The Best Turkey Loads of 2026, Tested on Ballistic Gel (Video)

The turkey ammo market has been flipped on its head this yr because the price of Tungsten Super Shot skyrocketed. Amid the turmoil, ammo producers are working to offer the most effective turkey masses they will at costs that prospects can abdomen. Some are loading a less-dense tungsten pellet as a method of avoiding the harshest tariffs. Others are stacking tungsten pellets with lead. 

However nonetheless, all of those masses are rather more costly than good previous lead ammo. So which of those turkey masses are prime performers? And the way a lot additional efficiency do they provide in comparison with the highest lead turkey ammo?

Finest Turkey Hundreds

Extra Hundreds We Examined

So as to reply these questions, the OL group performed an in-depth turkey load check, capturing prime masses via two weapons (with completely different choke constrictions), to measure sample density and pellet penetration on ballistic gel. We examined tungsten masses at 60 yards and lead masses at 40 yards. To guage sample density we counted the variety of pellet strikes inside a 10-inch circle drawn over the core of the sample. We have been searching for at the least 100 pellet strikes within the zone (as is the long-held customary) for constant lethality. To jump to our full testing protocol, click here. 

Additionally, try my critiques of the most effective 20 gauge turkey loads and finest .410 turkey loads.

Editor’s Selection, Finest TSS Load: Apex Greenleaf

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Execs

• Extremely dense patterns
• Surprisingly good penetration at 60 yards
• Accessible at main retailers

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Key Options

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  Pellet Materials: TSS

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  Shot measurement: No. 9 and No. 10

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  Payload: 2 ¼ ounce

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  Common 10-inch sample: 168 at 60 yards

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  Worth: $100 per field of 5

In concept, Apex’s Greenleaf ought to produce higher patterns than another load on this roster. As a result of it combines 1 ½ ounces of No. 10 shot and ¾ ounces of No. 9 shot there are an unbelievable quantity of pellets packed into this shell — 1096 to be precise. 

The consequence was shockingly dense patterns even at 60 yards. By means of the tighter choked Remington, we averaged 199 pellet strikes within the zone. For reference, that’s significantly better than most lead masses will produce at 40 yards. 

However our most important query was: Do these tiny No. 10 pellets penetrate sufficient at distance to be efficient? After we shot this load on ballistic gel, we have been pleasantly shocked to see that these little pellets have been certainly killers. The No. 10 pellets penetrated about 1.87 inches, whereas the No. 9 pellets drove in about 3 inches. For reference, No. 6 lead pellets penetrated 1.5 inches at this distance.

The mixture of insane sample density with adequate penetration was sufficient to earn Apex Greenleaf our hands-down Editor’s Selection award. 

Editor’s Selection, Finest Lead Load: Winchester Long Beard XR

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Execs

• Glorious 40-yard patterns
• Reasonably priced
• Extensively obtainable

Cons

• Restricted ranged in comparison with TSS

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Key Options

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  Pellet Materials: Lead

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  Shot measurement: No. 6

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  Payload: 1 3/4 ounce

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  Common 10-inch sample: 134 at 40 yards

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  Worth: $26 per field of 10

I used to be among the many first group of writers to check Winchester Long Beard XR again when it was launched greater than a decade in the past. As we speak, it’s nonetheless the most effective lead turkey load that I’ve ever shot. The key is Winchester’s “Shot-Lok” know-how, which is a strong resin that buffers its pellets. The result’s heavy, even patterns down vary. By means of the tighter choke of the Remington 870, we averaged 147 pellet strikes inside a 10-inch circle at 40 yards. 

With that Remington shotgun, I’d really feel snug capturing Lengthy Beard XR to about 45 yards. A lot past that, the sample would degrade to the purpose the place we’d not have 100 pellet strikes within the zone (which is our threshold for constant lethality). So though Winchester guarantees “twice the variety of pellets in a 10-inch circle out to 60 yards,” I don’t contemplate this a 60-yard load, at the least via our check weapons.

