Tom Roster

Tom Roster

Tom is an independent ballistics consultant and author specializing in the design and testing of shotshells. He is a court-recognized shotshell/ shotgun expert witness with patents on shotshell components, especially for nontoxic shot. Tom was formerly the Ballistics Research Director at the Oregon Institute of Technology and then served as a Ballistics Specialist for the Dept. of the Interior.

An array of ammunition
Shot Talk

Ammo-Price Increases

If you haven’t yet bought your year’s supply of factory loads or shot for reloading, brace yourself. Big price increases are happening. In 2024...

Table, comparing Hortonium with other shot types, appears on the Horton & Sons website.
Shot Talk

Comes Now Hortonium

Ready for another potential shotshell-pellet material? Here’s the latest entry: Hortonium. It’s a patent-applied-for composite material that has been introduced and is being promoted...

turkey in fall
Shot Talk

TSS Shot Revisited

In the July/August 2020 issue I wrote about TSS shot (“TSS: What It Is and Isn’t”). I described TSS shot as the latest tungsten-composite-shot...

Collapsing cushioning posts in one-piece plastic wads and compressing fiber
Shot Talk

Dangerous Loading Practices

Both of the topics I’m covering here were prompted by an ever-building series of reader emails and phone calls concerning these subjects. Since both...

Scattershot

Q&A Plus Notable New Loads

Two notable new loads are B&P’s 2½" 12-gauge lead load, said to be suitable for “vintage shotguns,” and HEVI-Shot’s HEVI-XII 3" 28-gauge tungsten-composite load....

Scattershot, Shot Talk

Nontoxic-Shot Developments

In late 2023 there were two important nontoxic-shot developments announced that should become readily available in 2024. RotoMetals’ Prototype Bismuth Shot RotoMetals, a manufacturer...