20 Gauge Franchi Affinity / Federal TSS

[SJB358]

I have had this shotgun a few years. It is my daughters shotgun but I decided to press it into service as a turkey gun. I have never been a huge believer in 20 gauge for straight up turkey slaying, but a few on here pushed me into trying some of the newer TSS shot available and I gotta say I am elated with the performance.

I grabbed a box of Federal 8-10 TSS 3" 20 gauge loads. Pulled out some old cardboard and set it up at 35 yards. Figured if it patterned decent I would be good to go for most of my turkey hunting. I tried the first one with the Kicks Buckkicker Buckshot choke.



Nothing to write home about here. I was thinking this may have been a waste of 35 bucks for the shells.

Well, I unscrewed that one, put a Primos Jellyhead in it and tried again..



Now were cooking with GAS! I counted 544 pellets in the 20 inch circle with excellent distribution.

Anyhow, I posted the entire story on the hunting thread, but at about 25 paces it FLAT STONED this gobbler. I have never had a bird FLOP dead without a twitch.



I have shot quite a few birds and been around a bunch as well taken with 10 gauge lead 6's, 3.5" 12 gauge with Hevi Shot and never seen a birds head torn up like this and the light switch just turned right off.

I do believe this little 20 gauge has made me a believer. It is light and easy to carry in the turkey woods and man, I believe a 9 TSS is the same weight as a lead 5.. That's alot of juice from a 20 gauge. Call me impressed!

 

[gerry]

Sure peppered his head there was no way he was getting back up. Some pretty amazing technology out there these days.

 

[mjcmichigan]

Scottie,

I did the same with my Benelli SuperSport 20 gauge last year. Was the first time I had a Tom not even flap. Just a dead heap. I’ll try again this year. Haven’t decided on which to carry this year. Might be the 20 again. I have a 12 I could use, but it hasn’t been patterned yet. I am a fan of the jelly head chokes!


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[JD338]

That's an impressive pattern right there with the Jelly Head choke. And it certainly did the job on that big 'ol Tom.

JD338

 

[Cleveland48]

That TSS is impressive stuff. I was trying the federal straight 9's, but they just didnt really like my choke. I gave them to my brother and bought the Nitro ammunition in straight 9's. Tax and all was about $270 for a box of 25 [emoji15], but they put around 320 pellets in a 10" circle at 40 yards through my 20 gauge setup. And that box will last me a long time.

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[SJB358]

Oh yeah, I have heard the Nitro stuff is amazing. I really should roll my own. A fella on here rolls his own turkey loads. No special press or anything, just weighs out the shot and charges and has a special crimp tool for the shell.

I have a Sumtoy choke headed my way. I am looking forward to trying it. This is the pattern my buddies Affinity did with the Sumtoy at 50 yards.

 

[Cleveland48]

Oh yeah, I have heard the Nitro stuff is amazing. I really should roll my own. A fella on here rolls his own turkey loads. No special press or anything, just weighs out the shot and charges and has a special crimp tool for the shell.

I have a Sumtoy choke headed my way. I am looking forward to trying it. This is the pattern my buddies Affinity did with the Sumtoy at 50 yards.

Those sumatoy .562 and indian creek .555 are the two top chokes for the 20 gauge TSS crowd. My brother has the .555 indian creek. With federal TSS #9's he puts 275 in a 10" circle at 40 yards. With my nitro TSS #9's his choke puts around 375 in 10" circle at 40 yards. Just devastating really, but his is very unforgiving up close lol. Cant wait to see what that sumatoy does for you!

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[SJB358]

Thanks Cleveland. I am looking forward to it myself. I may order up some Nitro stuff. Sounds like wicked turkey ammo.

I have been trying to find a rail for the Affinity but I haven't lucked onto one yet.

 

[Ridge_Runner]

have killed almost 200 gobblers in my life, nothing kills them deader than TSS!

 

[truck driver]

Looking good Scotty.
I roll my own shot shells and experiment with various loads for my Rem 1100 3" mag. The barrel has been reworked and I had the forcing cone lengthened along with the choked back bored. It will cut a soda can in half at 25yds with my reloads and has killed lots of turkeys. The load is with WW295 in a 2 3/4" Federal casing which I add buffering material and use an electric razor to settle the buffering into the shot Collum. The buffering material holds the shot Collum together and almost acts like a slug.
The printed muzzle velocity is 1400fps without the buffer material out of a 30" barrel and kicks like a mule in my heavy 1100 12ga 3" mag which is the only gun I would shoot the loads in since the 1100 is gas operated and bleeds off some of the gas lowering breach pressure.