 20-gauge allows hunters to carry a lighter gun with less recoil. Image by Godwin Photography

Some say the 20 is the new 12. Whether that’s true or not, 20-gauge shooters have a lot of great options for both guns and ammo. We put 7 new loads to the test this spring, and we’ve also kept the results from loads we tested last year, too. Most of the tested rounds averaged $8 to $12 per shell. We included the real world price from retailers like Academy and MidwayUSA with each tested load.

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THE TEST

I tested these 20-gauge turkey loads by shooting them from my Retay Masai Mara fitted with a Retay turkey tube and a red dot sight. The distance was 35 yards and each load was fired at a blank sheet of paper with a center aiming point. Since each load has a slightly different POI, I didn’t worry much over how centered the load was on the aiming point. You can fine tune that with your own gun/load combo. Instead, I pulled the target after each shot and put a 12” circle, updated from last year’s 9” circle, around the densest part of the pattern. I then counted the shot inside the circle and took an average count for all three shots. All seven loads produced nice, even patterns free from holes and gaps, just what you want from a premium turkey load.

Each load was fired three times and the average number of shot inside a 12 inch circle was taken. Image by Cheryl Pendley

Every one of these loads will cleanly take a gobbler beyond 35 yards. How much beyond depends on the particular gun and choke combo, and the shooter’s skill. Even so, turkey hunting is best enjoyed at close range, and we don’t advocate taking long shots. The beauty of 20-gauge turkey guns and TSS is that inside 40 yards, getting your gobbler is almost a sure thing … if you do your part.

THE LOADS TESTED

Federal Premium Heavyweight TSS

Shell Length: 3”

Shot Size: #9

Payload: 1 ½ ounce

Velocity: 1100 fps

336 pellet average in 12” circle

Price per 5 shell box: $54.44

Federal Premium’s Heavyweight TSS is one of the most proven and easily available turkey loads on the market. The full length FLITECONTROL FLEX wad provides extremely tight, consistent patterns through standard and ported turkey chokes and protects the barrel from the hard TSS shot as it travels through. Available in both No. 7 and No. 9 shot. I tested the 9s.

Federal Premium Heavyweights put an average of 336 pellets inside the circle. Image by Michael Pendley

Hevi-Shot Hevi-18

Length: 3”

Shot Size: #9 TSS

Payload: 1 ½ ounces

Velocity: 1250 fps

324 pellet average in 12” circle

Price per 5 shell box: $65.69

Hevi-Shot has long been revered among waterfowlers, but they make outstanding turkey loads including their innovate Mag Blends and various sub-gauge TSS loads. I tested the straight No. 9 shot size, although a blend of 5, 6 and 7 shot is also available. As 20-gauge loads go, this one is a thumper, pushing a 1.5-ounce payload to a zippy 1,250 fps.

Heavi-Shot Heavi-18 put an average of 324 pellets inside a 12” circle. Image by Michael Pendley

Salt Creek Custom Ammunition

Length:3”

Shot Size: #9

Payload: 1 ⅝ ounces

Velocity: 1100 fps

398 pellet average in 12” circle

Price per 5 shell box: $57.99

This small, family-owned business based out of Nephi, Utah, is turning out some serious performance ammo. Each shell is hand-loaded for quality. This one has a heavy payload and produced one of the highest pellet counts of the test.

Salt Creek Ammo put an average of 398 pellets inside a 12” circle. Image by Michael Pendley

Winchester Long Beard TSS

Length: 3”

Shot Size: #9 TSS

Payload: 1 9/16 ounces

Velocity: 1100 fps

348 pellet average in 12” circle

Price per 5 shell box: $55.99

Every turkey hunter recognizes the Long Beard brand from Winchester. This spring they’ve added TSS shells to the legendary lineup in a variety of options, all with heavy payloads. I tested the No. 9 version, and they do the Long Beard name proud.

Winchester Long Beard TSS put an average of 348 pellets inside a 12” circle. Image by Michael Pendley

Apex Turkey Tungsten

Length: 3”

Shot Size: #9 TSS

Payload: 1 ⅝ ounces

Velocity: 1175 fps

384 pellet average in 12” circle

Price per 5 shell box: $57.99

Apex is a veteran-owned brand located in Mississippi, and with a strong following among turkey hunters. I tested their No. 9 20-gauge load here, which has a heavy 1 5/8 payload, but they also offer No. 8 and 7.5 shot sizes as well, for hunters who prefer a larger pellet size.