Gel testing revealed that the No. 6 lead pellets penetrated 2.5 inches at 40 yards and just below 1.5 inches at 60 yards (which is nearing the brink of lethality). However once more, within the weapons we examined, there weren’t sufficient pellet strikes within the core of the sample at 60 yards for dependable, clear kills. 

The takeaway right here is that with the precise choke and a few diligent patterning work, you possibly can shoot Winchester Lengthy Beard XR to 45 or perhaps 50 yards successfully. Contemplating it’s exponentially cheaper than any TSS load, this can be a good selection for many turkey hunters. 

Finest Worth TSS: Federal Custom Shop

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Execs

• Extra inexpensive than different TSS choices
• Bought in field of 10
• Heavy payload

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Key Options

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  Pellet Materials: TSS

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  Shot measurement: No. 9

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  Payload: 2 1/2 ounce

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  Common 10-inch sample: 104 at 60 yards

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  Worth: $156 per field of 10

I understand it’s a bit absurd to contemplate $15 per shell a price, however welcome to the fashionable TSS market. By means of its on-line Custom Shop, Federal masses quite a lot of TSS choices for a bunch of various gauges. For turkeys they provide 2 ½ ounce, 12 gauge choices in each No. 9s and No. 7s. We had good success with the No. 9s placing a median of 104 pellets within the zone with each weapons. The No. 7s penetrated like loopy (3 inches at 60 yards) however as a result of there are fewer pellets within the payload we didn’t get sufficiently dense patterns at lengthy distance.

Federal sells these Customized Store masses in a field of 10, so that you get just a little extra bang to your buck. The one difficult half is availability. 

Finest Tungsten Patterns: Winchester Long Beard Tungsten

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Execs

• Superior patterns at 60 yards

Cons

• Much less dense pellet materials
• Much less penetration at 60 yards

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Key Options

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  Pellet Materials: Tungsten (17 g/cc)

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  Shot measurement: No. 9

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  Payload: 2 1/4 ounce

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  Common 10-inch sample: 151 at 60 yards

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  Worth: $93 per field of 5

This spring Winchester is providing a Long Beard Tungsten possibility (to not be confused with Lengthy Beard TSS). This load makes use of a barely much less dense pellet materials of 17 g/cc than customary TSS, which has a density of 18 g/cc.

In our vary testing, Winchester’s No. 9 load delivered excellent patterns, particularly out of the Remington 870, averaging 156 pellet strikes within the zone at 60 yards. This was the second finest efficiency we noticed, behind the Greenleaf TSS. 

Nonetheless in penetration testing we have been a bit dismayed to see these pellets solely drive about 1.5 inches into ballistic gel at 60 yards. That is considerably lower than the straight TSS No. 9 pellets, which penetrated 2.75 inches at this distance. In truth, Winchester Tungsten was on par with the lead No. 6 pellets when it comes to penetration. Nonetheless, Winchester did say that of their testing they recorded 2.44 inches of penetration into the identical gel block materials at 60 yards. 

The takeaway, at the least from our testing, is that Lengthy Beard Tungsten can ship excellent patterns and sufficient penetration to be reliably deadly at 60 yards, however in all probability not past. 

Extra Turkey Hundreds We Examined

Apex GT-3

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This can be a customary No. 9 TSS load that turned in some wonderful patterns at 60 yards. This 2 ¼-ounce load brings 814 pellets to the celebration. By means of the Remington 870 it averaged 145 pellet strikes within the zone (so a .660 diameter might be a superb place to start out). One extra advantage of Apex is that they supply their TSS from American firms, relatively than China.

Boss Tom TSS

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Boss presents the best 20-gauge turkey load I’ve ever shot, and their 12-gauge providing is strong too. Apparently, this can be a 2 ¾-inch shotshell that brings a hefty 2 ½-ounce payload. That interprets to 905 No. 9 pellets within the payload. Boss additionally sources its TSS from American firms.

Hevi-18 TSS Turkey

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Hevi Shot has quite a lot of denser-than-lead choices, however Hevi-18 is their prime TSS load. In comparison with the opposite TSS choices we reviewed, this shotshell has a lighter payload of two ounces, nevertheless it nonetheless put loads of pellets on course with 121 within the zone out of the Remington shotgun.

