There was a time when just about every turkey hunter wanted to go big or go home. Magnum 12-gauge loads, often stretched to 3.5 inches, ruled the roost when it came to turkey guns. But not anymore. New load technology and the super heavy tungsten shot revolution have made today’s sub-gauge loads down to even the tiny .410 the equal of — or even better than — those magnum loads from yesteryear.

New load technology and shot materials make the tiny .410 a legitimate gobbler getter. We tested six of the top loads available this spring. Image by Michael Pendley

What is so game changing about high-density tungsten super shot? It all comes down to density. TSS is made from a 18.1 g/cc-density tungsten alloy, which means the shot size can be reduced and pattern retention is increased. Compare that to lead shot, with a density of 11.34g/cc, and you can drop several shot sizes with TSS and still maintain the same knockdown energy. In fact, a No. 9 TSS pellet carries about the same kinetic energy as a No. 5 lead pellet. The smaller shot means you can pack as many TSS pellets into a 3-inch .410 load as you can No. 5 lead into a 3-inch 12-gauge load. And, because TSS is harder, it patterns better, with less distortion from the barrel and choke. All of this adds up to an effective, lightweight turkey killer that is easy to carry through the woods all day and doesn’t pound your shoulder with every trigger pull.

With the added density of TSS shot, turkey hunters can go down in shot size and still maintain downrange energy and pellet counts equal to larger lead loads in 12-gauge shells. Image by Godwin Photography.

We put some of this season’s most popular .410 loads to the test at the range. All were shot through an RTA All Generation pump-action shotgun fitted with a Carlson’s Heavyweight TSS choke tube and topped with a Leupold Deltapoint Pro red-dot. This little rig weighs in at a hair heavier than 5 pounds and will definitely see some woods time this spring.

All loads were tested through an RTA All Generation pump fitted with a Carlson’s choke tube. Image by Michael Pendley

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THE TEST

Because several loads hit with a slightly different point of impact, I didn’t worry about the exact pattern center. I fired each load three times at a wide sheet of paper with a central aiming point, replacing the paper after each shot. I then traced a 12-inch circle — bumped up from a 9-inch circle in the 2024 test, below — around the densest part of the pattern and averaged the number of shot inside that circle for all three rounds. All loads were tested at 30 yards. Will these rounds take a gobbler cleanly farther than that? You better believe it. But just how far depends on your gun, load and choke combination. You will have to put in some range time to figure out just how far you can ethically stretch your shot. The prices listed are real world from outlets such as Midway USA and Academy and might vary slightly from MSRP.

Each load was tested at 30 yards on a large sheet of paper, and then a 12-inch circle was drawn around the densest part of the pattern. Image by Michael Pendley

THE LOADS TESTED

Federal Premium Heavyweight TSS

Length: 3 inch

Shot size: No. 9 TSS

Payload: 13/16 ounce

Velocity: 1,100 fps

241 pellet average in 12-inch circle

Price per five shell box: $41.00

One of the first and still one of the most popular and readily available .410 TSS loads, the Federal Premium Heavyweight remains one of the top turkey rounds for 2025. The loads feature a full-length wad to protect your barrel from the hard TSS. It produced a nice, even pattern with no gaps or holes. Just what you look for in a perfect turkey load. federalpremium.com

Federal Premium Heavyweight put an average of 241 pellets inside a 12-inch circle. Image by Michael Pendley

Winchester Long Beard TSS

Length: 3 inch

Shot size: No. 9 TSS

Payload: 13/16 ounce

Velocity: 1,100 fps

217 pellet average in 12-inch circle

Price per five shell box: $35.00

Years ago, Winchester revolutionized the turkey load game with its Long Beard technology. This spring, it has introduced TSS shot to the Long Beard lineup. The .410 load features a fully buffered pellet load so shot flows seamlessly through any choke, eliminating flyers for a more consistent patterns. Turkey hunters are going to enjoy this new addition to the Long Beard line up. winchester.com

Winchester Long Beard TSS put an average of 217 pellets inside a 12-inch circle. Image by Michael Pendley.

Apex Next Level Ninja TSS

Length: 3 inch

Shot size: 9.5

Payload: ⅞ ounce

Velocity: 1,060 fps

258 pellet average in 12-inch circle

Price per 10 shell box: $79.99

This year, Apex bumped up the payload in its Ninja .410 loads to ⅞ of an ounce of No. 9 ½ shot. The slightly smaller shot size allows it to pack a whopping 403 pellets that exit the barrel at 1,060 feet per second. The slightly decreased shot size still carries plenty of knockdown power and puts an impressive pattern on target. apexmunition.com

Apex Next Level Ninja put an average of 258 pellets inside a 12-inch circle. Image by Michael Pendley.

