Why the 12-gauge still rules turkey hunting, the TSS conundrum, and why lead shotshells shouldn’t get overlooked for longbeards.
by Jace Bauserman
I didn’t submit to the sub-gauge turkey craze. Though I’ve jellied heads with 28-gauge and .410 bore shotguns, and had a blast doing it, I’m a 12-gauge guy. That will never change. Occasionally, I’ll tote a 20-gauge and have had excellent success with it. Recently, 12 gauge or 20 gauge, I’ve loaded my turkey killers with TSS.
What is TSS?
Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) is a game-changing shotgun ammo specifically engineered for turkey hunting. It’s made from a high-density (18g/cc) tungsten alloy, making it incredibly effective in the field. The secret lies in its density—TSS is about 60 percent denser than lead. This allows hunters to use smaller shot sizes while still achieving impressive lethality, meaning more pellets in a tighter pattern and the ability to harvest birds at longer distances.
Due to its shot density and ability to penetrate, TSS lets hunters drop from a 12-gauge shotgun to sub-gauge models for larger birds like turkeys and still achieve success, even at distances up to 60 yards. Sub-gauge shotguns tend to be lighter and produce less recoil, making the idea of slinging a sub-gauge over the shoulder ultra-attractive. Plus, there’s the cool factor. Many hunters want to shoot turkeys with sub-gauge shotguns with TSS loads because it makes the feat of the harvest sound more impressive. Then, there are those who have harvested so many birds with a 12-gauge that they’re just looking for a new challenge.
TSS is Different
I’ve tested shotguns, chokes, and ammo for 20 years. Nothing bests TSS. In 2018, I shot a 3-inch, 2-ounce payload of #9 TSS at a turkey target with a factory Browning Invector-Plus full choke from 80 yards. My jaw dropped. There were more than enough pellets in the head/neck area of the target to kill a bird, and most of the pellets were buried deep in 1/2-inch-thick plywood.
Until 2018, my turkey go-to was Winchester’s 12-gauge 3-inch, 1-3/4-ounce, #6 Long Beard XR. It killed birds extremely well out to 40 yards and patterned decently to 50. That hasn’t changed. I still slay longbirds with Long Beard XR and other lead loads.
The TSS loads I’ve tested, though, including Winchester’s new-for-2026 Long Beard Tungsten, trumps lead. Those are just the facts. I can send more small pellets with increased lethality and put more pellets on target with TSS than I can with lead.
The TSS Pickle
Tungsten super shot is attractive because tungsten’s very high density can deliver superior downrange energy and tighter patterns but producing it at a commercial scale is tough for several reasons. First, raw tungsten is expensive, and supply is constrained; tungsten concentrates come mainly from a few countries, driving volatility in material costs that makes affordable shotshell production difficult. Import tariffs are high. Second, tungsten is extremely hard and brittle, so traditional lead-shot manufacturing methods (casting or simple cold-forming) don’t work. Producing uniform, spherical tungsten pellets requires advanced powder metallurgy, high‑pressure compaction, sintering, or metal‑matrix composites—processes that demand specialized equipment, long cycle times, and tight process control.
Those processes also generate high tooling wear and maintenance costs. Third, coatings or alloying are often needed to prevent oxidation and to ensure proper barrel behavior, adding complexity and testing requirements. Quality control is critical: marginal differences in pellet density, sphericity, or hardness can ruin performance or damage barrels. Finally, market size remains limited compared with lead, so manufacturers struggle to amortize tooling and R&D costs. Regulatory pressure to replace lead creates demand, but until materials, supply chains, and production methods scale and become cheaper, wide adoption of tungsten super shot will remain economically and technically challenging.
What is the TSS Answer?
I’m not telling you not to shoot TSS. I love it. What I’m suggesting is that, sub-gauge craze or not, the 12-gauge is still king, and lead still kills. I spent last week at a South Dakota turkey camp with 12 hardcore turkey hunters, including one world-champion caller and several others who make their living hunting wild turkeys. Guess how many of them shot a sub-gauge? Zero!
Why?
Turkeys haunt them. They want to leave nothing to chance. They know a 3-inch, 2-ounce TSS 12-gauge load has more pellets, and more matters. Close or far, these hunters want to boost their odds of busting a tom’s dome, and no gauge is better than the 12 for that.
Because the 12-gauge shotgun is the most popular gauge, kingpin shotshell makers will produce TSS in that gauge more than any other, especially as materials get tight. Keep that in mind.
