When this tom struts your way, be sure that you are packing the right ammo for a successful hunt. (Shutterstock photo)
March 19, 2025
By Alan Clemons
Years ago, one of my hardcore turkey hunting buddies would load his heavy Browning humpback with what seemed like half a box of Federal No. 5 shells. His shotgun was scarred. When he occasionally said, “Hold this,” I would joke about getting in my shoulder workout. He never changed ammo, never considered anything else. His swarm of No. 5 lead shot steaming out of that old smoothbore pipe smoked longbeards every year.
That was before TSS became a thing if you can imagine. Those secret handloads were in their infancy. It was when some hunters still toted a 10 gauge because Thor’s hammer! Gah! Smash! Crush! Bash! Turkeys (and shoulders) took a licking. The majority of hunters shouldered 12 gauges. A few, though, were ... using a 20 gauge. Egads! Blasphemy! A 20 gauge can’t kill turkeys! They don’t have enough pellets or knockdown power or hairy-chested manly ego boosters! And yet, they did, and everything evolved, and today we’re seeing a variety of TSS loads for .410 and 28-gauge shotguns, along with their big brothers.
That’s good news for hunters and companies. More options are good in the hunting world. Companies need to make sales. Hunters can stick with Ol’ Reliable or perhaps try a new gun, ammo or camo pattern. To that end, of course, we present some of the best new turkey ammunition for 2025 along with an old fave or two.
Federal Heavyweight TSS Photo courtesy of Federal Premium Federal Premium offers a slew of tried-and-true turkey ammunition that works on everything from southern jungle Easterns or Osceolas to open prairie Rios and Merriams. This year, Federal offers its Heavyweight TSS in two 28-gauge offerings: 2 3/4-inch and 3-inch, in No. 9 shot. The tungsten-alloy shot material’s 18 g/cc density is 56 percent greater than lead. This results in high pellet counts and downrange energy to put toms on the ground.
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Fiocchi Golden Turkey, TSS Photo courtesy of Fiocchi Fiocchi’s Golden Turkey TSS has 3-inch offerings in 12, 20 and 28 gauge and .410 bore that deliver hard-hitting knockdown power. Golden Turkey uses the finest 18 g/cc tungsten shot and has been rigorously tested to produce consistent patterns. If you don’t care for the TSS loads, check out Golden Turkey with nickel-plated lead shot. Both offerings have Fiocchi’s clean-burning powder and improved wad.
Apex Ammunition Photo courtesy of Apex Ammunition Apex Ammunition offers a variety for hunters, including TSS for 10 gauge through .410 and also in its Next Level Ninja TSS. Apex has made its mark with premium components, years of in-field and controlled testing, and customer feedback. Its flagship load for 12 gauge is the 3 ½-inch TSS in 7 1/2, 8 or 9 shot, hitting 1175 fps and downrange pattern retention. The shell loaded with No. 9 shot boasts 905 pellets. The No. 8 shell contains 635, and the No. 7.5 shell has 550.
Boss Tom Photo courtesy of Boss Shotshells A couple of years ago in Florida, a wary Osceola gobbler dashed across an opening less than 15 yards from the end of my shotgun. This was late evening, fading sunlight, at that “we’re gonna hafta quit soon” feeling, and then the gobbler came back. He was strutting, mad as a wet hen about the decoy scene he was looking at, and when he came out of strut, his head shot up for the last time. A 2.5-ounce load of Boss Tom 12-gauge , copper-plated TSS turned his head into a bag of mush. Boss offers loads for 12, 20, 28 gauge and .410 bore. The 12-gauge, for example, is available in No. 7 and No. 9, in 2 3/4, with 905 pellets of No. 9 and 462 of No. 7. I’m not sure what the pattern looks like, as I didn’t range test, but I know for sure the turkey I took back to camp didn’t like it one iota.
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Winchester Long Beard TSS, XR Photo courtesy of Winchester Winchester Long Beard ammunition comes in two offerings: TSS and XR, giving hunters more options. The TSS loads feature 18g/cc TSS shot and, in testing, has six to eight times the number of pellets in a 10-inch circle at 60 yards. The XR loads are available in 15 options, two of those for 20-gauge, sporting between 1 1/4 and 2 1/8 ounce of shot. Testing with the XR has exceeded the performance of standard lead loads out past 50 yards.
HEVI-Bismith, HEVI-13 Photo courtesy of of HEVI-Shot HEVI-Shot Ammunition recently launched several new loads for 2025. Hunters will find two new Hevi-Bismuth Turkey 3-inch, 12- and 20-gauge offerings in 4/5 shot and four HEVI-13 in 3-inch, 12- and 20-gauge offerings in 6 or 7 shot. The new HEVI-Bismuth Turkey product line comprises two 3-inch, 12- and 20-gauge offerings. With a blend of Nos. 4 and 5 shot made with 9.6 g/cc HEVI-Bismuth, turkey hunters get 22 percent more energy compared to steel. Hevi-Shot’s original Hevi-13 returns this year with four 3-inch, 12- and 20-gauge offerings in Nos. 6 and 7 shot. These are loaded with Hevi-Shot 12 g/cc tungsten; Hevi-13 offers 20 percent more effective range and energy than lead turkey payloads.
Kent Ultimate Turkey Photo courtesy of Kent Cartridge Kent Ultimate Turkey is loaded with high antimony, super-hard Diamond Shot—a special shot design that drops the hammer on gobblers. Four loads are available for 12 gauge and one 3-inch model for 20 gauge. Velocities for 12 gauge range from 1,175 fps for the 3-inch No. 5 with a 2-ounce load to 1310 fps for the 1 ¾-inch in Nos. 4 and 5. The 3-inch 20-gauge load comes in at 1,300 fps with Nos. 4 and 5 with a 1 ¼-ounce load.
Migra Ammo Photo courtesy of Migra Ammunitions Migra Ammo is in its second year in the turkey space, launching its new .410 offering this season along with its 12- and 20-gauge “stacked” ammo. Migra mixes Nos. 7 and 9 TSS and uses a multi-piece wad for more stability downrange before the pattern opens. A modern buffer teamed up with a sealed crimp and an overshot card keeps moisture out. Loads are available for 12 and 20 gauge and .410, all in 3-inch in 7/9 or 9 shot sizes.
