Turkey Load Pellet Science

Yes, quality primers to ignite the powder, reliable propellant to push the payload at the ideal velocity, wads to control the shot string and hulls to keep it all together, tight and protected are all critical. But the pellet is most crucial: It’s the only component that makes the lethal connection to the wild turkey.

Modern shotshell manufacturers mainly use a choice of four pellet materials in their turkey loads. Steel is made of iron, carbon and other elements to create an ultra-strong pellet material. Bismuth is naturally a brittle metal, but when it's mixed with tin and other elements, it makes for a robust shot pellet. Lead is a heavy metal that is soft and malleable, yet very dense. Lead pellets are often coated by copper to protect and improve performance. Tungsten is a rare, ultra-hard metal. When mixed with softer metals, it becomes a heavy-duty alloy that’s much heavier and more effective long-range than any other pellet on the planet.

At its core, the main differential between all these metals is density. Density is measured by taking a cube of metal that is one-by-one-by-one-centimeter in size and weighing it in grams. This gives you the data in grams per cubic centimeter (g/cc).

Of the four shot materials, steel has the lightest density of 7.8 g/cc. Bismuth is next at 9.6 g/cc. The density of lead is 11.2 g/cc. Regarding Tungsten, different alloy recipes dictate its density. For example, HEVI-Shot’s recipe for its tungsten shot has a density of 12 g/cc. However, the industry’s most ultra-dense recipe for a nonlead pellet is called Tungsten Super Shot (TSS) which has a density of 18 g/cc.

Regarding lethality, it’s considered to be the same order: steel, bismuth, lead and then tungsten.

Why is this? Well, density directly correlates to a pellet’s penetration energy and penetration ability which together causes lethality.

Penetration energy is a measure of energy per surface area. Pellet mass and retained velocity both play a factor in this equation: (Ke=1/2 mv^2) / (surface area of pellet).

A heavier material will carry its penetration energy and ability longer. In other words, it will hit harder at short and moderate distances, as well as still kill at greater distances compared to a lighter material.

Think about it: if you had a whiffle ball, a tennis ball and a baseball thrown at you at the same speed, which one would do the most bruising damage? At five yards? At forty yards?

The size of the projectile (surface area of pellet) effects penetration ability. Think about it: if punctured in the foot by a large nail or a small needle, which one goes deeper? Well, it’s the same when shooting large shot size No. 4 compared to the tiny size of No. 9.

The size of shot also affects the quantity of pellets in the payload (it’s pellet count): A one-centimeter cube of steel weighs a lot less than a one-centimeter cube of tungsten. Because TSS is 56-percent denser than steel, hunters can choose loads with pellets that are up to six sizes smaller in a similar pellet payload weight. This means, in a 3-inch shotshell hull with a 1-3/4-ounce payload weight; you can fit a lot more pellets of tiny No. 9s compared to the larger shot size No. 4.

The quantity of pellets that leaves a shotgun’s muzzle directly correlates to the number of pellets in the down range pattern. More pellets in any given pattern increases the possibility of a pellet penetrating the target.

In conclusion, if you choose a shotshell that features a material that is denser than another material, you will benefit by having more downrange energy, deeper penetration and/or higher pellet counts, which leads to fuller patterns with more hits on target at longer distances. It’s just turkey load pellet science.