Migra Hybrid

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Migra Hybrid is an intriguing load that mixes No. 5 lead pellets with No. 9 tungsten pellets (which have a density of 17 g/cc, like Winchester’s). The load incorporates 217 lead pellets and 200 No. 9 tungsten pellets. The result’s an possibility that incorporates tungsten however is available in at a fraction of the value of TSS. A field of Migra Hybrid is promoting for $40 per field of 5; that’s lower than half the price of TSS ammo. Sadly, we didn’t get nice patterning outcomes out of those Hybrid masses. At 40 yards we noticed about 90 pellet strikes in a 10-inch circle with the Remington 870 (the Mossberg was a lot worse). Migra did say that it recorded 200-plus pellet strikes utilizing a Mossberg 935 and .675 choke. 

So in the event you’re going to shoot these masses you’ll probably must do some experimenting with choke constrictions for higher patterns than we have been in a position to produce in our check. 

Federal Grand Slam

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Grand Slam makes use of copper-plated lead shot and Federal’s Flite Management wad. We noticed okay patterns out of the Mossberg with this load at 40 yards, however we’d must do extra testing with completely different choke constrictions to be absolutely assured with it at this vary. 

How We Examined the Finest Turkey Hundreds

We used two 12 gauge check weapons for this assessment: 

For every load we shot three patterns per gun after which averaged them to get a median sample density. We measured patterns by drawing a 10-inch circle across the core of the sample after which we counted the pellet strikes. Any common sample density of 100 pellet strikes or extra inside the 10-inch circle was deemed deadly (as that is the normal customary). 

We shot the TSS masses at 60 yards and the lead masses at 40 yards. The concept right here is that hunters who go for TSS need to shoot turkeys past the ranges that lead masses sometimes enable. We then shot the highest performing masses into ballistic gel to guage their penetration. It’s widespread information that lead No. 6s pellets kill turkeys successfully at 40 yards, so we used this penetration depth (2.5 inches) for a management determine. 

Hundreds that delivered the most effective sample density, plus adequate penetration, got prime honors.

We shot all patterns from a bench utilizing Caldwell’s Lead Sled Max, which saved us from the brutal recoil of those heavy payloads. We additionally used LPVO scopes on the weapons for exact aiming. 

Learn Subsequent: The Best Turkey Guns of All Time

Turkey Searching Ethics 

Turkey searching at its easiest is a close-range sport. The purpose, in any case, is to name a tom in shut and kill him cleanly. The professional turkey hunters I do know don’t blast turkeys at lengthy vary simply to punch tags. They benefit from the pursuit greater than something, they usually’re okay with letting a gobbler that’s out of snug vary stroll with the intention to hunt him the following day.

However it could be silly to disclaim the truth that we now have the gun and ammo know-how to kill turkeys cleanly and ethically past 40 yards. Based mostly on our testing, the precise 12 gauge with a correct choke and TSS load will kill a gobbler stone-dead at 60 yards. Nonetheless, making an correct shot at this distance is an actual problem. Certain, the sample of shot might be massive at 60 yards, however the core of the sample (which is able to kill the chicken shortly) is sort of small. In different phrases, in the event you take imperfect pictures at this distance, you’re sure to wound turkeys, and that is unacceptable. 

It doesn’t matter what vary you propose to shoot, it’s essential to take the time to sample your shotgun and choke with the ammo you will hunt with. In case you are unable to place 100 pellets in a 10-inch circle over your goal persistently, then it’s essential to shorten your shot distance (and hold working towards). 

Last Ideas

If I’ve realized something from testing turkey masses and turkey weapons, it’s that the shooter is sort of at all times the weakest a part of the system. Hunters miss turkeys as a result of we get overly excited and make unhealthy pictures. It often has nothing to do with our ammo, or choke, or gun. 

With good capturing, nevertheless, the most effective turkey masses in the marketplace actually do give hunters an edge. You may’t merely purchase ammo with a turkey on the field and assume that you simply’re good to start out killing gobblers. So use our information on this assessment as a leaping off level, after which shoot these masses via your setup on the vary earlier than going searching.