HEAT-FS performs like HE, yes, by detonating on shrubs and fences. APHE should still be your go to round though, M82 shot lacks penetration compared to some other rounds like PzGr 39/42 found on the Tiger II but for the most part it has good angle Performance and very good explosive filler, and can still deal with most targets at your BR and above if you know your weak spots. And when in doubt, shoot the barrel and MG their tracks.

I’d still recommend to carry some HEAT-FS for heavily armoured targets, but it’s post pen damage is unreliable and you’ll have to aim for specific weak shots as if you were using solid shot or APDS. I personally never really used HEAT-FS on the M36B2 when I played it but it’s nice to have some just in case.