Salt Creek Ammunition Cold Turkey

Length: 3 inch

Shot size: No. 9 and No. 10 shot blend

Payload: ⅞ ounce

Velocity: 1,080 fps

302 pellet average in 12-inch circle

Price per five shot box: $42.99

Salt Creek Ammunition might not be as well known as some of the other ammo companies in this test, but this small family-owned business based out of Nephi, Utah, is making some waves. Each round is hand loaded one at a time to produce some high-quality turkey loads. The folks behind Salt Creek have a background in ammo manufacturing and started the company because they have a passion for the outdoors. I tested their stacked No. 9 and No. 10 loads for a good balance of long-range energy and pattern density. Their attention to detail and combination of shot sizes pays off with one of the highest pellet counts in the test. saltcreekammo.com

Salt Creek Cold Turkey put an average of 302 pellets inside a 12-inch circle. Image by Michael Pendley

Hevi-Shot Hevi-18

Length: 3-inch

Shot size: 9

Payload: 13/16

Velocity: 1,090 fps

234 pellet average in 12-inch circle

Price per five shell box: $39.00

Hevi-18 Turkey uses high-density 18 g/cc pellets and a friction-reducing spherical buffer to maximize pattern density and extend effective range. Its crimp-seal resin resists damage and keeps the buffer inside the shells, standing up to a full season rattling around in your turkey vest. Hevishot.com.

Heavy-Shot Heavy-18 put an average of 234 pellets inside a 12-inch circle. Image by Michael Pendley.

Fiocchi Golden Turkey TSS

Length: 3 inch

Shot size: 9

Payload: 13/16 ounce

Velocity: 1,100 fps fps

238 pellet average in 12-inch circle

Price per five shot box: $32.00

The Fiocchi product development team has refined a true high-grade load that features dense patterns, deep penetration, and long-range performance. Loaded in the United States. Although the Golden Turkey didn’t put quite as many shot on target, it was one of the fastest rounds tested and still printed a nice, even pattern across the target. fiocchiusa.com.

Fiocchi Golden Turkey TSS put an average of 238 pellets inside a 12-inch circle. Image by Michael Pendley.

Sub-gauge turkey hunters have never had it so good. All six of the tested loads produced outstanding patterns that will put a bird down with ease assuming the hunter does his part. This spring, leave that heavy magnum in the safe, and carry a lightweight, low-recoil gun in .410, 28 or 20 gauge. After putting these loads to the test, I can promise you that the old boss gobbler in your sights won’t know the difference.

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ADDITIONAL .410 RESULTS FROM 2024

If present-day me could travel back in time to talk about the future with teenage me, teenage me would be flabbergasted. Maybe not about artificial intelligence or electric cars, but certainly that my favorite turkey gun is now a .410. I would try to explain that it’s nearly as effective a 3½-inch lead turkey load, but teenage me would laugh, sling his 10-pound magnum 12 over his shoulder and lug it over the next ridge, certain that the old man from the future had lost his mind.

Modern shotshell technology has turned the .410 into a legitimate turkey gun. Image by Michael Pendley.

But it's the truth. Modern shotshell technology, especially the introduction of heavier-than-lead tungsten super shot, means that manufacturers can now pack enough pellets into a 3-inch .410 hull to make it an effective turkey load. Because TSS is so much denser than lead, the standard rule of thumb is that you can go up in shot size about four spots over lead shot and still retain about the same amount of downrange energy. That means a No. 9 TSS pellet is equivalent to a No. 5 lead pellet, and a No. 10 TSS pellet has about the same energy as a No. 6 lead pellet.

All but one of the tested shells were loaded with TSS shot. Image by Michael Pendley

Because a 3-inch .410 hull holds less than an ounce of shot, manufacturers traditionally couldn’t fit enough of the bigger lead shot into a shell to make an effective turkey load. Besides that, shot sizes larger than 7.5 tend to bind up against one another and wedge when passing through an extra-full turkey choke, known as bridging, causing a blown-out pattern.

Modern 3-inch TSS turkey loads hold about ¾ ounce of shot. For No. 9 TSS, that translates to a little fewer than 300 pellets. For No. 10, that increases to more than 400 shot pellets. For comparison, there are about 340 No. 5 lead pellets in a normal 2-ounce 12-gauge turkey load. As you can see, we’re dealing with pretty similar shot numbers and almost identical downrange energy.

Couple that with the fact that .410 guns are light and have a fraction of the recoil of a magnum 12, and you can see why more hunters, especially youngsters, are making the switch. In fact, demand is so high that some of the most popular loads (such as APEX) were already sold out at the time of this test.

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THE TEST

As with my 20-gauge test, I patterned these loads at 30 yards. I believe that is a good average distance and that most turkeys taken each year are probably there or even closer. Will a .410 loaded with TSS shot cleanly take a turkey at longer distances? Absolutely. But each gun and choke combination will yield different results with each load. It’s up to you to head to the range and find out just how far the maximum range is for your gun. Although these shells hold a nearly equivalent amount of shot to a 12-gauge lead turkey load, there are far fewer pellets than in a 20 or 12 loaded with the same TSS pellets. There are less than half the pellets of most 20-gauge loads and well less than a quarter of the shot numbers of the heaviest TSS magnum 12-gauge loads. That means there is less margin for error, and the longer the shot, the tighter that margin gets. Could I kill more birds with a bigger gun? Likely, but instead of squeezing the trigger on a hung-up bird at 50 yards like I would with a 12 or even a 20-gauge, with my .410, I just say the bird won that round, and I’ll get him next time.

