Winchester Introduces Long Beard TSS To Its Legacy Lineup Of Turkey Ammunition

Each Load is Built to Deliver Big Time Results

Winchester’s iconic turkey load, Long Beard XR, was such a game changer for serious turkey hunting nuts that many thought it might never be topped. Well, leave it to the maker of that amazing shotshell to outdo itself with an even harder-hitting, tighter-patterning, load … Long Beard TSS.

While Long Beard XR will continue to be an anchor in the Winchester turkey lineup and undoubtedly popular with hunters wanting an economical and effective choice, TSS is a high-performance option that promises to set the bar even higher when it comes to the performance of a turkey shotshell. 

The difference, of course, is that Long Beard XR is a lead shot load, and Long Beard TSS is loaded with tungsten, a material significantly more dense than any available shot material. According to Jimmy Wilson, Winchester Product Manager, Tungsten’s density measures 18 grams per cubic centimeter, while lead is significantly (softer) at 11 g/cc. Tungsten is also denser than steel and bismuth and remains the hardest-hitting metal available. “The density advantage allows us to load smaller shot sizes, which gives higher pellet counts in the shell,” he said. “When you’re looking at our 12-gauge Long Beard TSS loaded with #9 shot, you’re putting over 8 times the pellets into a 10-inch circle at 60 yards when compared to traditional lead #5s.” 

There are other advantages: “Tungsten pellets are so hard that they don’t deform, resulting in almost no flyers and tighter patterns downrange,” Wilson notes. “And since the pellets are smaller, there’s less wind resistance, which only tightens patterns more. In addition, since there’s no pellet deformation, it also increases penetration on the target. We did a lot of testing shooting into ballistics gel and were pretty blown away by the penetration we were measuring.”

Wilson said shotshell construction aids in the superior performance of the TSS load. “With Long Beard XR, we used Shot-Lok resin to significantly reduce deformation of the lead shot when the shell is fired.”, he said. “That resin disintegrates upon ignition and acts like a micro-buffer that protects the shot as it accelerates down the barrel and is forced through a tight constriction choke. But with TSS, we substitute Shot-Lok for traditional buffering. The buffering isn’t needed to protect the TSS shot from deformation, but it does act like a lubrication that helps the shot flow through the barrel and choke. This allows Long Beard TSS to achieve tighter patterns and increased downrange energy.”  

The superior performance of tungsten has allowed Winchester to create turkey loads in sub-gauges previously thought incapable of being legitimate gobbler killers. Available in two 28-gauge offerings (2-¾” and 3”) and a .410 bore shell (3”), Long Beard TSS in #9 shot will be a devastating turkey killer in these smaller and lighter guns, opening up some great opportunity for youth, female or smaller frame shooters tired of toting a heavier turkey gun. “The patterns on these 28-gauge and .410 loads have been pretty impressive,” Wilson said. “The .410, for example, is sending a 13/16-ounce payload that performs as well or better than a 12-gauge lead load of 1-½ or 1-¾ ounces. If you’re hunting gobblers and plan on shooting birds at typical turkey ranges of 30-40 yards, there’s simply no reason to tote a 12- or 20-gauge gun anymore.” 

 

Indeed, tungsten has been such a game-changer in the turkey hunting world that state game agencies have had to rewrite regulations to acknowledge its superior performance. Many states have laws banning guns smaller than 20 gauge and shot sizes smaller than #6. Those laws are falling by the wayside as tungsten proves them antiquated, and tungsten loads are largely responsible.

On the other hand, for those hunting in prairies or large ag fields, where longer shots are common, Long Beard TSS is a no-brainer choice for veteran hunters wanting to stick to their favorite guns, according to Wilson. “There’s no doubt this load has redefined the ranges at which you can ethically and confidently shoot at a turkey,” he said. “This is a legitimate 60-yard plus turkey load all day, every day.”