Apex Turkey Tungsten put an average of 384 pellets inside a 12” circle. Image by Michael Pendley

Migra Custom Turkey Ammunition

Length: 3”

Shot Size: Stacked #7 and #9

Payload: 1 ⅝ ounce

Velocity: 1100 fps

298 pellet average in 12” circle

Price per 5 shell box: $55.99

Migra’s patented technology stacks two pellet sizes, yielding a total count of 444 pellets that includes 40% No. 7 shot and 60% No. 9. Migra claims the stacked pellet technology allows the smaller pellets to “draft” behind the larger shot, resulting in more energy retention and tighter patterns downrange.

Migra Custom Turkey Ammunition put an average of 298 pellets inside a 12” circle. Image by Michael Pendley

Flocchi Golden Turkey TSS

Length: 3”

Shot Size: #9

Payload: 1 ⅜ ounce

Velocity: 1225

236 pellet average in 12” circle

Price per 5 shell box: $59.99

The Fiocchi product development team has refined a high-grade turkey load that features dense patterns, deep penetration, and long-range performance. While these shells have a slightly lighter payload than others tested, the added velocity adds to the downrange punch.

Fiocchi Golden Turkey TSS put an average of 236 pellets inside a 12” circle. Image by Michael Pendley

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This was our second spring testing 20-gauge turkey loads, and last spring we tested a few loads that weren’t included in this year’s lineup. My test gun for that was my wife’s personal turkey gun. It’s a Remington Compact 870 fitted with a red dot scope and a Carlson's Heavyweight TSS choke tube in .555 constriction. Over the past few years, it has accounted for a number of turkeys and more than a few curious coyotes that made the mistake of investigating lonesome hen yelps.

While I did measure the total shot count in a 10” circle for the test, that doesn’t tell the entire tale on a quality turkey load. Things to look for when choosing your turkey load include the distribution of a pattern: Is the shot uniform over the entire circle, or bunched up with holes in the pattern? Does the load open way up outside that 10” cluster? Even after a lifetime of chasing turkeys, I still get excited to squeeze the trigger. It’s easy to pull your pattern slightly in one direction or another. A nice, even spread over a wide area will put that bird down, even when you mess up a little with your shot placement.

THE LOADS

Boss Tom 18

2 ounces No. 9 or No. 7

1050 fps

Hits in Circle: 133 (No. 9); 118 (No. 7)

With only eight employees, the Michigan-based BOSS Shotshell company sells direct to consumers. Their 2-ounce turkey load sends a whopping 724 No. 9 pellets per shell down range and features a hand assembled, full length wad to protect your barrel and provide super tight patterns. The No. 7 load has 370 pellets. It’s worth noting, although the pellet count within the circle wasn’t as high with these loads as some others, the No. 9 load evenly covered the entire 19x25 target I was using.

The Boss Tom 18 put 133 pellets in the circle, but pretty evenly covered the 19”x25” target. Image by Michael Pendley

Remington Premier TSS

1½ ounces No. 9

1100 fps

Hits in Circle: 174

Big Green says they tune these loads for the tightest and most consistent patterns possible, and I certainly saw good results on the range. Available in both No. 9 and No. 7 shot sizes. Like the Federal TSS loads, the Remington shells have a spur measuring ruler printed on the side of the hull. I tested the No. 9 version.

The Remington Premier TSS put 174 pellets in the circle. Image by Michael Pendley

Browning Tungsten Turkey

1½ ounces No. 7 shot

1200 fps

Hits in Circle: 112

Browning Ammunition’s TSS Tungsten Turkey load features a buffering material that helps guide the TSS shot through tight turkey chokes for improved patterns, and at higher advertised speeds. The Browning Tungsten Turkey load is available in both No. 7 and a No. 7-9 duplex load. I tested the No. 7.

The Browning Tungsten Turkey put 112 No.7 pellets in the 9” circle. Image by Michael Pendley

Winchester Longbeard XR

1¼ ounces No. 5 or No. 6 copper-plated lead
I tested the No. 5 version.

1,000 fps

Hits in Circle: 77

The only non-TSS load in the test, the Winchester Longboard XR is a very adequate lower cost option for the 20 gauge shooter with 77 #5 lead pellets in a 9 inch circle. Image by Michael Pendley

While TSS definitely holds a performance advantage over lead shot, there is a drawback. It is expensive. Most of the shells in this test ranged from $10 to $15 per shot. That adds up in a hurry if you put in some test time at the range and hunt several states. Winchester’s Long Beard XR uses a specialized wad and resin-packed payload of No. 5 or No. 6 lead shot that doesn’t provide quite the range of TSS, but is still a turkey killer inside 40 yards. It also costs about $2 per shot.