New Product Highlight: Apex Ammunition Waterfowl TSS/S3
Apex Ammunition's new premium waterfowl load promises to reach further and hit harder than whatever you’re using now.
PPT Editor. Marine vet, hunter, and long-range shooter. Articles in 10+ major publications
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Waterfowl hunting can bring nasty weather, soggy clothes, and fleeting opportunities to bag your limit.
But the last thing you want to do is put your bead sight right on the money and come home empty-handed because cheap ammo let you down.
If you’ve got some money to spend on premium shells, Apex Ammunition can prevent just that. The folks down in Mississippi are now shipping their Waterfowl TSS/S3 shotgun shells in plenty of time to pattern them and gear up for duck season.
| Apex Ammunition Waterfowl TSS/S3 Specs | |
|---|---|
| Gauge | 12 ga, 20 ga |
| Length | 3” |
| Tungsten Shot Size | 7.5 |
| Steel Shot Size | 2, 4, BB |
| Muzzle Velocity | 1,400 fps (12 ga), 1,250 fps (20 ga) |
| MSRP | $469 (250 rounds) |
| Features | Tungsten-specific wad, Tungsten & zinc-coated steel shot |
Each shell of Waterfowl TSS/S3 starts with 0.25 ounces of tungsten super shot. Tungsten is denser than steel, so that quarter-ounce can be divvied up among a larger number of smaller pellets.
Apex Ammunition loads zinc-coated steel pellets on top of that — take your pick from hefty #2, #4, or BB shot.
It’s the best of both worlds: big, heavy shot up close and small, speedy shot for longer stretches.
This combination allows you to shoot further than you could with all-steel shot at prices all-tungsten shot can’t compete with.
“We load the TSS first, followed by the steel on top,” Jason Lonsberry, the president and CEO of Apex Ammunition, said. “This improves the pattern because the steel shot slows down first due to size and density differences, delivering a more advantageous pattern at closer distances, while the TSS begins to pass the steel shot at around 20 yards delivering significantly more kinetic energy at longer distances.”
This load comes in three-inch 12 gauge and 20 gauge shells in boxes of 25. The 1-5/16-ounce payload in 12 gauge shells has a muzzle velocity of 1400 feet per second, and the 1-1/8-ounce 20 gauge load has a muzzle velocity of 1,250 fps.
Each component of this bend is also available on its own. Check out Apex Ammunition’s S3 Steel and TSS Waterfowl loads for more options.
This new blended ammunition is a solid value proposition, and these should pack a serious punch in the duck blind. It’s not cheap, but I’ve seen shotgun shells sell for way more.
Apex Ammunition lists an MSRP of $469 for a 250-round case of Waterfowl TSS/S3. Smaller 25-round boxes are also available.
What do you think of the new Apex Ammunition Waterfowl TSS/S3 shells? Let us know below. Want to get the most out of your shotgun? Check out our guide to shotgun patterning.