Test shots were taken from a bench at a 30-yard target. Image by Michael Pendley

I shot each load three times from the bench and took the average of the pellet counts inside a 9-inch circle. Point of impact varied between loads, but not as much as with the 20-gauge loads I have tested previously.

My test gun was a Rossi SS Poly Tuffy Turkey outfitted with the factory extra-full choke and a red-dot sight. The gun weighs less than 4 pounds loaded, so it’s a feather compared to my magnum 12-gauge guns. I’ve killed turkeys with this gun the past two seasons, and it is my go-to for taking young hunters afield because of the light weight and tame recoil.

Although pellet counts inside the 9-inch circle rivaled or even surpassed some of the 20-gauge loads I tested, the number of hits outside that circle dropped off in a hurry. That means a smaller margin for error when aiming. If you are going to hunt with a .410, a quality red-dot will increase your shot-to-kill ratio.

With tight patterns and lighter payloads, a red-dot scope will help keep you on target. Image by Michael Pendley

I didn’t bother counting number of hits in the turkey vital target, but instead flipped the targets over and traced the circle around the densest part of each pattern. I would be 100% confident with any of the tested loads out to 30 yards and even beyond with a few of them. Will your gun pattern each load the same as mine? Probably not. The only way to know what works best is to pattern multiple loads through your gun and choke combination.

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THE LOADS

Federal Premium TSS

No. 9 shot

1,100 FPS

13/16-ounce payload

Hits in circle: 169

One of the most popular and readily available brands of turkey loads the past several years, Federal Premium offers a .410 load of No. 9 shot with a roll crimp and full-length wad for dense, consistent patterns.

The Federal Premium TSS No. 9 averaged 169 hits in a 9-inch circle. Image by Michael Pendley

Remington Premier TSS

No. 9 shot

1,100 FPS

13/16-ounce payload

Hits in circle: 146

Big Green’s entry into the .410 TSS turkey load game is the Premier TSS. This one is packed with 13/16 ounce (about 220 pellets) of No. 9 shot, and Remington says each load is tuned for maximum pattern density.

The Remington Premier TSS No. 9 averaged 146 hits in a 9-inch circle. Image by Michael Pendley

Hevi-18 Turkey

No. 9 shot

1,090 FPS

13/16-ounce payload

Hits in circle: 135

Hevi Shot was the pioneer of heavier-than-lead tungsten shot, and the company put that experience to work with its Hevi-18 .410 load. With a crimp-seal resin that resists damage and holds buffer in the shells, these shells are made to pattern tightly.

Heavy-18 Turkey No. 9 averaged 135 hits in a 9-inch circle. Image by Michael Pendley

Browning TSS Tungsten Turkey

No. 9 shot

1,100 FPS

13/16-ounce payload

Hits in circle: 183

Browning says its .410 turkey loads feature a buffered payload that improves shot flow through choke tubes for tight, consistent patterns. It came in second overall for the test in total number of hits in a 9-inch circle out of all the loads tested, and first among the No. 9 loads.

Browning’s TSS Tungsten Turkey put a whopping 183 No. 9 shot in a 9-inch circle. Image by Michael Pendley

BOSS TOM

No. 10 and No. 9 shot sizes

1,050 FPS

⅞-ounce payload

Hits in circle: 207 (No. 10) and 137 (No. 9)

BOSS Tom out of Michigan sells directly to consumers and hand-assembles each load. It was the only shell tested to offer a No. 10 load along with the more common No. 9. It had the largest payload of any of the shells we tested by 1/16 ounce. The No. 10 load packs a whopping 460 pellets, and it showed on the target with the densest pattern of the test.

The BOSS No. 10 shot load produced the densest pattern of the test. Image by Michael Pendley

Winchester Double X Diamond Turkey

No. 7.5 lead

1,100 FPS

¾-ounce payload

Hits in circle: 78

Although the other loads tested featured TSS shot, they also will set you back $5 to $8 per trigger pull. Want to hunt with a .410 but not spend that much money? Winchester has you covered. It offers the Double X Diamond Turkey loaded with No. 7.5 lead shot. Copper-plated and blended with 8% antimony to produce denser, harder hitting shot, these loads will work if you do your part. Because the small lead shot loses downrange energy at a much faster rate than the denser TSS loads in the test, my personal belief is that this is a 25-yard-and-closer load. If you are patient enough to get a gobbler that close, these shells should do the job.

The only non-TSS shell in the test, the Winchester Double X Diamond will do the job if you are patient enough to get a tom in super close. Image by Michael Pendley

Will a .410, even one loaded with TSS shot, kill a turkey from as far away as a 12-gauge or a TSS-loaded 20, with as much margin for error on a slightly misplaced shot? Maybe not. But these loads prove that for hunters who are patient enough to get a bird to about 30 yards or so, they are more than up to the challenge. If you are ready to put down that big, heavy magnum shotgun and pick up a featherweight .410 that won’t make you wonder whether it’s your head or shoulder that hurts more after every shot, one of these loads will be the perfect fit.