Lead Still Makes Them Dead
I feel like TSS has made lead obsolete, at least in the minds of some hunters. This shouldn’t be. TSS has been around for less than a decade. How long have hunters been killing gobblers with lead? Over a century.
My oldest son’s first longbeard was harvested at 27 yards with a single 12-gauge Federal Game Load Upland Hi-Brass 1-1/4-ounce #7-1/2 shotshell. He pulverized that bird. If you’re into getting birds inside of 40 yards, high-brass game loads like this cost around $27 per box. If you make 25 good shots, that equates to roughly 89 cents per bird. Turkey-specific 12-gauge tungsten turkey loads cost between $65 and $100 per 10-shot shell. Turkey-specific lead loads cost between $35 and $55 per 10 shotshells. Again, I’m not telling you to go with a high-brass field load for turkeys. I’m just stating facts and letting you know what has worked for me.
The object of turkey hunting is to get birds close. Though I know I can kill a longbeard at 70-plus yards with TSS, I’d never do it. That’s not why I hunt turkeys. I hunt turkeys because I want to put a hard-gobbling bird in my lap. Lead still makes them dead. It’s hard to beat a 2-3/4-inch 12-gauge, 3-inch, 1-3/4-ounce payload of #5 or #6 lead.
My good buddy and turkey maestro Scott Haugen kills a lot of birds every year. This past week, while hunting with Haugen in his home state of Oregon, he shot a mature tom at 33 yards with a single 2-3/4-inch Federal Game Load Upland Heavy Field 1-once #6 shot shotshell. I shot a tom at 35 yards with Migra’s 3-inch TSS 20-gauge blend of #7/#9 shot. Both birds were stone-dead in seconds.
I know I’m preaching that the 12-gauge is still the turkey champ, and it is. The reason I mention these 20-gauge harvests is that they opened my eyes to how much we as turkey hunters overemphasize the need to shoot a special turkey load. If you get birds close, a high-brass, inexpensive 20-gauge load will do the trick. And if a simple high-brass 20-gauge load busts beaks, think of what a standard high-brass 12-gauge load will do.
Many hunters appreciate the familiar ballistic behavior of lead loads in their existing shotguns and chokes, avoiding the need to re-tune patterns. Lead #5 and #6 loads produce tight, consistent patterns with factory and custom chokes.
Another clear advantage: lead shells are widely stocked at local stores and online retailers, making them easy to obtain. Cost remains a major factor — lead ammo is significantly less expensive than specialty tungsten super shot, so hunters can afford to practice and carry sufficient shells without breaking the budget. Lead offers a balanced mix of performance, affordability, and accessibility, making it a practical, effective choice for turkey season. Many seasoned hunters still trust them for dependable, consistent field results.
Why The 12-Gauge is Still King
A 12-gauge delivers more pellets on target, more energy, and more patterning/options at turkey ranges than smaller gauges, making it more forgiving and effective.
Key reasons:
- Pellet count/pattern density: 12s can carry a larger payload (more pellets) at turkey shot sizes (e.g., 4, 5, 6). More pellets hitting the head/neck increases instant lethality and margin for error.
- Energy and penetration: Greater mass and velocity mean better downrange energy and penetration through feathers/skin to vital tissue at typical turkey ranges (20–50 yds).
- Flexible load selection: Wide commercial selection of turkey-specific loads. Sub‑gauges have fewer specialized turkey loads.
- Chokes and patterning: 12‑gauge choke options and forcing cones are optimized for turkey setups, making it easier and more consistent to achieve dense, tight patterns.
- Effective range: At common turkey distances, a 12 will retain pattern and energy better; sub‑gauges often require heavier shot or reduced range to match performance.
- Availability and cost: Ammunition, chokes, and accessories for turkeys are more widely available and often cheaper in 12‑gauge.
For most turkey hunters, the 12‑gauge gives the best combination of pellet numbers on target, energy, patterning flexibility, and ammunition choice, making it the most effective and forgiving option.
The Bottom Line
The world of TSS is changing, and there’s no immediate answer in sight. Winchester’s new Long Beard Tungsten uses 17g/cc, not 18g/cc.
Why?
The short answer: Manufacturability. Most commercial tungsten shot for shotshells is a sintered tungsten alloy or tungsten-polymer composite. Those processes reliably produce densities around 16.5–17.5 g/cc. Reaching a true 18 g/cc requires different alloying or processing that’s harder, more expensive, or less repeatable.
Still, lead kills. Lead is cheaper, dependable, and an excellent option for turkey hunters wanting to call birds within 50 yards.
