TSS comment from a choke company exec...

[MDSTRUTNRUT]

My son was eating some turkey poppers about 2 months ago and bit a tss #9 (man they are tiny) chipped his tooth.  Seems like can't see wound channels with tss 9s like lead 6s. Lead would drag feathers in wound channels but those little 9s don't as much.    I've been considering maybe a metal detector, thought remember duck hunters using something like a pointer type metal detector some years back. 

[g8rvet]

If you look at my avatar, that bird was shot with HW#7.  There are not many pellets retained even though it was 25-30 yard shot and the head was devastated.  I had radiographed birds shot by me with both lead and Hevishot #6 and the difference was impressive - meaning less pellets that were retained by HW#7 than Hevi 6 than 5 lead.  I would assume the same would be true that #9 TSS would be even fewer.  Smaller size with greater retained energy means greater penetration. 

I did watch a bird strut for a long time once and finally decided it was time to kill him, but he would not pick his head up by then from feeding and walking away, so I shot him with his head down at about 30 yards.  He had a few in the breast and the off wing was broken at the humerus!  That was Hevi #6. 

PS  Got to thinking about it and I had a side by side pic.  The left one is HW7 and the right is Hevi 6.  About the same distance for the kill. 

[howl]

Yes, you should be concerned. Wife slices breast thinner and holds up to light now that I'm using T9.5s.

[WildSpur]

I am trying 9's this year and that didn't cross my mind.  Thanks for keeping me on my toes!

A few year ago I missed a H13 pellet and chipped a tooth. 

I will be chewing slow this year (hopefully)!

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[PalmettoRon]

Broke off part of a tooth on a gobbler my wife shot with Federal 8x10 TSS. Required a crown. i thought I had found all the shot in the breast. There wasn't much evidence of shot in the breast when I prepared to cook it. All it takes is one! TSS does not give. Just be extra careful when cleaning the bird and preparing to eat it.

Her gun does not shoot low, but she tends to on occasion. $1200 later, my tooth is good as new.

[reflexl]

I can tell you for a fact that if some stray TSS hits the body some will stay in the breast tissue.I bit two pieces a few days ago and was fortunate not to break a tooth. The bird that this happened on was shot at 24 yards. Only a few strays but they stayed in the breast muscle. I ordered a small metal detector.

[g8rvet]

I think you are right reflex.  It is the strays.  there are always some outside the major pattern.  Muzzleloaders are pretty bad about that too.  Worse than modern.  I had to clean a few tracts out of my son's bird before I cooked it.

[J-Shaped]

I read all the time on forums that, "oh, don't worry, they all blow through." As evidenced in this thread, and based on personal experience, just like with lead and Hevi-shot, they do not always do that, even up close. No matter the circumstances, you can end up with some stray pellets out of the core pattern. I've picked them out if the skin, outer edge of the meat, throughout the meat, against the breast bone, in the legs, you name it. I go over the meat of every bird very thoroughly and sometimes still overlook them, which I chalk up to what was mentioned above about them not always leaving a visible, bloodshot wound channel or pulling in feathers like larger pellets.

Absolutely love shooting the stuff, but don't kid yourself that it's a guarantee that you don't need to watch out for shot in the meat. They don't give when you bite them. ?

[MDSTRUTNRUT]

what kind of metal detector, anybody used one or recommend one?

[tt_johnsclist]

Little Wizard II https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005NMUO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_MElMEb6X8JP9Q

This is the one I use. Chipped too many teeth on steel shot.


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[PharmHunter]

People are funny.

[g8rvet]

I will radiograph the meat for y'all.  Go halves on the breast meat for payment.   

[HookedonHooks]

Steel shot for duck will chip teeth just as bad as the next

Lead shot is toxic , I wouldnt want to accidentally injest that , migratory birds were doing that when dabbling in ponds and that is why it is banned for waterfowl hunting

Bite down on a steel pellet out of a duck breast once and you'll do your best to never miss a pellet ever again. In my opinion wound channels in turkey breasts are very easy to follow, and find and remove any pellets, especially if cut into nuggets or thin strips, you should be able to see the pellets pretty much.

[dzsmith]

Make clean ethical shots at clean ethical distances with a good tight patterning shotgun and eating shot wont be a problem. Cleaning out 9s from a bird isn't that hard, I too thought it might be, it aint. Where the pellet enters the bird. the area will be bloody, bruised, have a feather that got sucked in, something to let you know that you need to investigate for a pellet. Now if you shoot a bird at long range and absolutely pelt him with pellets from head to toe that might be more laborsome on your end to get them all out....but how could I feel bad for anyone who made a shot far enough to do that.

[Crghss]

I shot a lot of pheasants over the years. When I find a pellet hole I send the knife blade down the hole till I find the pellet. Seems to work well for me. Not the prettiest breast when cooked but better then a damaged tooth.

steel & TSS definitely harder then lead. They all hurt and cause damage but there is a little give in lead.