I hear you on the price, but let me share my thoughts.
I have taken 3 kids for their first ever turkey hunt, and the oldest was 8. All three used a .410 and my TSS shot. All three killed a turkey and dropped the bird stone dead. So $10 a shot, compared to an experience that will last them the rest of their lives. I feel that is money well spent.
Now, could they have killed these birds with lead turkey .410 shells? Probably, but I will say letting them know they had the "best" made them much more confident.
Much in the same regard, I use TSS because I live in a state with a relatively low population of birds.
North Carolina harvests over 5x as many birds in the spring as Washington does all year.
Michigan beats us by well over 10x.
I have a 7 hour drive to get to the turkey woods, where I will be hunting in dark coniferous forests on rugged mountain sides, where it's not uncommon to hike 6-10 miles per day.
That puts a 4 day weekend at nearly $400 in gas, $400 more in hotels or $100 in camping fees, plus all the other associated gear. It's a large endeavor for us.... so who cares if i spend $33 on 5 rounds?
The 2 shells that I fire off for the weekend will be the cheapest line item on the expense list.... but the extra energy, the extra number of pellets, and the extra range might make the difference between notching a tag, or wasting 14 hours of driving and some spent vacation hours just to get covered in ticks!
Besides, isn't this the long range hunting forum? shooting TSS is the long range version!!!
We will spend thousands on custom rifles, glass, spotters, wind meters, gps, and range finders, then spend all summer working up customs loads just to go shoot a deer or a steel plate? And that's ok?
My grandad shot an aweful lot of Muleys with a hand me down lever action and cast wheel weight bullets.....